New Clerical Honorary Secretary for Down & Dromore, Bishops’ Appeal support continues, 66 years of singing, New church extension at St John’s Glynn, Reading Traditions in Irish Primary education
New Clerical Honorary Secretary for Down & Dromore
The Down and Dromore Diocesan Council has elected Revd Canon David McClay as Clerical Honorary Secretary replacing The Rt Revd John McDowell, now Bishop of Clogher.
“It’s a real privilege and honour to be asked to serve the diocese in this way,” said Canon McClay. “I look forward to contributing to the vision and future direction of our church in the Diocese of Down and Dromore.”
Born in 1959 in Co Donegal, David is the eldest son of Roland and Kathleen McClay. He has two younger brothers and one younger sister. He grew up in south Donegal attending the Robertson National School in Ballista and later the Royal School Raphoe. It was after David left school that the faith he had been taught as a child became real to him and real in him.
After seven years in industry David trained in Trinity College Dublin and was ordained in 1987. He spent three years in Magheralin as a curate
before being appointed rector of Kilkeel in 1990. He remained until May 2001 when he was appointed rector of Willowfield.
Speaking of the appointment, Bishop Miller said, “I’m very glad that David is to be the new Clerical Honorary Secretary for Down and Dromore. He is a brilliant strategic thinker and knows the diocese through and through.”
Bishops’ Appeal support continues for East Africa
Three months after Bishops’ Appeal released €20,000 to Christian Aid to be utilised among their partners on the ground in East Africa, the Church of Ireland has rallied to raise a further €41,517 and €17,201 and envelopes and pledges are continuing to be gratefully received.
The money donated through the Bishops’ Appeal has focused on refugee camps in Somalia, namely in Mogadishu and Lower Shebelle. It has been used to provide access to feeding centres for malnourished children and to carry out needs assessments of refugees. In Ethiopia and Kenya, the money has been used to construct additional water points and to provide emergency water tanks. The work has also included providing food aid to families in remote areas and in providing fodder for livestock so that peoples’ livelihoods are protected.
Bishops’ Appeal would like to thank every single person who contributed to this worthy cause. We are continuing to send financial aid to address the needs stated above so donations continue to be welcomed.
66 years of singing!
The long and sweet sounding service of Mr Eric Hay in the choir of St Finnian’s, Cregagh (Down and Dromore), was recently acknowledged by his fellow choristers. In celebration of his faithfulness over 66 years, the choir presented Eric with a gift on 25th September following afternoon refreshments in the parish hall.
Eric has served under each one of the 4 St Finnian’s rectors who have held the position since the parish was dedicated – Canon Houston, Bishop Mehaffey (retired), Canon Battye and the present incumbent, Revd Jono Pierce. During his time 14 organists have been in post.
Mr Hay is a twin, and at one period along with his late brother Jack, who was also in the choir, there were two other sets of twins which must surely have been some sort of record!
Along with his wife Iris, who for thirty odd years has sung beside him, Eric has given a great example of dedicated service to God and His Church.
New church extension at St John’s Glynn to be formally opened
Parishioners of St John’s Church, Glynn, (Connor), will see their new church extension formally opened on Sunday October 9 as part of their Harvest celebrations.
The opening follows five years of planning, seven months of construction and a hectic fortnight of final preparations.
For a number of years the Sunday School at St John’s, Glynn, found that the existing vestry room was too small for the increasing number of children attending. In addition, St John’s Church was without any kitchen facilities, or even a room large enough for vestry committee meetings.
After considering many options, architect Ryan Kennedy, of RE Quinn Architects in Dromore, was invited to submit a design to give both Sunday School children and parishioners the extended facilities needed for a modern and active congregation.
The design adopted by the congregation combined a modern approach to give two bright and spacious meeting rooms, with the careful use of traditional roofing materials. This has given a substantial church extension which is both modern and appropriate for the historic church of St John’s, built in 1840 to a design of Charles Lanyon – the architect best known for his design of Queen’s University, Belfast.
In addition to the Sunday School room, new kitchen facilities, and a minister’s vestry room, which can also be used as a crèche, the extension includes a state of the art disabled toilet, and ramped access from both the main church building, and externally. The building contractors were Piperhill Construction of Ballymoney.
To mark the opening of the new extension, both St John’s Church, Glynn and the new extension will be open for visitors to see on the afternoons of Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th October, from 2.30 – 4.30pm, as part of Glynn Parish’s Harvest Gift Weekend.
Glynn’s morning Harvest Service will be held at 11.30am on October 9, when the special preacher will be the Rev Helen MacArthur, curate of Derriaghy parish, Lisburn.
The church extension will be formally opened during the Harvest evening service which starts at 7pm and will be led by the rector of Larne, Glynn and Raloo, Archdeacon Stephen Forde. Harvest Music will be led by the St Cedma’s Singers, and supper will follow the opening ceremony. All are warmly invited to the Harvest Festival Services.
’From Instruction to Delight’:
Reading Traditions in Irish Primary Education
The Church of Ireland College of Education, Dublin, is hosting a Reading Conference to celebrate the bicentenary of the founding of the Kildare Place Society, from 14–15 October 2011. Speakers include Roddy Doyle, Susan Parkes and Harold Hislop. For further details and a booking form please contact cicedublin2011@gmail.com or see www.cice.ie.