Church news in the Irish media today – Armagh marriages that have stood the test of time : A warm Fingal welcome : Vatican embassy was one of cheapest to run : Vatican queried over laws on leaving church : Pupils’ support project wins grant : Recession hits number of foreign adoption bids : Building society, one village at a time : Eco – Cloughjordan : Valentine wedding ends an era as barracks church doors close
Armagh marriages that have stood the test of time
News Letter – Following on from the report on the special service of thanksgiving for marriage in St Mark’s Parish Church, Armagh, LAURA MURPHY meets two of the couples who attended and finds out why their nuptials weren’t just for Valentine’s Day, but for life. Perhaps it is the time of year, and for once the explosion of red and pink inside high street greeting card shops, and the rows of doe-eyed cuddly toys, their fluffy paws clutching hearts proclaiming ‘I love you’, has actually got to us this February.
Read more: http://www.newsletter.co.uk/lifestyle/features/marriages_that_have_stood_the_test_of_time_1_3518339#resize-image
A warm Fingal welcome
Fingal Independent – Local pressreport of a recent instiution: The Church of Ireland congregation in North Fingal have a new man in town in the shape of Rev Anthony Kelly who has been named Bishop’s Curate of Balriggan, Balrothery, Holmpatrick and Kenure. In a beautiful ceremony at St George’s Church in Balbriggan, Rev Kelly was given his new position by the Most Revd Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin.
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Vatican embassy was one of cheapest to run
Irish Examiner – A total of 69 Irish embassies cost the State more than €76m to run in 2011, but the Vatican embassy, controversially closed as a government money-saving measure, was among the cheapest. In fact, Ireland’s most expensive foreign mission — its permanent representation to the EU in Brussels, run at a cost of €9.3m last year — came in more than 15 times higher than the €589,300 cost of the embassy to the Holy See.
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Vatican queried over laws on leaving church
Irish Times – Clarification on whether disaffected Catholics can formally leave the church is being sought from the Vatican’s canon law authority. Countmeout.ie, which assists Irish Catholics to officially leave the church, temporarily suspended its service in 2010 when a change to canon law meant the church was no longer accepting formal defections. Count Me Out co-founder Paul Dunbar yesterday wrote to Archbishop Francesco Coccopalmerio, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts at the Vatican.
Read more: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0215/1224311799604.html
Pupils’ support project wins grant
Belfast Telegraph – A Belfast project supporting young people whose stress and anxiety are preventing them from attending school has been awarded a lottery grant. Belfast Hospital School has been handed £4,800 to develop a new centre for young people who have been in hospital and are dealing with low self-esteem preventing them from returning to a mainstream school. It is one of 66 groups across Northern Ireland that have won grants worth more than half a million pounds. Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/pupils-support-project-wins-grant-16117888.html#ixzz1mRN6x4fn
Recession hits number of foreign adoption bids
Irish Independent – The numbers of Irish people applying for permission to adopt a child from abroad have fallen, according to the Health Service Executive. A spokeswoman said improved fertility treatments meant women had a greater chance of getting pregnant and giving birth. The other serious factor, of course, is the number of people who are unemployed or on reduced incomes who simply cannot afford the expense of air fares to foreign countries or the financial strain of being responsible for another child.
Read more: http://www.independent.ie/health/health-news/recession-hits-number-of-foreign-adoption-bids-3017396.html
Building society, one village at a time : Eco – Cloughjordan
Irish Times – Living in an eco village is about more than embracing a set of ideals during a recession, say residents of Cloughjordan – especially if it means finding a better and less expensive way to live/
Read more: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2012/0208/1224311455489.html
Valentine wedding ends an era as barracks church doors close
Irish Times – St Valentine’s Day heralded the end of an era for Mullingar’s military and the start of a new life for one young soldier and his bride. An old Church of England building, St Barbara’s was built in 1855 before being handed over by the British along with Columb Barracks. The wedding was the last ceremony to take place in the church before the troops march out of the barracks on March 28th.
Read more: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0215/1224311799694.html
CNI note : we would be grateful to learn of any other churches or artifacts in Ireland dedicated to or showing St Barbara – the patron saint of artillerymen.