Titanic commemorations; TCD Chapel Choir 250th Festival; Ulster speaker at Assisi gathering on ecumenism; Clogher Lakeside Dawn Agape Service; Drinks body tried to alter damning report; Cleric’s fears over Titanic Quarter becoming a ‘foreign country’; Church in ‘The Dock’ of the Titanic; US Exchange program teaches conflict resolution; Pair fined after posting sectarian comments on Facebook; Bishops put on alert as Catholics reject key church laws; Priests ‘treated like imbeciles’; Cleric objects to Vatican’s ‘diktat culture’; ‘Many clerics ready to walk away’ over 25% salary cut plan;
Fee-paying pupils two years ahead in their reading skills; Parents in affluent areas now struggling to buy schoolbooks; Warning over regional pay scales for teachers; Minister rounds on retailers over cheap booze promotions;Food for thought at Buddhist retreat
Titanic commemorations
Today (Saturday) the Bishop of Cork will attend an Ecumenical Service of Prayers in Cobh on the occasion of the eve of the sinking of the Titanic. In St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, tomorrow (Sunday) at 3.30pm, there will be a special service of commemoration and thanksgiving on the anniversary of the sinking of Titanic. The service will begin by remembering those who died and will include elements of the original memorial service in the Cathedral in 1912. The “Titanic Funeral Pall” will also be dedicated. It was commissioned by St Anne’s as a permanent reminder of the loss of life and of the Christian hope of resurrection. Following the service the clergy and the congregation will walk from the cathedral to the Titanic Quarter, stopping for brief reflections at the Drawing Office and finishing at the Thompson Graving Dock.
TCD Chapel Choir 250th Festival
Tomorrow (Sunday) morning at 10.45am a Festival Eucharist to celebrate 250 years of Trinity College Chapel Choir will be held in College Chapel. The celebrant will be the Dean of Residence and Chaplain, the Revd Darren McCallig and the preacher will be the Bishop of Cashel & Ossory, a former TCD Dean of Residence. The service will be broadcast live on RTE Radio and will be followed by a reception hosted by the TCD Provost, Dr. Patrick Prendergast.
Ulster speaker at Assisi gathering on ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue
Ekklesia – More than 250 theologians from 54 countries, representing all the major religions of the world, will meet in Assisi, on 17 April 2012, to discuss ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue.
Dr Paul Arthur, a professor of peace studies at the University of Ulster who took part in the negotiations which led to the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland in 1998, will open the conference with a talk on the lessons to be learned from that process.
The final day will be devoted to developing constructive methods for building bridges between churches and religions in the future.
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16525
Clogher Lakeside Dawn Agape Service
Around 60 parishioners of Trory and Killadeas parish and a number of guests gathered in the pre dawn gloom of Easter Sunday on the shore of Lough Erne at Killadeas. They gathered to greet the dawn of Easter with a service of Agape at 6.30am conducted by the Rector, the Revd Mark Watson, with Mrs Hazel Allen as reader. This is the fifth year the service has been organised by the parish and after the service a breakfast of eggs, tea and toast was prepared in the parish hall for the worshippers by the choir of Killadeas. As they gathered the congregation may have seen and heard geese on the lough. Geese are traditionally associated with the Holy Spirit in the Celtic church. After the sharing of bread and wine and on a clear and beautiful morning the Easter greeting of The Lord is Risen was sounded across the lake.
Drinks body tried to alter damning report
Examiner – A group representing the drinks industry sought to alter paragraphs and remove figures on alcohol-related rape and domestic violence from a special report shaping Government policy. The Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland sought to delete paragraphs and dilute the language in a report on substance misuse created by the National Substance Misuse Steering Group. That group, which sat for almost two years, was tasked with formulating an integrated approach to substance misuse, both alcohol and drugs. Its final report was published in February.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/drinks-body-tried-to-alter-damning-report-190438.html
Cleric’s fears over Titanic Quarter becoming a ‘foreign country’
News Letter – The area where the Titanic was built by Belfast’s working men a century ago is in danger of becoming “a foreign country” to many of their descendants, a former Presbyterian moderator has warned. The Rev Dr Norman Hamilton said that an area which has long been associated with the working man in Belfast could become somewhere only accessible to tourists and the well-off. Writing in the News Letter, the north Belfast minister says that Belfast’s new Titanic Quarter – with its expensive apartments, multi-national bank headquarters, gleaming visitor centre and film studio – is in danger of economically excluding many in Belfast. Dr Hamilton stressed he wants the vast Titanic Quarter regeneration project to be successful but said that the £7 billion project could do more to welcome those at the margins of society.
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/cleric-s-fears-over-foreign-country-1-3729708
Church in ‘The Dock’ of the Titanic
This week marks the centenary of the launching of the world’s most famous ship, the Titanic, built in Belfast by Harland and Wolff. It has been claimed that ‘Titanic’ is the third most recognised word in the world, after ‘Coca Cola’ and (thankfully!) God. This is a remarkable feat considering the tragically short life span of what was at the time the largest passenger steam ship in the world.
The Titanic left Belfast 100 years ago on 2 April and began its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on 12 April and we all know how this tragically ended 3 days later. With the flagship Titanic Belfast museum now open it is possible to discover and even relive life on the ship. Titanic Belfast is part of an exciting regeneration project in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast. This is a welcome development as until recently, the former shipyard where the Titanic was built, has been largely underused. Right at the heart of this Quarter you’ll find Chris Bennett steaming ahead with an innovative expression of church; a café and hopefully soon a boat moored where the Titanic was built.
This boat will reflect a new Belfast. Chris has a vision for The Dock as an area where churches and Christians work together in Belfast to build community. “Titanic Quarter is a new development; in fact until last year no-one has ever lived in the area. This means that it has never been identified as belonging to one side or the other.” This is unusual in Northern Ireland – a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a new sense of community. Captained by Chris The Dock will provide a shared space, inviting each denomination to provide chaplaincy on the boat and develop a singular sense of community where churches work together at the heart of an area that will include housing, business, retail and tourism. Not only will this build upon collaboration within churches, but specifically in regards to Northern Ireland it will help to build a new community reflecting the changing nature of our nation.
In the same sense that a dock acts as an area for building and repairs, ‘The Dock’ will act as an area where new relationships are made, and old ones are restored and celebrated. Northern Ireland needs an area like this more than most. To learn more about this project visit the Dock Café behind the Odyssey where you can enjoy a coffee and bun or join Chris on The Dock Walks every Sunday at 3.33pm leaving from the Dock Café.
Contact Info for Chris Bennett:
chris@thedockchurch.org
www.thedockchurch.org
US Exchange program teaches conflict resolution
Northwest Herald – Six students visiting from Belfast were infants in the time of open hostility between religious groups in Northern Ireland. Yet 14 years after the Good Friday Agreement brought peace to the area, they traveled to the U.S. in search of strategies to move their communities forward and away from the segregation that remains. The six students toured Woodstock High School and listened to various presentations Wednesday as part of a trip studying conflict resolution. The students came as part of the Towards A Better Understanding program, an exchange program between the Rotary Club of Belfast and the Rotary Club of Highland Park-Highwood.
http://www.nwherald.com/2012/04/11/exchange-program-teaches-conflict-resolution/acuuyxd/
Pair fined after posting sectarian comments on Facebook
Belfast Telegraph – Two men have been handed fines for posting sectarian messages on Facebook.Matthew McKenna, 20, and Dean Boyd, 21, whose partner and child are Catholics, threatened to kill all taigs and wrote other religious abuse.It was during the height of the loyal order marching season in Co Antrim last summer, when tensions traditionally run high and can degenerate into violence.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/pair-fined-after-posting-sectarian-comments-on-facebook-16144505.html
Bishops put on alert as Catholics reject key church laws
Independent.ie – Senior church figures were last night trying to come to terms with the stark findings of a report which lays bare massive alienation among huge numbers of Catholics.
The survey, for an 800-strong group of priests, found most Catholics are at odds with the hierarchy over several issues.
The vast majority of those surveyed disagreed with the Vatican’s thinking on women clergy, homosexuality and celibacy for priests.
The survey found:
– 87pc believe priests should be allowed to get married.
– 77pc support the ordination of women as priests.
– 72pc believe that married men should be allowed to be ordained.
– 46pc oppose the church’s stance on homosexuality.
– 75pc believe that the church’s teachings on sexuality are irrelevant to their lives.
Publication of the report comes just days after Redemptorist priest Fr Tony Flannery was silenced by the Vatican for his liberal views.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/bishops-put-on-alert-as-catholics-reject-key-church-laws-3080099.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0412/breaking31.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/12/catholics-ireland-priests-allowed-married?newsfeed=true
http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0412/survey-shows-disconnect-between-church-and-flock.html
Priests ‘treated like imbeciles’
Examiner – Catholic priests in Ireland were treated like imbeciles during a Vatican probe into the clerical child abuse crisis that rocked the country, it has been claimed.
Father Sean McDonagh criticised the investigation and maintained processes used by Rome when examining complaints about clergy were appalling. The Columban Father, a founding member of the liberal Association of Catholic Priests (ACP), described the publishing of a seven-page summary of a report from the unprecedented Vatican probe – known as an apostolic visitation – as incompetent.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/priests-treated-like-imbeciles-by-vatican-visitation-547238.html
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/republic-of-ireland/priests-treated-like-imbeciles-16144071.html
Cleric objects to Vatican’s ‘diktat culture’
Examiner – A senior Irish cleric has launched a broadside at Pope Benedict XVI and his senior advisers, accusing them of attempting to row back on Catholic Church reforms initiated in the 1960s by Vatican II. He said the Pope and his governing body, the Curia, was far too insistent on demanding unswerving obedience to the Holy See while stifling dialogue among the laity and the ministry.
”It is a bit like Walmart, where you have the CEO in Rome and his people there decide on policy and then insist that the bishops, as branch managers, implement that policy,” said Fr Sean McDonagh, a founder of the 800-strong Association of Catholic Priests, which was set up two years ago to give a voice to priests within the Irish Church.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/cleric-objects-to-vaticans-diktat-culture-190256.html#ixzz1ruIY4pxs
‘Many clerics ready to walk away’ over 25% salary cut plan
Examiner – Cash-strapped priests are facing a significant pay cut, which will see their meagre salaries plunge by 25% in the space of just two years. Clergymen in the Dublin diocese have already seen their modest wages slashed by 15%, after two successive cuts of 6% and 9% were ordered within the space of just 12 months.
But the latest move, one of a number of tough measures drawn up by diocesan chiefs to plug a huge hole in their dwindling finances, will result in churchmen’s salaries dropping by a quarter in total in a two-year period.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/many-clerics-ready-to-walk-away-over-25-salary-cut-plan-190508.html
Fee-paying pupils two years ahead in their reading skills
Independent.ie – Pupis in fee-paying schools are about two years ahead in reading capabilities when compared with those from less well-off families. A new report from an international think-tank, the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), highlights a spectacular class divide in Irish education. PISA compares the educational performance of 15-year-olds in 65 countries in the developed world by running tests in schools every three years. The study is not designed to compare us internationally, but as a snapshot of Irish standards.For the first time, the Irish arm of the study draws a link between family backgrounds, the type of second-level school a student attends and how well they perform at reading
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/latest-news/feepaying-pupils-two-years-ahead-in-their-reading-skills-3080108.html
Parents in affluent areas now struggling to buy schoolbooks
Independent.ie – Reduced family incomes are putting a strain on students — and parents in traditionally affluent areas are struggling to pay for books.
A new survey of teachers by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) highlights the effects of the financial crisis on second- and third-level students.
‘Impact of Budget Cuts in Education’ shows that many students have been badly hit after one or both parents lost their jobs.
The independent study of 283 respondents — made up of principals and teachers — and 141 schools also reveals how government cutbacks are affecting secondary schools and universities.
Warning over regional pay scales for teachers
Belfast Telegraph – The number of teachers in Northern Ireland could be reduced if Government plans to introduce regional pay get the go ahead, a union has claimed.
The stark warning comes as the Government assesses public sector pay across the UK.
Education Secretary, Michael Gove, has asked the body which advises ministers on teachers’ pay to look at the issue.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/warning-over-regional-pay-scales-for-teachers-16143524.html
Minister rounds on retailers over cheap booze promotions
Belfast Telegraph – The scourge of cheap booze remains rife in Northern Ireland where strong alcohol continues to be sold at knockdown prices, it can be revealed.Stormont ministers have hit out at the low-cost drink culture here after a charity discovered that two-litre bottles of cider were recently retailing for just £1 a time. Alcohol Concern said that ‘Scimitar’ was being sold at less than 7p a unit in Lidl — considerably lower than the 40p- 70p-per-unit limit currently proposed by the Northern Ireland Executive. Charity spokesman Andrew Misell said: “The bottle on sale at Lidl for just £1 contains almost four times the recommended daily maximum amount of alcohol for an adult male.”
Food for thought at Buddhist retreat
Examiner – More than 700 followers of Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, 85, have taken over a convention centre and most of a hotel in Killarney this weekend for a private retreat of mindfulness and meditation.
The Mindfulness Ireland “Living Mindfully Today” event is taking place at the national event and conference centre attached to the Gleneagle Hotel, where the INTO teachers’ conference has just finished.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/food-for-thought-at-buddhist-retreat-190519.html