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SEPTEMBER 2010 - NEWS

SEPTEMBER

Daily Prayer - 1.00 pm.

Wednesday 8th September
The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Eucharist 1.00 pm

Saturday 11th September - Mothers’ Union, 10.15 am.

Monday 13th September - Divine Healing Ministries, Pray for Revival, 8.00 pm

Sunday 19th September
Organ Scholars’ Service - Choir of St Molua’s, Dundonald, 3.30 pm.

Tuesday 21st September - Saint Matthew, Eucharist 1.00 pm.

Friday 24th September -  Culture Night in the Cathedral Quarter

Wednesday 29th September - Saint Michael & All Angels, Eucharist 1.00 pm

SUMMER MONTHS

The Cathedral hosted a Thanksgiving Service for Alex Higgins the former world snooker champion. The arrangements for the service were greatly assisted by the availability of the Choir of St Polycarp’s, Parish Church, Finaghy who had sung the services in the Cathedral the previous Sunday. With their conductor Simon Neill and Geoff Higgins, the choral element was first class.

The service received substantial coverage in the local and national media. The Belfast Telegraph produced a 12 page supplement which carried the Dean’s address in full, and a two page photo spread showing the crowds outside the Cathedral. A Commemorative Order of Service containing the Dean’s address and other tributes was produced and is being sold in aid of the Cancer Centre at Belfast City Hospital to which a retiring collection of some £1,400 will also be donated.

The commemorative booklet is available from the stewards’ desk in the Cathedral. The cost is £3 with all proceeds to the Cancer Centre. Copies are available by post @ £4.

UTV produced “Reflections” and in August the Dean was the subject of this five minute programme which showed clips from the Higgins service, the service for 16 Brigade last December with the choir of Banbridge Parish, the annual Sitout, and the Dean’s thoughts on the current Dissidents.

The Cranmer Singers from Nottingham who sang Evensong on Sunday August 22, were quite superb. Sadly, apart from three Past Choristers there was only one additional attendee from the cathedral community to those who normally come to evensong.

The organist was Jonathan Turner, the organ scholar at Southwell Minster who graduated in music from Oxford three years ago. The Minster web site is worth a visit. Do have a look at the Who’s Who - staff list - and compare with Belfast!
www.southwellminster.org/

The Dean writes, “Amongst our visitors was a lay clerk from St. George’s Windsor. He is the son of a much respected lawyer who practised in Ballymena and Antrim and had family links to both parishes.

“So felicitations were sent by me to my old friend at St George’s, Canon John White and to Canon Heuston Finlay, a friend of my colleague and friend, Dean Robert McCarthy of St Patrick’s Dublin. There is absolutely nothing introverted about the clergy!

“You may know I have had the good fortune of spending four spells of residence at St George’s - three as a participant in the St George’s consultations established originally by the Duke of Edinburgh. It was first arranged by Bishop Billy McCappin and in turn I was able to obtain places in the programme for others including Archdeacon McBride and some lay people. In fact the week following that in which I was appointed to the cathedral, I spent being a seminar group leader at the first ever St George’s Windsor Consultation held in Northern Ireland.

“I know that a couple of the long serving members of the choir had a residential period there during a choir tour and I ask that you will pray with me that this could happen again.”
www.stgeorges-windsor.org/

During the “summer” months the Dean met with Dame Ann Owers the new chair of Christian Aid UK who was visiting Northern Ireland.

The Bishop of Wau in the Sudan visited. His diocese is the size of Ireland. The Bishop is the only paid cleric in the diocese and he does not have any vehicle with which to visit hs parishes.

The Dean of Ottawa and his wife called. He is a nephew of the Reverend Joe Parker, the former Chaplain of the Mission to Seafarers in Belfast. Following further service to the Mission in Vancouver, Joe has now retired. His son was killed by a PIRA bomb. Joe was an example of genuine forgiveness in his response.

FRIENDS OF BELFAST CATHEDRAL

The Autumn Pilgrimage of the Friends of Belfast Cathedral will be held on Saturday 11th September, 2010, starting at 1.30 pm from Belfast Cathedral and at 1.50 pm from St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Ormeau Road. One 49-seater coach has been booked for this half-day pilgrimage to the Exploris Aquarium, Portaferry and later to Ballywalter Presbyterian Church for tea.

The Aquarium’s live exhibits lead from the rich tidal waters of Strangford Lough to the underwater world of the open sea. It also has a Seal Rescue Centre which provides a temporary home for sick or orphaned seal pups. It is committed to rehabilitating these, preparing them to return to the sea. The present summer Exhibition focus is ‘In the jungle’.

This will be followed by tea in Ballywalter Presbyterian Church Hall and a short service in Ballywalter Presbyterian Church by the Minister Revd Dr. R. A. Russell.

The Annual General Meeting of the Friends will be held on Monday 11th October, 2010 at 2 pm in the Cathedral Lounge.

PRAYERS FOR ROYAL IRISH

The Royal Irish are deploying to Afghanistan at present. Almost 90 members of the TA Battalion in Portadown have joined with the 1st Battalion from Tern Hill in England for this peace keeping operation.

During the tour there will be prayers in the Regimental Chapel on alternate Fridays at 11.00 am. These will be conducted by the Chaplain to the Second Battalion, Rev. Darren McCartney who is rector of Knocknamuckley.

On the other Fridays the prayer service will be held in the Chapel in St. Patrick’s, Armagh.

General Sir Peter Wall is to be the new head of the army - Chief of the General Staff. He was present at the service in the Cathedral last December when the local army brigade returned from Afghanistan.

He will be succeeded as Commander in Chief Land Forces by Lt General Sir Nick Parker, a former GOC Northern Ireland, who was present at several services in the Cathedral during his time in the province. He has been serving for the past year in Kabul as the deputy commander of international forces in Afghanistan.

BISHOP ALAN IS BACK

It is an answer to prayer being able to report that ‘the boss’ is back - even though he is one stone lighter. Please continue to keep him and Mrs. Abernethy in your prayers.

CHOIR NOTES

Two of our choristers, David Hoskins and Andrew Wilson, attended the RSCM’s Summer School at Canterbury. David also attended the school at Bath where his big brother Simon was on the staff this year. RSCM rightly states that, “Young people love returning to this course year after year, to enjoy music and friendship.”

At the Cathedral and Metropolitan Church of Christ, Canterbury, David and Andrew sang the daily services as well as attending tuition sessions. They were singing and practising up to eight hours a day. The Sunday Evensong was on VJ Day and the Japanese Ambassador and World War II vets including a few POW’s attended. The theme was international reconciliation.

The Bath course participants were housed in Kingswood School which stands above the city, with a wonderful view towards Bath Abbey, where the participants had opportunities to sing during the course. Under the inspirational leadership of course director Geoff Weaver, an experienced and gifted team of tutors provided wide-ranging musical training, including care and development of the voice. Daily services were held in Kingswood Chapel, and at the weekend the massed choir sang in Bath Abbey. A wide range of music, set within diverse liturgies, provided musical and spiritual enrichment. This course was designed for children and young people aged from 10 to 24 years.

The Canterbury course made full use of the Choir School and sang the services in the Cathedral. Both courses were staffed by top conductors and voice coaches. Grants were made from the choral development fund to our two choristers. As always, the Dean would welcome enquiries regarding support for this fund which he established and with the generous support of others and the clergy thanksgiving offerings enables such support to be available.

The Cathedral Choir has had a long association with the RSCM. It was Sir Charles Nicholson’s brother who helped establish RSCM. The RSCM supports a world-wide network of 8,500 churches, schools and individuals. The RSCM is committed to achieving the best use of good music in worship – whatever the resources, whatever the styles. Through education, training, publications, advice and encouragement, RSCM aims to support church music today and to invest in church music for the future.

The RSCM's annual Celebration Day service was held at Durham Cathedral on Saturday 15th May, celebrating the work of the RSCM both nationally and locally. RSCM honorary awards were presented to those who have contributed to RSCM’s work and to church music, and those who have completed Sacred Music Studies and Church Music Skills courses. Bishop Edward Darling’s work was recognised at this service. Another living link between the Cathedral and RSCM. The citation for Associate of the RSCM reads

A massed choir of over 300 singers from RSCM-affiliated choirs in the region was joined by the Durham Cathedral Choir, directed by Canon James Lancelot. BBC Television was also at the service, filming for an edition of Songs of Praise which was broadcast on Sunday 18th July 2010 on BBC Two.

The citation for Bishop Edward reads, “Bishop Edward has served in the Church of Ireland all his life. He was Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe from 1985 to 2000. He is an accomplished liturgist, hymnodist and musician who continues to make a distinguished contribution to the life of the church. He was the general editor of both Irish Church Praise and the fifth edition of the Church Hymnal. Bishop Edward is currently Executive President (Chairman) of The Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland.”

Peter Hoskins has graduated from Liverpool. Geoff Higgins is now able to return to the choir. He is on the final stretch of his Ph.D on Handel. It will fit well with his Bachelors and Masters degrees in music.

Congratulations to Jessica Massey and Shamariah Bennett, Choral Exhibitioners, who had fantastic results in GCSE.

UGANDAN EXPERIENCE

On the recent Summer 2010 edition of the QUB eGraduate newsletter there were three small photo shots on the masthead. One was of Jenny Heaney, with flute, naturally. Jenny also spent two weeks in Uganda with a ‘Fields of Hope’ work party. During this time the group from Northern Ireland painted two blocks of classrooms and rehearsed the pupils who presented “Joseph” as a finale to the fortnight. The project was located close to the rugby club which was bombed during the period of the World Cup. Seventy plus people were killed in the incident.

US VISITOR’S APPRECIATION

Bill Henry from Georgia contacted the Dean, stating, “My wife, a recently retired United Methodist clergy, and I visited your fine facility on July 20 of this year.  I had records showing that my great-grandparents were married at St. Annes Parish Church in 1862, and wanted to   visit the site.  Your very fine greeters were most helpful and told us the story of the evolution of St. Annes Parish church to the Cathedral of Belfast.  Your person in charge of records found the registration of my great grandparents marriage and I now have a copy.  We also purchased the most recent CD of your fine choirs and have enjoyed it immensely.  My wife Sandra’s undergraduate degree is in music so we were very interested in the church’s music program.

“Mr. Graham Harvey and several others spent time with us and were most hospitable. “I hope that perhaps we can return some day and experience your worship services.

“We had a wonderful trip to Belfast and Bessbrook, my mother’s birthplace and were able to fill in some gaps in our genealogy records. “Thank you for having such a wonderful welcoming group.”

RENEWAL OF VOWS

Kevin James Robinson and Susan Robinson (nee Dickie) who were married at St. Alphage Parish Church of Solihull by Rector Harry Hartley, came to Belfast to celebrate their fortieth wedding anniversary. During Evening Prayer on Sunday 25th - the date of their wedding - they renewed their marriage vows. The Dean conducted the simple ceremony in the Chapel of Unity and the congregation gave the couple a round of applause. Kevin’s grandfather who came from Scotland had lived in the Sandy Row area of the city so as well as visiting the Giants Causeway, the city Hall and other tourist venues, he went to discover his roots in the city.

BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT

HM The Queen has appointed the Dean as an Honorary Chaplain to the Royal Navy Reserve. There are only four such appointments which carry the rank of Honorary Commodore. The appointment made following a request to the Queen by the First Sea Lord, recognises the links formed between the Cathedral and HMS Caroline and latterly HMS Hibernia. On Thursday, September 2, the Dean will conduct the ceremony of blessing at the commissioning of the new headquarters of the Royal Navy Reserve in Northern Ireland, HMS Hibernia, in landlocked Thiepval, Lisburn. Hibernia is the successor to HMS Carolyn which was decommissioned earlier this year. Later in the month the Dean will visit the Britannia Royal Navy College at Dartmouth accompanied by the Commanding Officer of HMS Hibernia, Commander Martin Quinn RNR, a former RN submariner. The Dean has relinquished his honorary position as Chaplain to the Royal British Legion (Northern Ireland Area) after over 20 years of service.

DEAN’S ENGAGEMENTS

On Sunday September 12, the Dean hopes to attend the New Law Year Inter Church Service which this year is being hosted by St. Peter’s Cathedral. Once again the driving force behind this particular service is Philip Mateer, QC, on behalf of the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship Belfast.

BURMA CAMPAIGN TO BE REMEMBERED

The Dean would like to hear from the relatives and friends of anyone from the Belfast area who served in the Burma campaign during World War II. The Dean said, “On October 3 at 3.30 pm, we will be holding a service during which the Standard of the Belfast Branch of the Burma Star Association will be laid up in the Cathedral.

“We would like as many people as possible with family links to those who served to be present in the Cathedral. Please contact us by sending an e-mail to admin@belfastcatheral.org or a SAE and we will be in touch”.

The close links between the Cathedral and the Burma Campaign are symbolised by the Association's Memorial in the North Aisle and the memorial of the 8th (Belfast) Regiment of the Royal Artillery.

www.burmastar.org.uk/8belfast.htm
www.burmastar.org.uk/inniskillin.htm
www.burmastar.org.uk/irish.htm
www.burmastar.org.uk/slim.htm

INITIATIVE FOR PAKISTAN

A barrel to receive donations for the Pakistan disaster was made available in the cathedral for two weeks to receive donations.

The Dean said “People had been contacting us to make this facility available. Earlier this year almost £150,000 was donated to the Haiti Disaster from donations placed in the barrel”.

A Prayer for the People of Pakistan
Compassionate God, source of all comfort,
We pray for the people of Pakistan whose lives have devastated by rain and flood.
Bring them comfort, we pray.
Protect the vulnerable.
Strengthen the weak.
Keep at bay the ravages of disease.
Have mercy on all those working to rescue the stranded and to feed the hungry.
And may our response to their suffering be generous and bring you praise.
For we ask it in Jesus Name,   Amen.

PRAYERS FOR REVIVAL

There will be a special service in the Cathedral on Monday, 13th September 2010 at 8.00 pm to pray for the revival of the Faith here in this land.  This is part of a programme of seven years prayer for revival, which began in June, 2009 and is organised by Interdenominational Divine Healing Ministries.  In recent years there has been quite a drift away from the Faith in this country.  This prayer initiative is geared towards bringing faith alive again.

Brother David Jardine, a Canon of the Cathedral, who is director of Divine Healing Ministries and one of the organisers, says ‘I have been moved by the books of a Bishop from Uganda, Festo Kivingere, who looking at his country and continent in the mid 1980’s and all the turmoil going on said that it is Christ’s revolutionary love that Uganda and Africa desperately need to bring radically new relationships between clans, tribes, nations, races, political parties, and ideologies.  I believe that that is what we need in this country as well; that it is only a revival of our Christian faith and love that will provide the answer to our social, political and spiritual problems. ’At this time there are about four hundred people in this initiative praying daily for revival.  The service on 13 September is an opportunity for everyone to come together.Worship will be led by the Holy Family Prayer Group from Drogheda.  

Brother David will preach the sermon on the theme ‘What is Revival?’You will be very welcome to join in this service.
Email: divinehealing@live.co.uk
Web address: www.divinehealingministries.wordpress.com  

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