NEWS BRIEFS

Limerick Festival’s Primary School Singing Competition

The children of Templebreedy National School, Crosshaven, County Cork visited Limerick Choral Festival on Friday 28th February to participate in the Primary School Singing Competition. The school choir, which is made up of 24 students from 4th to 6th classes, is led by Mr Peter Stobart who visits the school weekly as part of the Cork, Cloyne and Ross Diocesan Church Music Scheme.

There were twelve schools participating in the competition and although they did not win, the students were very excited to be performing in front of a very large audience in such an exciting environment. They sang Panis Angelicus by Franck and For the beauty of the earth by Rutter, both in two parts.

After the competition, the party went to visit King John’s Castle, organised by principal teacher Ms Doris Bryan. They enjoyed learning about the introduction of taxation in Ireland and minting coins. There was also an opportunity to dress up as medieval soldiers!

Methodist President visits Bishop of Derry and Raphoe

The President of the Methodist Church in Ireland, Rev Sam McGuffin, paid a courtesy visit to the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Andrew Forster, on Monday afternoon. Mr McGuffin and Bishop Forster are long-time friends, having first got to know one another during the Bishop’s ministry in the Diocese of Armagh.

The church leaders exchanged gifts – a Book of Common Prayer and a Book of Methodist Worship – before Bishop Andrew gave his guest a guided tour of the Diocesan Centre in Londonderry, a building once owned by the Presbyterian Church.

The Methodist President was accompanied on his visit by the Superintendent of the Methodist Church in the North West, Rev Richard Johnston. The two men enjoyed tea and coffee and fellowship with the Bishop; the Archdeacon of Derry, Ven Robert Miller; the Dean of Derry, Very Rev Raymond Stewart; and the Bishop’s Curate-in-Charge of the Fahan Group of Parishes, Rev Judi McGaffin.

Honour for bishop

Bishop Fintan Monahan has been invested as an Officer of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. The Order supports development work in the Holy Lands.

Mama Mia at the Mothers’ Union

Mothers’ Union members at St Patrick’s, Jordanstown, enjoyed a branch film night, watching Mama Mia while consuming movie snacks and fizzy drinks!

In the photograph, members are holding emergency wash bags put together for patients in A&E. This project will now be extended to families of patients in the palliative care unit at Antrim Hospital, and this will be an ongoing project.

From Bangor to Kesh

The Revd Francis Rutledge, Bishop’s Curate in Christ Church Primacy, Bangor, in the Diocese of Down, has been nominated as the new incumbent of Ardess Parish Church, Parish of Magheraculmoney, Kesh, in the Diocese of Clogher.

Mr Rutledge has served in parishes around Ireland before taking up his present incumbency in Bangor 15 years ago.

A native of Belfast, Mr Rutledge was ordained to the Priesthood in 1987 and served as Curate in Holywood Parish Church between 1986–1989 followed by a curacy of almost two years in Willowfield Parish, Belfast.

In 1991, Mr Rutledge was instituted as Rector of St Hilda’s Church, Belfast, and he was later appointed Rector of Carrigrohane Union of Parishes in the Diocese of Cork where he served until 2004.

Mr Rutledge was briefly in Clogher Diocese, serving in Donacavey and Barr before his appointment to his present position at Christ Church, Bangor, which is a shared church with a Methodist congregation. He has been heavily involved in the Christians Against Poverty movement and reaching out to the local community. Mr Rutledge and his wife, Julie, have four grown–up children and four grandchildren. The Service of Institution will be announced later.

God in creation