360 Miscellany

News and views

Photo above –  St Nicholas, Galway, by Robert French in 1900.

Meet Lady Catherine in Galway

It’s Heritage Week and Lady Catherine presents the first in her series of virtual historical tours around St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, Galway – enjoy!
[[] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0kLGj3ZuZg&feature=youtu.be ]

The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland in continuous use as a place of worship at the heart of Galway’s life.

When the church was built Galway was a tiny, very new town, a sort of frontier settlement in the wild west. The inhabitants, however, thought a lot of themselves and had big ambitions. They built a huge church, bigger than many Irish cathedrals, and still the largest parish church in use in Ireland. During the 16th century, when the famous 14 Tribes were at the zenith of their power, the church was extended by two of the most powerful families the ffrenches and the Lynchs, each of whom built a new side aisle to the nave, resulting in an almost square interior and the unusual three-roofed profile.

There are many interesting and entertaining monuments and memorials in the church. Look out for Galway’s Jane Eyre, a virtuous and pious parishioner, who in 1760 bequeathed £300 to the corporation to give bread to 36 ‘poor objects’ for ever. What happened to the £300 is unknown. Or spare a tear for little James Kearney who played with his spinning top in the street and was run over by a horse and cart. The baptismal font is over 400 years old and the dog carved into its side still keeps an eye on Galway’s newest citizens as they are baptised. The oldest inhabitant of the church is Adam Bures, whose grave marker dates from the 13th century and is fondly known as the Crusader.

Amongst the visitors to St Nicholas’ over the centuries the most famous is probably Christopher Columbus who prayed here during a visit to Galway in 1477. Less welcome were the Cromwellian troops who used the church as a stable for their horses after the siege of Galway in 1652. They are blamed for the headless and handless state of most of the carved figures inside the church.

Irish bishops offer resources for Season of Creation

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has listed on its website some resources for use in dioceses, parishes and in the home during the Season of Creation 2020.

The Season of Creation is marked throughout the Christian world from 1 September to 4 October and celebrates the joy of creation as well as encouraging awareness-raising initiatives to protect the natural environment. As part of this season, Pope Francis has established 1 September as an annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference have listed on their website some resources for use in dioceses, parishes and in the home during the Season of Creation 2020. The first resource is a list of quotes by Pope Francis on caring for “our common home”, such as: “We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family”; “Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last 200 years”; and “We are not God. The Earth was here before us and was given to us.”

The bishops also list liturgical resources prepared by the Laudato Si’ Working Group of the Bishops’ Council for Catechetics, including Sunday Liturgy Notes for the Season of Creation 2020 and a Week-Day Prayer Service for the Season of Creation 2020.

There is also a list of recommended reading for the Season of Creation 2020 which links to Laudato Si’, the 2015 encyclical letter from Pope Francis; messages from Pope Francis on Care of Creation; St John Paul II’s Peace with God the Creator, Peace with All of Creation (1990); and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation (2010).

To find all of the resources recommended by the Irish Catholic bishops for the Season of Creation 2020, visit their website.

Music notes

In the final video of St Patrick Cathedral’s four part roof project series we take a look at the financial challenges of this vital project in Dublin. The Cathedral is a non profit organisation which has donated over 1 million euro to 360 charities in the past ten years. Without the completion of this critical roof project their charitible work, education programs and the daily worship would come to an end. If you would like to learn more about how you can support them click the link below. “Protect our Past, Support our Future!”
[ https://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/support-us/ ]

Organ Recitals at Leeds Minster are going online for the Autumn Term 2020, beginning Friday 4/9/2020

Yesterday in Belleek Church, Mrs. Sadie Moore was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a voucher by Rector’s Churchwarden, Rachel Love.

Sadie has been organist in Belleek Church for almost 40 years. In paying tribute, Canon Ngozi thanked Sadie, a very gifted organist, for her dedication over the years. Nothing was ever too much trouble and Sadie was always willing to accept changes- sometimes at short notice. Rachel also paid tribute to Sadie who was always in Church so early before each service, spending time in preparation. She referred to Sadie as a ‘true lady’. Sadie is stepping down her role as full time organist but she will still be playing in a temporary capacity.

Jesuit ordination

Irish Jesuit Niall Leahy was ordained to the priesthood today at 2pm in St Francis Xavier church, Gardiner Street Dublin. The ordaining bishop was Alan McGuckian SJ, the Irish Jesuit bishop of Raphoe diocese in Donegal. Due to Coronavirus restrictions, the numbers of guests and concelebrants were limited.

On the altar were the Irish Jesuit Provincial, Leonard Moloney, and Terry Howard SJ, who was the MC. The ceremony was on the feast of the Queenship of Mary. The ceremony was live-streamed from Gardiner Street website. Blessings on Niall and his future ministry!

Fun fact?

Above – Burton’s take in the Irish Examiner

In 2020, there were twice as many Ministers for Agriculture in Ireland as there were Popes.

Well said

Pointers to prayer

Eternal Spirit, With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and testing, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

– New Zealand Prayer Book

Today we give thanks for youth workers. They’ve supported young people at a time when many of their other support systems have fallen away. We thank you for their compassion and pray for vulnerable young people who have been among the most affected by Covid-19.

Today we give thanks for the churches doing amazing, poverty-busting work in their communities. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus, reaching out to those in need and bringing hope to the hopeless!

Today we give thanks for unpaid carers. In the UK and Ireland millions more people have become unpaid carers during the pandemic. We thank you for the crucial care and support they provide their loved ones and pray for comfort and for opportunity to rest

God in creation

A beautiful sunrise at the Peace Stone in Warrenpoint Co Down, photo courtesy of Jason Ruddy