Church of Ireland notes

The closing date for bookings for the 54th Annual Fellowship of Contemplative Prayer retreat is fast approaching. The retreat will be held in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, Dublin, from Friday June 17th until Sunday June 19th and bookings must be made by June 1st.

The Witness will be the Rev Peter Dodson, a Church of England clergyman who has served in the dioceses of Lichfield, Wakefield and York. Mr Dodson retired in 1992 from the City of York parishes of All Saints Pavement with St Crux and St Martin. The retreat, led by the Witness, is conducted in silence with time for rest, worship, personal prayer and reflection. The Witness is also available for interview during the retreat.

Participation in the retreat is open to everyone, and all will be made welcome. Further information, including a full programme, may be had from the secretary, Ms Nuala Dudley, Old Golf Course Road, Donegal (nualadudley@eircom. net).

Today in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, the Rev Dr William Olhausen, the Archbishop of Dublin's theological adviser, will lead the second part of a course to introduce the link between the Diocese of Dublin & Glendalough and the Diocese of Jerusalem. It is hoped to undertake a diocesan pilgrimage to the Holy Land next year this course is designed to help prepare for this event.

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In Sandford parish church, Dublin, there will be a hymnathon from 10.30am until 5pm. The singing will be accompanied by Sandford’s Director of Music, David O’Shea, with the help of local organists and choirs. This event is in aid of the restoration of the Sandford organ.

This afternoon, the Archbishop of Dublin will be in Mohill, Co Leitrim, where he will preach at a Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for the bicentenary of St Mary's church where the Rev Linda Frost is Bishop's Curate.

Tomorrow, St Mark's church, Armagh, will welcome Bishop Jered Kalimba from the Diocese of Shyogwe in Rwanda. St Mark's has a mission partner relationship with the Diocese of Shyogwe, through the Church Mission Society Ireland. In Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, at 11am the Archbishop of Dublin will preside at the Patronal Festival Eucharist at which the preacher will be the Dean of Cork, the Very Rev Nigel Dunne. After lunch the Friends of the Christ Church will hold their agm at 2.45pm which will be followed by Festival Evensong at 3.30pm

The Friends of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, will hold their agm next Wednesday in the Deanery. At 8pm the University of Maine Singers will give a concert in St Columba's church, Kells, Co Meath, and they will sing again in St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh, on Friday evening at 8pm when the concert will be in memory of the late Theo Saunders, director of music in the cathedral, with a collection in aid of the Southern Area Hospice Services.

In St Michael's church, Aghold, Co Carlow, which is part of the Tullow group of parishes, where the rector is the Archdeacon of Ossory & Leighlin, the Ven Andrew Orr, there will be a Bible Reading Marathon next Thursday from 3pm- 7pm with different volunteer readers every 15 minutes.

Friday is the Feast of Corpus Christi. In Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, there will be a Solemn Eucharist at 6pm and at 7.30pm in St Bartholomew's church, Dublin, there will be a Solemn Eucharist at which the preacher will be Canon Peter Campion, precentor of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.