Parish’s moustaches for cancer charity; Playwright wants new material on Derry Exodus; New Canon for Belfast Cathedral; 300th Parish anniversary; Media review – Children’s referendum; Death of Ireland’s last Spanish Civil war veteran; Choir of the year
Parish’s moustaches for cancer charity
The rector of Seagoe Parish, Canon Terence Cadden, and two other parishioners are growing moustaches during the month of November as part of the ‘Movember’ initiative to help highlights men’s health issues, of which Terence has personal experience.
Movember is a movement which began in Melbourne, Australia in 2003 with a few men, and which by last year had spread to many nations and involved over 800,000 men and helped to raise over £184 million towards cancer research in addition to raising awareness of some other most common men’s health issues.
Highlighted issues include Testicular cancer, Prostate cancer, Bowel cancer, skin cancer and mental health.
Terence decided to take part as he had a close shave with skin cancer (malignant melanoma) surviving largely due to early diagnosis. A family member has survived Testicular Cancer, again thanks to early diagnosis, however another family member died of Prostate cancer. In addition a friend of Terence’s died recently of bowel cancer.
Terence hopes that by being willing to talk about his experience he will encourage other men to take their health seriously and to seek medical opinion over any concerns they may have.
Seagoe Men’s Group are currently planning to hold a men’s breakfast at the end of the month when the moustaches will be shaved off! There will also be some experts on hand to give informative talks on men’s health and a clinic is planned where a variety of health checks will be available.
If anyone would like to support Terence in his fund raising they can do so by sending him money or by donating via his web page at: www.uk.movember.com/mospace/5431225
Playwright wants new material on Derry Exodus
Prominent local playwright Jonathan Burgess is writing new material for a series of forum–theatre workshops under the title ‘The Exile’. Burgess is well known for his recent play, ‘The Exodus’. This play concerned the events surrounding the displacement of Protestant families in the late 1960s and early 1970s from the west bank of the River Foyle in Derry / Londonderry to the relative safety of New Buildings and other areas on the predominantly Protestant Waterside area of the city. This was one of the largest movements of people in Europe at that time.
‘The Exile’ will continue to look at the subsequent experiences of those Protestant people that had to move their home at that time. It will also draw out the impact that this displacement had on people’s lives. ‘The Exile’ material will then be used in a series of forum–theatre workshops to be run around the city early in 2013.
Theatre–forum workshops are a way of using drama to look at difficult subjects – doing it in a way that helps the audience understand the experiences behind the issues being dealt with. A theatre–forum workshop usually starts with a one–act piece of drama followed by an opportunity for members of the audience to reflect on and discuss what they have watched.
‘The Exile’ has been commissioned by Archdeacon Robert Miller, Rector of Christ Church, Culmore, Muff and St Peter’s Parish group. A spokesperson for the Archdeacon said “Many wounds were caused across our city during the Troubles. For the Protestant population the massive population movement during that period has left its mark”. He continued, “We want to use these theatre–forum workshops to promote greater understanding between the communities about this period and to do so in a way that brings healing. Legacy is a vital part of our year as UK City of Culture. We want ‘The Exile’ to leave a positive legacy of greater understanding and healing between our communities”.
As part of his research Jonathan Burgess would like to hear from as many people as possible that have experiences and memories from the time of the population movement. He said, “The secret of powerful drama is to capture and touch on the experiences of real people. That is why I am keen to talk to as many people as possible who have memories from that time”.
To talk to Jonathan Burgess phone 028 71841931 or email him at blueeagleproductions@hotmail.co.uk.
New Canon for Belfast Cathedral
Bishop Harold Miller took the opportunity of the St Molua’s 50th Anniversary Service on Sunday 4 November to announce that the rector, Revd David Humphries, is to be the new Down and Dromore canon in St Anne’s Cathedral.
The new canon will be no stranger to the Cathedral where he server as Vicar Choral. As rector of St Molua’s he succeeded Canon Hamilton who also had been a vicar of the Cathedral.
300th Parish anniversary
Bryansford church, situated in the picturesque village beside Tollymore Forest Park is celebrating its tercentenary with a special service tonight, November 8 at 8.00pm. The preacher will be Bishop Harold Miller
MEDIA REVIEW
Why Ireland’s Religious Extremists Oppose Children’s Rights
Huffington Post UK – Sexual abuse of children in Ireland was widespread, systematic, and ignored at all levels of society, from senior government to clergy and laypeople. From the 1930s until at least the 1990s, tens of thousands of children were raped, beaten, neglected …
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/peter-mcguire/ireland-children-religious-extremists-rights-why-irelands-religious-ri_b_2075425.html?utm_hp_ref=uk
Call by Catholic Bishops for a Yes vote in Referendum welcomed
The Journal.ie – The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has given a cautious welcome to Saturday’s referendum.
http://www.thejournal.ie/catholic-bishops-childrens-referendum-yes-662851-Nov2012/
The last Irish veteran of Spanish Civil War dies in Dublin aged 98
Herald.ie – McGuinness enlisted in the side of General Franco’s Nationalists supported by the Catholic church, who reacted to the extensive massacre of Catholic clergy. The war raged for three years from 1936, taking thousands of lives, including those of Irish …
http://www.herald.ie/news/the-last-irish-veteran-of-spanish-civil-war-dies-in-dublin-aged-98-3282920.html
Choir Competition has Grand Final line-up
RTE.ie – The All Island School Choir of the Year Competition is organised by CoOperation Ireland in association with RTÉ. The series, now in its fourth year, is presented by Anne Cassin. Methodist College, Belfast qualified to compete in the Grand Final of the All Island School Choir of the Year Competition, live on RTÉ One television on Sunday next, November 11, from Belfast’s Titanic Centre.
Methody’ emerged as winners from the Regional Final which also featured choirs from Ballyclare High School, Saint Michael’s College, Lurgan, Saint Mary’s College, Derry and Victoria College, Belfast.
The choirs who have already qualified for the Grand Final on RTÉ One on Sunday November 11 at 6:30pm, live from the Titanic Centre are: Loreto Secondary School, Fermoy; Wesley College, Ballinteer and Sacred Heart Mercy Secondary School, Tullamore.
The All Island School Choir of the Year Competition is organised by CoOperation Ireland in association with RTÉ. The series, now in its fourth year, is presented by Anne Cassin.
Two of next week’s finalists, Methodist College, Belfast and Wesley College, Ballinteer are previous winners of the overall competition.
http://www.rte.ie/ten/2012/1104/allislandschoolchoircompettion.html