Turas, the Irish language project of the Methodist Church’s East Belfast Mission, was awarded €1,000 and a bronze medal for its promotion of the Irish language and in particular the fáinne at a recent Glór na nGael prize-giving ceremony.
Turas, meaning journey or pilgrimage in both Irish and Scots Gaelic, is an Irish language project designed to connect people from Protestant communities to their own history with the Irish language.
Glór na nGael, in existence since 1961, is a national award presented to community groups for their work within the community and promotion of the Irish language. Approximately 120 community groups throughout the 32 counties of Ireland participated in this year’s awards.
The Irish Council of Churches (ICC), founded in 1923, is the formal national body through which churches in Ireland (across the range of Protestant, Orthodox, Reformed and Independent church traditions) engage, dialogue and act on a wide variety of issues. At April’s agm it issued a resolution on migration, diversity and interculturalism as follows:
We affirm our commitment as Christian churches:
1. To recognise and appreciate cultural and ethnic diversity as gifts of God, and to ensure that these gifts are reflected in the life of the church.
2. To foster faith communities where the rights of each person are respected, and where scope is provided for each person’s potential to be realised.
3. To work towards inclusive communities, paying particular attention to addressing racism and xenophobia in attitudes, actions, practices and policies.
4. To explore and adopt ways of worship, systems of administration and other structures so that they fully respond to and reflect the church membership.
5. To defend the rights of migrants in accordance with international and national laws and standards on migration.
6. To advocate for the rights of all migrants, and in particular their right to family life.
7. To support and assist migrants in appropriate, practical ways in their efforts to integrate in church and society.
8. To establish networks with migrant-led churches and chaplaincies by fostering co-operation and collaboration with them in providing pastoral care and support to migrants.
9. To seek the development of appropriate services for migrants, and to draw attention to the need for public services generally to be responsive to the circumstances of migrants.
10. To work together as churches and to network with people of other faiths and none to promote a greater understanding between denominations and other faiths and none, ensuring the growth of a society based on respect, dignity and equal rights for all its members.
The Bible Society in Northern Ireland recently appointed Catherine Little as its new general secretary.
Catherine has been working for the mental health charity Praxis Care as a co-ordinator of their volunteer, befriending and counselling services. She will also bring experience gained developing a special programme with the Church of Ireland Youth Department and as a trainer with Youth Link NI. This work embraced both community relations and youth work, and has included training with many of the province’s youth organisations.
While the society dates back to 1807, Catherine will be the first woman to lead the organisation.
John Doherty, general secretary for the past 15 years, retires next month.