Church Of Ireland Notes

Today, the Mothers' Union Millennium Journey reaches its destination in Armagh

Today, the Mothers' Union Millennium Journey reaches its destination in Armagh. At midday in St Patrick's Cathedral, Lady Eames, the world president, will speak at a service to mark the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At the same time, up to one million Mothers' Union members in 60 countries throughout the world will join in prayer to celebrate 2,000 years of Christianity.

The Mothers' Union Ireland Journey began in Cork on St Patrick's Day and visited each of the 12 dioceses of the Church of Ireland on the journey to Armagh. Among the highlights of the journey were services in St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny, in Collooney parish church, and in St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast; a visit to Birr Castle and a quiet day in Ballinlough Castle; a civic reception in Longford and an evening of entertainment in Coleraine.

Today, the church's Ministry of Healing will hold a quiet day in Kill o' the Grange parish centre and church, where the conductor will be the Bishop of Tuam, Dr Richard Henderson. The day will begin with an assembly at 9.30 a.m. and will conclude with a celebration of the Eucharist with laying-on of hands at 3.30 p.m.

In St Fethlimidh's Cathedral, Kilmore, the Fermanagh Choral Society will perform Haydn's Creation in aid of the cathedral restoration fund.

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Tomorrow, Radio Ulster will broadcast Morning Service from St Patrick's Church, Coleraine, conducted by the Archdeacon of Dalriada, the Ven Kenneth Clarke. In Cashel Cathedral, there will be a Service of the Word for National Bible Week. The preacher will be the regional co-ordinator for National Bible Week, Father John Littleton. In Dublin, the Lenten address in St John's Church, Sandymount, will be given by the chief officer of the Representative Church Body, Mr Robert Sherwood.

At Evensong in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, the third in the series of episcopal addresses on the Apostles' Creed will be given by the Bishop of Tuam, and at 5 p.m. in Christ Church Cathedral there will be a celebration of the Eucharist in Irish with Cumann Gaelach na hEaglaise.

On Wednesday, in St Fin Barre's Cathedral, the speaker in the course on "Christ the Healer - the Christian Imperative to Care" will be Dr Tony O'Brien.

The second in the "Faith Matters for a New Millennium" Lenten series in Rathfarnham Parish Church, which is a collaboration between Rathfarnham parish and its Roman Catholic neighbour, the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ballyroan, takes place on Thursday at 8 p.m. The speakers on "Business & Faith" will be Mr Patrick Comerford, Foreign Editor of The Irish Times, and Dr Kieran Kennedy, from the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin.

On Friday evening in Taney Parish, Dundrum, the Rev Norman McCausland will be commissioned as Mission Officer of the Church Missionary Society Ireland by the Archdeacon of Dublin, the Ven Gordon Linney. Mr McCausland, who has been chaplain-tutor in the Church of Ireland Theological College since 1996, will work in the southern province of the Church of Ireland.

The Bishop of Derry, Dr James Mehaffey, has appointed the Rev William McNee, Rector of Ardstraw, and the Rev John Martin, Rector of Cumber Upper and Learmount, as Canons of St Columb's Cathedral.