Good Friday: church services

The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, will lead a Way of the Cross ceremony in the Phoenix Park today, starting at 3pm.

Beginning at the Wellington monument, it will proceed to the papal cross, stopping at "stations" along the way.

It is organised by the Communion and Liberation Movement, which has planned many such processions around the world for today including Ground Zero in New York, Kampala and Novosibirsk.

Another predominantly lay Catholic movement, the St Egidio Community, will begin a Way of the Cross procession from the Greek Orthodox church in Dublin's Artane at 7pm and continue to St Paul's church on Arran Quay.

Easter in the Orthodox churches, which coincided with that of "western" Christian churches last year, falls on May 1st this year. Its Ash Wednesday was on March 16th. Easter, for both western and Orthodox Christians falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon which follows the Spring equinox.

However, as the western churches follow the Gregorian calendar and the Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar, great discrepancies such as occur this year can happen.

At the Unitarian church on Dublin's St Stephen's Green, for the fifth year running there will be a simple Good Friday ceremony to remember the more than 3,600 people who have died in political violence in Northern Ireland over the past 40 years.

In what is believed to be the only ceremony of its kind, North or South, beginning at noon and continuing to 3pm, members of the church will take turns to read the names of all those who have died in the Troubles.

There will be a united services ceremony at Lucan village green, beginning at 1pm and organised by the local Presbyterian church under its minister, Rev Trevor Morrow. There will be an informal communion service in Malahide Presbyterian church at 8pm. There will also be an 8pm service at Adelaide Road Presbyterian church in the city centre.

Cardinal Desmond Connell will preside at a solemn ceremony in St Columba's church, Iona Road, Drumcondra, today at 3pm. At 9pm in Dublin's Pro-Cathedral there will be a youth diocesan prayer and reconciliation service, led by Dr Martin. In Dublin's Christ Church cathedral there will be choral evensong and Liturgy of the Cross at 3.30pm, with Tenebrae at 9pm.

At St Patrick's cathedral there will be choral matins at 11.15am with the proclamation of the cross at 2pm.

The preacher at both services will be Right Rev Alan Smithson, former bishop of Jarrow. There will also be a 2pm service at Clontarf Methodist church.

There will be a special showing of a film on near-death experiences at the Calvary Christian Centre, Bowbridge Business Centre, Bow Lane, in Dublin's Kilmainham. To Hell and Back will begin at 7.30pm.

The Dublin West Community church will hold a service at the Laurel Lodge Community Centre in Castleknock at 7.30pm also, while there will be an Easter service at 7pm at St Mark's family worship centre, Pearse Street.

Good Friday ceremonies will take place, as traditional, at 3pm in Catholic churches throughout the country. At most Church of Ireland churches liturgies will begin at 3.30pm. It would be wise to check locally.