connorAUTUMN 2011 The Magazine of the Diocese of Connor connections

Agroup of 17 pilgrims including the Bishop of Connor,

the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, travelled to North Wales

for the annual Connor clergy retreat in June.

They were based at Snowdonia Mountain Lodge, Bethesda,

which sits at the bottom end of the Nant Ffrancon Valley

with spectacular views towards Snowdon. The peaceful

location and comfortable rooms helped clergy enjoy their

periods of relaxation.

There was input from Professor Canon Leslie Francis who

reflected on the theme of leadership and prayer. He used

the tool of psychological type in a theological context to

help the Connor clergy see how different each is and how

everyone needs to appreciate the difference of others.

Diocesan training co-ordinator Peter Hamill said: “Leslie

was very challenging and thought provoking.”

The group visited Bangor Cathedral where Bishop Alan

celebrated the Eucharist. As they left North Wales they

attended a communion service at Plas Newydd Church,

conducted in candlelight as the church has no electricity.

Bishop Alan gave an address on journeys and the Connor

clergy were joined by theological college students in

training.

Our thanks are due to Professor Francis and Rev Dr Sue

Jones (dean elect Bangor Cathedral) for their time and

input during the retreat.

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Clergy retreat in North Wales

The Rev Louise Stewart was instituted

as rector of the grouped parishes of

Finaghy and Upper Malone on

Wednesday June 22.

Prior to her institution Louise, 39, was

curate-assistant of the parishes. She is

married to the Rev Brian Stewart, rector

of St George’s, Belfast, and is mother to

Catherine, 14, John, 12, Emma, 11,

Thomas, 9 and Peter, 7.

A native of Coleraine, Louise was

formerly an Education Welfare Officer for

the Belfast Education and Library Board.

She was ordained as a deacon in 2000

and as a priest in 2001. From 2000 until

2009 she was a Non-stipendiary curate

in St John’s Parish, Malone, and in

October 2009 moved to the grouped

parishes of St Polycarp and Epiphany.

With the departure of the rector, the Rev

Garth Bunting, to Dublin in September

2010 Louise was curate in charge of the

parishes.

She completed further training for the

Stipendiary ministry in January this year.

Institution in Finaghy and Upper Malone

Connor clergy and guests on retreat in North Wales.

The Rev Canon Tim

Close, Dean’s Vicar and

minister-in-charge at St

Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast,

has been appointed rector

of All Saints Eglantine,

Diocese of Connor.

Tim, originally from

Carrickfergus, is married

to Amanda. He is a

graduate of Queen’s

University, Belfast, the

University of Leicester,

and Trinity College Dublin.

Tim was ordained to

serve as curate-assistant

in the Parish of

Glenageary, Archdiocese

of Dublin, before returning

to Northern Ireland to

serve as Dean’s Vicar to

the Very Rev Dr Houston

McKelvey, former Dean of

Belfast.

His institution as rector of

Eglantine will take place

on Monday October 24 at

8pm.

Eglantineappointment

The Rev Louise Stewart, rector of Finaghy and Upper Malone, centre, with the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, andguests ready to enjoy supper following Louise’s institution as rector of the grouped parishes. Photo: Arthur Macartney.

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if you HAvE ANy EDitoriAl coMMENtS or WoulD likEto coNtriButE to tHE NExt EDitioN of coNNorcoNNEctioNS PlEASE coNtAct:

kArEN BuSHBycoNNor DiocESAN coMMuNicAtioNS officErcHurcH of irElAND HouSE61-67 DoNEGAll StrEEtBElfAStBt1 2QHtEl: 028 9082 8874MoBilE: 07766 103880EMAil: dco@connor.anglican.org

lisburn cathedral hosts youth mission in yei 04

ordinations of priests and deacons 06

celebrating Judaism at camp in Poland 08

A new Mann in St Anne’s 10

Bishop Alan launches book 12

Pulling strings for Ethiopia 13

overcoming challenges - one woman’s story 16

it’s all go for youth activities in the diocese 19

Website: www.connor.anglican.org

C ontentscovEr PHotoGrAPH: tHE DEAN ofBElfASt, tHE vEry rEv JoHN MANN,outSiDE St ANNE’S cAtHEDrAl oN tHEDAy of HiS iNStAllAtioN ANDiNStitutioN. PicturE By HuGH ruSSEll

Be signposts to helpothers to find GodI

t is something I find myself thinking about

as I reflect upon the future of our mission

and ministry as a diocese.

The word ‘connections’ has become critical

in my thinking and in my praying. We are

living in an increasingly secular and

disconnected society. There are so many

anxious and fearful about their future in

terms of employment and making ends

meet. There is the understandable concern

for those who are in our education system

as to what prospects there will be and what

will be possible. The health service is under

severe strain and morale in many parts of

our communities is low.

We as churches have felt the squeeze

financially and also the difficulty of living and

talking about faith in what at times appears

to be a hostile and cynical environment.

There are so many disconnections in family,

community, economic, political, social and

indeed church life. Yet we believe in the one

who came and dwelt among us to enable us

to find our connection with God. We have

the amazing blessing of becoming children

of God.

My prayer is that in the chaos and confusion

we will find our own faith strengthened as

we work together to find ways of being

channels of God’s presence to others. I

believe that God is always present but we

need to be signposts or, as Jesus said, light

and salt so that others will find God.

Grace and peace to you all,

The Rev Canon Gregory

Dunstan, rector of St

Matthew’s, Shankill, has

been appointed Dean of

Armagh, suceeding the Rt

Rev Patrick Rooke.

Canon Dunstan has been

rector of St Matthew’s

since 1993. He was

elected to the chapter

canonry of St Patrick’s

Cathedral, Dublin, in 2007

and is chairman of the

Down & Dromore and

Connor Organ Scholarship

Management Board.

Announcing the

appointment, the

Archbishop of Armagh

said: “The new dean is a

person of great spiritual

gifts with quiet devotion to

pastoral ministry. He also

combines liturgical and

musical insights with an

appreciation of sacred

space and expertise in the

care of ancient buildings in

their landscape setting.”

Canon Dunstan described

his years at St Matthew’s

as ‘happy and fulfilling,’

and said his appointment

was ‘a great honour.’

New Deanof Armagh

Kilbride Parish has been awarded £8,512

from the Big Lottery Fund’s Energy

Efficient Venues programme. This offers

Lottery money to groups to carry out

improvements to community venues so

they can save on heat and lighting costs.

The church will use the funding to install

double glazed windows and a number of

new doors in the church hall.

Boost for Kilbride

+Alan Connor

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Ateam from Lisburn Cathedral spent time in Yei

Diocese shortly before South Sudan emerged as an

independent nation. The country now aspires to a

brighter future after decades of brutal civil war.

It was the young people who will be vital to this future that

the Lisburn team set out to establish relationships with in

what was to prove a challenging and rewarding mission

experience.

The team was led by the Rev Simon Genoe, curate, and

Zara Wortley, a teacher and voluntary youth worker at the

cathedral. Other team members were: Matthew Bell, Grace

Fullerton, Michael Wright, Victoria Bell and Lauren Elliott.

The team departed for Africa on June 26, spending two

nights in Entebbe, Uganda, before flying on to Yei. On

arrival at the Episcopal Church of Sudan Guest House, run

by Yei Diocese, they found they were sharing

accommodation with the new South Sudan football team

who were training for a match with Kenya!

Under the shade of a mango tree, the group members had

their first meeting with Bishop Hilary of Yei, who talked

about the diocese and particularly Mongo, the village in

which he had grown up, and the team’s destination the

following day.

Although it was the rainy season, the bumpy road to Mongo

was dry and passable and the team received a warm

welcome in the village where Connor built a school as part

of its ongoing partnership with Yei Diocese. Simon said:

“When the first group arrived they were really surprised

because there were about 200 kids singing and dancing to

welcome them. It was incredible, and so humbling.”

Accommodation in Mongo was basic, with the group

housed in corrugated iron shacks. “It was quite

comfortable, they had built showers and toilets for us, and

even heated the water over fires,” said Simon.

The team had planned to run relationship training courses

for teenagers in both Mongo and Yei, but the ages of the

participants varied considerably in Mongo, as team member

Matthew Bell observed. “We were expecting teenagers, but

there was a huge mix of people aged from 16 up to 60.

Lots of the village elders attended the course. They did not

really participate but wanted to watch. The Boma chief sat

through it all!”

Another group keen to participate was the Mothers’ Union.

In all around 70 people attended each session of the

training in Mongo. Lessons were translated by local

pastors.

“I was completely surprised at how much they did

understand, although in Mongo they did not seem to

identify with peer pressure – we had to repackage it,” said

Matthew.

The group ran the relationship training for three hours each

morning over three days in Mongo, and again over three

days in Yei.

Pictured at a Commissioning Service in Lisburn Cathedral prior to their departurefor Yei are, back row, left to right - Victoria Bell, Matthew Bell, the Rev SimonGenoe, Michael Wright and Lauren Elliott. Front row, left to right - Grace Fullerton,Gillian Maganda (CMSI), David Gough (CMSI), David Maganda (CMSI), and ZaraWortley.

Team leader the Rev Simon Genoe joins the locals cooking marshmallows over afire during the Lisburn Cathedral visit to South Sudan.

Joint team leader Zara Wortley gets to know some of the young people in Mongovillage.

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From Lisburn to YeiThe teaching was adapted from a programme called

‘Romance Academy,’ which Zara had experience of running

in Lisburn Cathedral, in order to make it more culturally

relevant to South Sudan. The team focused on building

good relationships, love, and what Jesus would do.

Many of the young people and in particular MU members

shared the specific problems they faced including domestic

abuse. “They wanted to know how they could get their

husbands to respect them,” said Simon. “We talked to the

men about what we thought made a good relationship.

“The guys really changed a lot over the three days,

particularly in Mongo. In Yei they knew what we would

expect them to say and they had all been affected by

western and Biblical ideas but in Mongo everything was

new to them.

“At the end of the sessions in Yei we gave them the

opportunity to share what they felt they had learnt and the

things they shared were fantastic,” said Simon.

In the afternoons the team ran a youth mission where

schoolchildren enjoyed songs, drama, games and chat.

“The theme was ‘Party’ and the Bible was their invitation.

We had a really good response,” said Simon.

On request they also spent time with local pastors in

Mongo. “They said they did not know how to run a bible

study group, so we sat down with them and gave them an

outline on how to do it. They said they would take what they

had learned back to their parishes,” said Simon.

The team also showed

films in Mongo and Yei,

with members giving a talk

on each movie - Victoria

spoke about Indiana

Jones, Matthew spoke

about National Treasure

and Michael addressed

the issues arising in The

Fugitive. During the

showings in Mongo they

distributed 300 glow-in-the-dark sticks to the young people

– who had never seen anything like this before!

On the Sunday of their visit, Simon preached at the two

English language services in Immanuel Cathedral, Yei,

while Matthew and Michael spoke in St Paul’s Church in

Yei, and Zara spoke in the Zamba Church.

Matthew was surprised by his experience in St Paul’s. “It

was quite formal, they still had lots of energetic singing, but

the service was very much in the Anglican tradition. We had

to parade in and they were very strict about timings – my

testimony had to be cut short!” he said.

With independence for Sudan just a few days away, Simon

said it had been quite an experience to be in the cathedral.

“The Bishop stood up and reiterated the importance of

independence and talked about the sacrifices that had been

made for it. He asked people to listen to the new national

anthem, and then the composer of the anthem came to the

front. He had come from Juba [the capital of South Sudan].

It was pretty epic!”

Simon said the thing that struck him most about conditions

in South Sudan was the lack of education. “Families had up

to 10 children and were not able to educate them,” he said.

Lisburn Cathedral plans to build on the relationships this

team has established in Yei, and particularly in Mongo

village. “The team was very touched by Mongo,” said

Simon. “We felt that Mongo was where we made most

impact. When we showed a film in Mongo it seemed like

the highlight of the century

for 400 people. It means

so much to them when

people from other parts of

the Church go to them.”

South Sudan celebrated its

independence on July 7,

two days after the Lisburn

team left Yei. The team’s

stay was facilitiated by

CMS Ireland.Young people all ready for the Lisburn Cathedral team’s youth mission in Immanuel Cathedral.

A warm welcome for the team as members arrive in Mongo.

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St Columba’s Day, Thursday June 9, sawthe ordination of four new priests inConnor Diocese. The service took placein St Patrick’s, Ballymoney, and thepriests were ordained by the Bishop ofConnor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy.Pictured with Bishop Alan and otherclergy who took part in the service arethe new priests, front from left: BrianLacey for the curacy of Ballymena andBallyclug; Peter Ferguson, for the curacyof the Parish of Carrickfergus; TrevorKelly in the Non-stipendiary Ministry forthe curacy of Craigs, Dunaghy andKillagan; and Brian Howe in the Non-stipendiary Ministry for the Parish ofBallymoney, Finvoy and Rasharkin.Picture by Colin Loughead.

Four new deacons

were ordained in the

diocese at a service

held in St Colman’s Parish

Church, Dunmurry, on

Sunday September 4.

The four were ordained by

the Bishop of Connor, the

Rt Rev Alan Abernethy.

The preacher at the

service was the Rev Dr

Maurice Elliott, Director of

the Church of Ireland

Theological Institute.

Jonathan Campbell-Smyth

was ordained to serve an

internship in the Parish of

Ballywillan, Portrush.

Jonny, 40, is married to

Alison and the couple

have two sons. A member

of St Patrick’s, Coleraine,

Jonny has been involved

in short term mission and

ministry both at home and

abroad, particularly in

Thailand, and worked for

many years in IT.

Iain Jamieson was

ordained to serve an

internship in St Michael’s,

Belfast. Iain was born in

Zimbabwe and grew up in

Shropshire. He studied

philosophy and later

criminology, and moved to

Northern Ireland in his

thirties. He volunteers in

prison ministry and was a

chaplaincy volunteer at

Portlaoise in the south of

Ireland during the summer.

Mellissa Jeffers was

ordained to serve in the

Non-stipendiary Ministry for

the curacy of the grouped

parishes of Finaghy and

Upper Malone. A graduate of

Stanmillis College, Belfast,

Mellissa spent two years on

Voluntary Service Overseas

at a school in Nigeria, before

gaining a Masters Degree in

Library Studies. She has

worked in schools,

universities and libraries,

and was formerly Principal

Officer with the NI Fire and

Rescue Service.

Alistair Morrison was

ordained to serve an

internship in the Parish of

Dunmurry. A native of the

Ards Peninsula, he studied

at Belfast Bible College in

the late 1980s. Prior to

training for ordination Alistair

was an architectural

technician specialising in the

restoration of historic

buildings. He is father to two

sons and a daughter.

St Columba’sDay servicefor priests

Ordination of Deacons

At the Service of Ordination of Deacons in St Colman’s, Dunmurry, are, from left: The Rev Denise Acheson, rector, St Colman’s; theRev Dr Maurice Elliott, preacher; Jonathan Campbell-Smyth; the Ven Dr Stephen McBride, Archdeacon of Connor; Alistair Morrison; theRev Clifford Skillen, Bishop’s Chaplain; the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy; the Ven Barry Dodds, Archdeacon of Belfast;the Ven Stephen Forde, Archdeacon of Dalriada; Mellissa Jeffers; the Rev William Taggart, Registrar; Iain Jamieson.

Congratulations to Magheragall parishioner Wilma

Hutchinson who turned 100 on May 27! Her rector the Rev

Nicholas Dark represented the parish and joined Wilma’s

family and friends at a party at Blaris Fold.

Wilma grew up in the townland of Toberdowney in the

Parish of Ballynure where her father was a local farmer.

She attended the Presbyterian Church as a child but has

fond memories of life at her uncle the Rev Samuel Nesbitt’s

rectory in Ballynure (he was rector there from 1896-1926).

She remembers going out to the shed with a candle and a

bucket to milk the two rectory cows. The candle apparently

sat nicely on the back of the cow and illuminated the shed!

As she turned 100, Wilma was able to say that she is still

happily married. She wed Kyle, a young 98, in June 1946.

They have two sons, John and Geoffrey, two grandchildren

and one great granddaughter.

Wilma was a teacher and one of the tributes at her party

was the presence of one of her first pupils from the school

in Rasharkin were she started her teaching career some 80

years ago.

Wilma received more than 50 cards and letters including

cards from Her Royal Highness the Queen, the Irish

President Mary McAleese and the Bishop of Connor, the Rt

Rev Alan Abernethy.

Agroup of parishioners from Ballynure and Ballyeaston

scaled great heights when they successfully

completed a fundraising ‘Four peaks’ challenge

The parishioners joined others from churches in Ballyclare

to climb the highest peaks in the four countries of the

United Kingdom - Slieve Donard, Snowdon, Scafell Pike

and Ben Nevis. The efforts of the 16 men raised funds for

The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, a roof repair fund for

the united parish of Ballynure and Ballyclare and ‘Tiny Life,’

a premature baby charity.

The group completed the climb over the weekend of June

10-12, beginning with Slieve Donard on Friday morning,

followed by a ferry from Dublin to Wales. They had a

4.30am start for Snowdon, then a drive up to the north west

of England to ascend Scafell Pike on Saturday evening.

The group got about four hours sleep before another early

morning start to drive up to Fort William for the climb up

Ben Nevis – the highest of the four mountains. In total they

climbed 13,967 feet, drove 821 miles, hiked for 18 hours

and spent 36 hours crammed into a mini-bus!

Graeme Reid, one of the team leaders, said: “Several

members of the group came up with the idea to do this as

part of the combined men’s ministry for the Church of

Ireland in Ballyclare and Ballynure. It was a bit of a

departure for us as we usually meet for Saturday morning

prayer and fry-ups!

“We extended the invitation to others we know and it has

been great to do this alongside men from other churches in

the area. We all feel great having completed it but more

importantly we have been able to raise almost £7,000 so

far for charitable causes.”

Also involved in organising the event was Andrew

Brannigan, Youth Officer for the Diocese of Down and

Dromore and a member of St John’s, Ballyclare. “We were

blessed with great weather, no safety issues, and great

company. It was a good chance to get to know better the

other guys on the team,” he said.

The 16 intrepid – and very fit - climbers were: Matthew

Crothers, Paul Reid, Graeme Reid, Jim Milligan, Damien

O’Hara, Chris McCabe, Michael Hanlon, Mark Graham,

Mark Surgenor, Neil Smyth, Alan Holden, Adrian Taylor,

Andrew Brannigan, Ian Barkley, Paul McClure and David

McIlhagger.

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Great heights!The climbers at the top of Slieve Donard.

Wilma recalls rectory cows as she turns 100!

Wilma celebrates her 100th birthday with her husband Kyle, 98.

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Agroup of nine people, four of them from St Patrick’s

Parish, Coleraine, spent 10 days in Poland during

July leading a camp for young Israelis.

The Isra camp took place in Ostroda, Poland, from July 3-

13, and was a joint venture between Alliance Youth Works

and CMJ, the Church’s Ministry among Jewish People.

This is the third summer a team from Northern Ireland has

travelled to Poland for the camp, and this project will be

ongoing.

Alice McAlary, youth worker at St Patrick’s and a member

of Alliance Youth Works, has been on all three trips. She

explained that the camps take place outside Israel – others

are held for Russian Jews, Jewish children, Holocaust

survivors and Israeli soldiers – because Christians are not

permitted to evangelise Jewish children inside Israel.

Alice said the camps were a celebration of Judaism. “We

are not trying to take away their heritage. We learn so

much from them as we are reminded that Jesus was a

Jew.”

She said one of the most moving aspects of the project was

a trip to the Nazi death camp of Stutthof, Gdansk, where

official statistics show 85,000 Jews died in the Holocaust,

although that figure could be considerably higher.

“This is a very poignant trip. We chat to the children as we

are going through the

concentration camp, and there is

time for prayer and forgiveness.

The Nazis wanted to wipe out

the Jewish race. The children

just being there is part of the

holocaust victims’ hopes for the

future of the Jewish nation,”

Alice said.

“We are bringing Jesus into the

midst of this, and many of the

young people became believers

during the camp.”

Worship at camp is celebrated

in Hebrew, using Hebrew bibles.

The young people and their

leaders also mark the Jewish

Sabbath, Shabbat in Hebrew.

“Jesus was there for the Jews and the Gentiles,” Alice said.

“The Jewish people are God’s chosen people and as

Gentiles we need to be sensitive to that. Sometimes we

can get caught up in our own small world and it’s good for

our young people to see a more cross-cultural aspect of

life.”

During the course of the 10 days the leaders and young

people spent time in worship, prayer and discussion, but

there was also time for day trips, games, water sports,

cookery, crafts and a variety of other stimulating activities to

capture the imagination and inspire the young Israelis. It is

a busy schedule for the leaders who were on the go from

7am until 10pm each day.

The young people are aged 12-16. Once they turn 16 they

have to serve in the Israeli army, girls for two and a half

years and boys for three. A total of 37 young people

attended the camp this year.

One of the Northern Irish leaders was Anne McKelvey, from

Ballynahinch Methodist Church. She said the teaching for

the camp was based on various scriptures. “As we

journeyed closer to God, we learned how to hear God, we

thought about things that hinder us hearing His voice,

practical steps we can take to overcome those, and ensure

we keep hearing His voice. Each started a journal of when

we heard Him speak.

Celebrating Judaismat camp in Poland

Northern Ireland team members with the young Jews at the camp in Poland.

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“The final evening the young people were invited to

stand if they had heard God speak to them during the

camp. About 27 stood, and were given a foot shaped

piece of card on which was written an invitation to take

the next step in their faith to knowing and serving God

more.”

Members of the Northern Ireland team were: Alice

McAlary, Zara Hume, Janice Clements and Amy

McConkey, all from St Patrick’s, Coleraine; Craig

McCarter and Sarah Somerville from Saintfield Parish;

Annabelle Spence (First Lurgan Presbyterian); Andrew

Spence (Knockamuckley) and Ann McKelvey

(Ballynahinch Methodist).

Anyone who is interested in the Alliance Youth Works

project with CMJ and would like further information can

contact Alice at St Patrick’s on 028 703 4213 or you can

visit the CMJ website at www.cmj.org.uk.

A Service of Introduction of the Rev Stephen

McElhinney, former curate of Drumglass Parish,

Dungannon, was held in St Columba’s, Derryvolgie on

September 6.

Stephen was commissioned as priest-in-charge by the Rt

Rev Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor.

The 41-year-old is married to Cathy, and the couple have

three children Ruby,10, Patrick, 9, and Scott, 5.

Born in Manchester, Stephen moved to Lurgan in 1973.

He graduated in Optometry from Aston University and

after two years working in the north of England he

returned to Ireland.

Stephen was ordained in Christ Church Cathedral,

Dublin, in June 2005 and served as a member of the

staff team of Kill O’ the Grange Parish Church, Dublin,

before moving in May 2008 to Drumglass Parish.

New Priest-in-chargeat Derryvolgie Parish

Rev Stephen McElhinney pictured with his wife Cathy and their three childrenRuby, Patrick and Scott. Photo: John Kelly.

Bitter memory - a watchtower at a Nazi concentration camp in Gdansk.

September 18 was a very special Sunday in Stoneyford

Parish as the Rev John Farr was formally introduced as

priest-in-charge.

On top of this, 18 candidates went forward

for confirmation, the largest number to be confirmed in

the parish in living memory!

The Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy

officiated at the service, supported by Canon Sam

McComb and Diocesean Reader Jim Neill.

The church was filled almost to capacity with around 200

in attendance to support the candidates and to welcome

John. A sumptuous feast was laid on by the ladies of the

congregation in the hall after the service.

Confirmations mark aspecial day for Stoneyford

Alice McAlary, St Patrick’s, Coleraine, with members of the Northern Ireland teamin Poland in July.

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New Mann in Belfast CathedralS

ilence belied the fact that St Anne’s Cathedral was packed

almost to capacity for the installation of the new Dean of

Belfast.

The stillness was punctuated by the melodic strains of a harp while

the beautiful voice of a soloist resonated through the pillars and

columns.

More silence, a time for reflection on the past and contemplation of

the future, intercessions for the tasks ahead, drawn to a close by the

rhythmic prayers of the Monks of Holy Cross Monastery.

This very beautiful period of reflection was included as part of the

service of installation and institution at the request of the new Dean,

the Very Rev John Mann. “During this period, the congregation was

asked to quietly consider the nature of commitment to any task,

great or small, the focus shifting from the particular emphasis on the

Cathedral and its ministry, to the general,” said Dean Mann.

Church leaders, civic representatives, family and friends joined

parishioners from St Anne’s for the service on August 30. As well as

being installed as Dean of Belfast, Dean Mann was instituted as

Vicar of the Cathedral Parish

The Dean was presented for institution into the Cathedral Parish by

the Archdeacon of Belfast, the Ven Barry Dodds, and the Act of

Institution was conducted by the Bishop of Connor. The former

rector of St John’s Parish, Malone, was installed as Dean of Belfast

by the Cathedral Chancellor, the Archdeacon of Down, the Ven

Philip Patterson. He was then presented to the people by the

Bishop of Connor, and welcomed by Bishop Noel Treanor, Roman

Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, on behalf of all the church

leaders.

During the service the new Dean was presented with symbols of

the teaching, pastoral and sacramental ministry of an incumbent.

These included a Bible (to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ),

a container of water (recognising that the Cathedral is a place of

Christian baptism), a Book of Common Prayer (demonstrating the

primary role of the Dean to lead public worship and encourage a

life of personal devotion), bread and wine (the elements of holy

communion), oil (symbolic of healing and reconciliation), the key to

the Cathedral (as a reminder that the Cathedral is a place to be

kept open for all people) and a towel (as a reminder of Christ

washing his disciples’ feet and of the ministry of service and

support of those in need and in trouble).

The service began with Evening Prayer, followed by the formal and

legal installation, institution and welcome of Dean Mann, who

preached the sermon. In this Dean Mann urged people to draw a

line under the past and discover a new vision for the future. He

also focused on the hardships experienced by many in the current

economic climate.

The Dean based his sermon on readings from the Old Testament

(Exodus 5: 1-6, 13) and New Testament (Revelation 3: 7-13). He

said the New Testament reading was full of hope, and spoke of an

open door. “I pray the door of this Cathedral will stand open, and

the hearts of all who worship here will stand open and will turn in

love to their neighbour,” the Dean said.

During the time for reflection Mary McKeague, a member of the

Focolare Movement, played the harp. Katy Nicholas from St John’s

Malone sang ‘the Grail Prayer’ accompanied by members of the St

John’s Instrumental Group, Katherine Sung (violin), Amanda Marsh

(clarinet), Sarah Montgomery (cello) and Linda Montgomery

(piano).

A period of stillness and silence followed, after which the

congregation was led in prayer by the Monks of Holy Cross

Monastery.

Speaking of his installation Dean Mann said: “I am looking forward

to starting at St Anne’s and being part of what is a wonderful place

with many fine people. The cathedral is very light and bright and

reflects the past in works of art and symbols of faith and work and

the vision of its architects and builders. It also stands as a constant

reminder of the place of Christian worship at the heart of many

people’s lives, especially at moments of both celebration and grief.

“It is a place where the individual can find a quiet place for prayer,

and where the crowd may gather in sorrow or joy and unite its

heart as one.”

At the Service of Installation and Institution of the new Dean of Belfast are, from left: The Ven

Barry Dodds, Archdeacon of Belfast; the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy, Bishop of Connor; Dean John

Mann; the Rt Rev Harold Miller, Bishop of Down and Dromore; and the Ven Philip Patterson,

Archdeacon of Down.

ElEvEN

Dean Mann (56) wasborn in Blackheath,London, and wasordained a deaconin 1979 and a priestin 1981. He was

educated at Clark’sCollege, Romford,Essex; the RoyalLiberty School,Romford; Queen’sUniversity, and theChurch of Ireland

Theological College.

He is married toHelen, a PracticeNurse, and thecouple have adaughter, Rowanand a son, David(pictured above).

The Dean wascurate assistant atCloughfern Parish,Diocese of Connor,from 1979-1982 andat Knock Parish,

Diocese of Down,from 1982-1985. In1985 he wasappointed rector ofthe groupedparishes ofBallyrashane andKildollagh, Dioceseof Connor, where heremained until 1989when he went to theDiocese of

Winchester as rector

of the Parishes ofBentworth, Shaldenand Lasham. In 1993Dean Mann returnedto Connor and the

Parish of Cloughfernas rector, and in2002 he moved toMalone.

In his ministry, DeanMann has been arural Dean of Alton(Winchester); achaplain toWhiteabbeyHospital; a tutor forthe lay readercourse in SouthConnor and GeneralSecretary of theChurch of IrelandMen’s Society. Hehas been ExaminingChaplain to theBishop of Connorsince 1994, andDirector ofContinuingMinisterialEducation in ConnorDiocese since 2001.

In 1999 Dean Mannwas installed aPrebendary ofClonmethan in theNational Cathedralof St Patrick’s,Dublin, representingConnor Diocese.

New Mann in Belfast CathedralBiography

Vicar of the Cathedral Parish

The Dean was presented for institution into the Cathedral Parish by

the Archdeacon of Belfast, the Ven Barry Dodds, and the Act of

Institution was conducted by the Bishop of Connor. The former

rector of St John’s Parish, Malone, was installed as Dean of Belfast

by the Cathedral Chancellor, the Archdeacon of Down, the Ven

Philip Patterson. He was then presented to the people by the

Bishop of Connor, and welcomed by Bishop Noel Treanor, Roman

Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, on behalf of all the church

leaders.

During the service the new Dean was presented with symbols of

the teaching, pastoral and sacramental ministry of an incumbent.

These included a Bible (to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ),

a container of water (recognising that the Cathedral is a place of

Christian baptism), a Book of Common Prayer (demonstrating the

primary role of the Dean to lead public worship and encourage a

life of personal devotion), bread and wine (the elements of holy

communion), oil (symbolic of healing and reconciliation), the key to

the Cathedral (as a reminder that the Cathedral is a place to be

kept open for all people) and a towel (as a reminder of Christ

washing his disciples’ feet and of the ministry of service and

support of those in need and in trouble).

The service began with Evening Prayer, followed by the formal and

legal installation, institution and welcome of Dean Mann, who

preached the sermon. In this Dean Mann urged people to draw a

line under the past and discover a new vision for the future. He

also focused on the hardships experienced by many in the current

economic climate.

The Dean based his sermon on readings from the Old Testament

(Exodus 5: 1-6, 13) and New Testament (Revelation 3: 7-13). He

said the New Testament reading was full of hope, and spoke of an

open door. “I pray the door of this Cathedral will stand open, and

the hearts of all who worship here will stand open and will turn in

love to their neighbour,” the Dean said.

During the time for reflection Mary McKeague, a member of the

Focolare Movement, played the harp. Katy Nicholas from St John’s

Malone sang ‘the Grail Prayer’ accompanied by members of the St

John’s Instrumental Group, Katherine Sung (violin), Amanda Marsh

(clarinet), Sarah Montgomery (cello) and Linda Montgomery

(piano).

A period of stillness and silence followed, after which the

congregation was led in prayer by the Monks of Holy Cross

Monastery.

Speaking of his installation Dean Mann said: “I am looking forward

to starting at St Anne’s and being part of what is a wonderful place

with many fine people. The cathedral is very light and bright and

reflects the past in works of art and symbols of faith and work and

the vision of its architects and builders. It also stands as a constant

reminder of the place of Christian worship at the heart of many

people’s lives, especially at moments of both celebration and grief.

“It is a place where the individual can find a quiet place for prayer,

and where the crowd may gather in sorrow or joy and unite its

heart as one.”

Dean Mann inside the Cathedral onthe day of his installation. Photo:Hugh Russell

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The Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy,

launched his new book, Shadows on the Journey, in

the Good Book Shop, Belfast, on September 22.

It is based on the Emmaus story, with the disciples in the

shadow of Jesus. Much of Shadows on the Journey was

written during a period of extended sick leave, and in this

time Bishop Abernethy reflected on his own journey in

ministry. Speaking at the launch he said: “It came from a

difficult time and I see it as part of the recovery process.”

In the book he wrestles with the shadows that have been

part of his journey of faith, including shadows of scripture,

ministry and worship. The Bishop discusses the difficulties

facing the church today, and questions whether the

structures of parish life enable the mission that the church

is called to live out in the local community.

Helping Bishop Abernethy launch his book were two men

he described as ‘very dear friends.’ Paddy Donnelly is

former vice-principal of the North Down College of Further

Education, and Dick Milliken is a former Irish rugby

international and a member of the British and Irish Lions

who toured South Africa in the 1970s.

Mr Donnelly said that in the book the bishop had not sought

to dodge the demands of ministry, but had faced them with

‘disarming and typical frankness.’

Describing the book as ‘fascinating … challenging the

way we’ve done things,’ Mr Milliken said that the book’s

relevancy would be a ‘source of comfort’ to many,

especially the clergy in their ‘demanding and

draining ministry journeys.’

Shadows on the Journey has received commendations

from the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev John Sentamu,

and Mark Russell, Chief Executive Officer of Church Army

and a member of the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of

England.

Dr Sentamu stated: “The book helps to show no matter

where we are, where we go, or how we feel, God is always

there with us on our journey.

“The journey may be difficult or demanding, but we must

never forget the unique gifts, talents and outlook that God

has given us, to help and encourage others.”

Mr Russell said Bishop Abernethy’s book was ‘stunning,

honest, real and inspiring.’

“In these challenging times the Church needs leaders of

integrity and depth who can ask the right questions.

Leaders who love Jesus and His Church.

“Alan Abernethy is such a man, and in this special book, he

addresses some of the key questions facing us. How can

we grow and not just survive? How can we be real and not

superficial? How can we have a faith joined up with our

lives? How can we care for those in the demanding role of

public ministry?

“This is one of the most amazing books I have ever read,

because Alan writes out of his experience and wisdom, out

of his joy and pain.”

‘Stunning,honest andinspiring’ Bishop Alan Abernethy at the launch of Shadows on the Journey with Paddy Donnelly

(left) and Dick Milliken.

Belfast Cathedral attracts visitorsfrom around the world andvolunteers from Connor and Down& Dromore dioceses provide avaluable service as Stewardswelcoming guests and giving theminformation.

There is an urgent need for morevolunteers to augment the currentteam of Stewards during the

Cathedral opening hours of 10am

until 4pm daily.

The Dean of Belfast, the Very Rev

John Mann, said: “Stewards play a

vital role in the life of the Cathedral

and their services are greatly

appreciated. I would encourage

anyone who could contribute a

little of their time to support those

who so faithfully welcome ourvisitors.”

Some stewards contribute twohours a week and some two hoursa month. Training will be provided.Anyone who feels they could giveof their time on a regular basis isasked to contact the Rev CampbellDixon on 07879427980 or email:campbelldixon@hotmail.co.uk.

Appeal for Stewards at St Anne’s Cathedral

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An ancient sycamore tree, felled by a storm in the

grounds of Ballinderry Parish Church, has been

reborn as a guitar!

Or six guitars to be precise, but one will be very special to

parishioners in Ballinderry and their friends in Mekelle,

Ethiopia, as it is to be auctioned to raise funds for a bible

translating charity in Ethiopia.

The sycamore was spotted by parishioner Steve McIlwrath,

whose company Avalon makes instruments for some of the

world’s top guitarists including Bruce Springsteen, Van

Morrison and Katie Melua.

The then rector of Ballinderry, the Rev Canon Ernest Harris,

was happy to let Steve take the sycamore trunk away. And

once the logs dried out Steve realised the wood was

something special. Trademarked as Irish spalted maple, it

is being used to create six unique guitars to go on show at

exhibitions around the world.

This is the first time Steve has used Irish wood in the

manufacture of a top class acoustic guitar, He normally

imports his trees from Hawaii, India and America. Avalon’s

guitars sell for anything between £2,000 and £5,000.

That is great news for Ballinderry parish, which has been

supporting projects in Mekelle for a number of years.

Teams from Ballinderry have visited Mekelle in 2006, 2008

and 2010.

Many of the preachers in Mekelle have no scriptures, and

the parish is helping fund the translation of the New

Testament into the local language and to print and distribute

these to 5,000 churches in the province of Tigray. Over the

summer, two representatives of the charity organising the

translation, Gabe Beyene and his wife Connie, visited

Ballinderry. They called in to Avalon in Newtownards to

select the wood for the special guitar.

Steve took the Ballinderry guitar to the London Acoustic

Guitar Show in September, and plans to use all channels

available to promote the auction of the guitar which will take

place before Christmas.

He explained why the wood from the Ballinderry sycamore

makes such a special instrument. “The look of the wood is

pretty dramatic, it’s very intense figuring is caused by a

fungi which had colonised part of the trunk. When it died

out we were left with amazing patterns created by nature.”

And it is not just the look of the wood that makes it special.

It is also very thin and stiff which makes for a great sound.

“With a guitar made from this wood you can really hear the

treble, bass and the mid range and acoustic guitar players

look for that range,” Steve said.

Details about the auction of the guitar will be posted on the

Connor Diocesan website.

Pulling strings forEthiopia

Lay Reader Dr Fred Ruddle and Canon Ernest Harris withthe guitar.

Gabe Beyene at the stump of the sycamore tree which provided thewood for the guitar, along with a copy of a translated Bible.

Steve McIlwrath with the guitar in the groundsof Ballinderry church.

Gabe andConnie Beyenefrom Ethiopiaselect the woodfor theBallinderryguitar at theAvalon factory.

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More than 300 visitors, some from asfar away as Australia and America,visited Billy Parish Church for itsFestival of Baptism in September.

The festival was held in the church,near Bushmills, as part of EuropeanHeritage Open Days. On display were30 christening gowns and floralexhibits. An old font, which had beendiscovered in the church grounds lastyear, has been restored and thisformed the centrepiece of the festival.

Along with a travelling font belongingto the parish, currently on display inthe Giant’s Causeway School Museum,there were three fonts in the churchover the weekend.

Special services were held morning

and evening when the congregationreaffirmed their baptismal vows andalso recited the old catechism!

The old rectory gardens were alsoopen to visitors and teas were servedin the church hall.

Celebrating baptism in Billy

A font amidst a floral display in Billy church.

KeepingIrish to theforeCumann Gaelach na

hEaglaise / the Irish Guild of

the Church aims to provide

increased opportunities for

people in the church who

are interested in the Irish

language to use it.

Irish Language Development

Officer, Caroline Nolan, said:

“The Church of Ireland has a

special relationship with the

language due to the noble

and proud role played by

many of its members in

preserving the Irish

language and igniting its

revival in the early 20th

century. These actions have

forged unique links that are

still active today.”

The Cumann was delighted

to be in St George’s in

Belfast earlier this year

when the Eucharist was

celebrated in Irish. The Guild

has since produced a

bilingual sheet of some of

the most common prayers

and is advising schools on

resources available through

Irish. The Guild is also

collaborating with Christ

Church Cathedral on an

exhibition on the 400th

anniversary of the King

James Bible.

Caroline said: “We hope to

encourage schools to attend

this exhibition, as there will

be bilingual panels and an

Irish version of the catalogue

full of interesting information

about the bibles on display,

including the bible in Irish

commissioned by the

Provost of Trinity College,

William Bedell.

For further information

contact Caroline on

gaeleaglais@gmail.com or

telephone 00+353 26 45741

All Saints’, Craigyhill, held a special

event on September 22 to launch the

completion of a £50,000

refurbishment of the church hall.

The building has had a complete facelift

with a new larger kitchen, access ramp and

toilet for the disabled plus new windows

and doors and a complete repaint and

polish inside.

The refurbishment was paid for with the

help of a grant from the International Fund

for Ireland administered by the Rural

Development Council as part of the

‘Maximising Community Space Crossing

Borders Programme’ and representatives

from both organisations were at the launch.

Other guests included members of local

community groups and clergy from various

denominations. Proceedings began in the

church with a welcome from Deputy Mayor

Councillor Michael Lynch, MBE, followed by

choir performances from two local primary

schools – Linn Primary and St Anthony’s,

Antiville. Afterwards the congregation went

to the hall for a prayer of dedication led by

the Ven Stephen Forde, Archdeacon of

Dalriada, followed by refreshments.

The Rev Roger Thompson, rector of St

Patrick’s with All Saints’, said the parish

St Patrick’s Mothers’ Union, Ballymena, celebrated its 90th

anniversary with a tea party in the church hall after a service ofHoly Communion. Diocesan President Moira Thom joined theparty and is pictured cutting the anniversary cake with AudreyDeacon, one of the longest serving members in the branch, anda member of the Mothers’ Union for almost 60 years.

appreciated the funding it had received for

the renovations. “It will be great to have

new life breathed into the hall through

classes and clubs or parties and functions

for all age groups. This development is a

turning point for us as we strive to support

local residents and hopefully draw in new

members,” he said.

Hall gets a facelift!

Celebrations were held at the Hilden Centre, Lambeg,

on Sunday September 25 to mark the centre’s tenth

anniversary.

The service, held in a large marquee in the grounds, was

conducted by the rector, the Rev Canon Ken McReynolds,

assisted by Miss Mavis Gibbons. The guest speaker was

Sister Myrtle Morrison (Church Army), and Mrs Pat Harvey

also took part. Both ladies played key roles in the

development of the centre.

Sunday school leader Hilary Shaw led the prayers and

Victor McDonald, Ministry Team member, read the lesson.

During the service the Sunday School children were

presented with commemorative anniversary medals.

Following the service, the congregation and well wishers

moved into the Hilden Centre, filling it to capacity for a

celebratory dinner; during which Myrtle and Pat cut an

anniversary cake marking this important milestone in the

history of Lambeg Parish.

The Hilden Centre as it exists today was the culmination of

several years work in the Hilden area, after it was realised

that although the area was within the geographical

boundaries of the parish, it was logistically detached from

the parish church itself.

Activities initially took place in the EMB Hall which was

bought in 1996 by Lambeg Parish for church extension

work. The building was demolished in early 2000 and 12

months later the present worship centre was opened in its

place. Today, the Hilden Centre runs a full programme of

worship and teaching events, a parent and toddler group, a

‘drop-in’ morning and other community based events.

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Hilden celebrates!

Canon Ken McReynolds looks on as Pat Harvey and Sister Myrtle Morrison cut theanniversary cake. Photo: John Kelly

A number of training

courses are underway in

Connor Diocese.

During October and

November, Children’s

Ministry Leaders and clergy

are invited to an evening to

discuss issues around

working with children in

church. The speaker is

Peter Hamill, diocesan

training co–ordinator, whose

topic is ‘A vital part in the

body of Christ.’

Other courses organised by

the Diocesan Training

Council include seven

evenings on Pastoral Care

delivered by Church Army

staff.

The council is running

another Equip with

Confidence course, with an

emphasis on being

confident in your faith and

sharing that faith. Belfast

Bible College is supplying

the speakers.

A youth training course is

underway, providing another

opportunity for youth

leaders (18+) to undertake

the Level 2 qualification in

youth work, while a

Children’s Ministry Course

begins on October 15.

James Lawrence (CPAS)

will be back in Connor on

November 1 to speak on

‘Changing culture in a

parish.’

Details of these and all

future training courses are

available on the Connor

diocesan website.

Training opportunitiesavailable in the diocese

TacklingleprosyDuring Lent the childrenof Potter’s House, HolyTrinity Parish,Woodburn, participatedin the ‘Helping HandsProject’ which raisesmoney for reconstructivesurgery for leprosysufferers.

The children also learnedabout leprosy and thework of the LeprosyMission. They recentlyhanded a cheque for£300 over to Mr PeterHilton from The LeprosyMission.

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Ihave been a member of St Patrick’s

since I was born. I became a

Christian more than 20 years ago,

but my walk with God has ebbed and

flowed. There were times I was

extremely close with Him and other

times so far away! When I admitted to

someone that I was a Christian I went

home and cried because back then -

and for a long time - I believed that

being a Christian was all about what

you should NOT do, and many times I

felt so inadequate.

In 1998 I suffered from anxiety and

then depression which lasted on and

off until April 1999. On April 11 1999 I

woke up and my first thought was: “I

can see clearly now the rain has

gone.” I went into work and later that

morning that song came on the radio.

The following Monday night at our

Mothers’ Union dinner, Ian Hannah

was providing the entertainment and

when he got up and said he was going

to play his favourite song ‘I can see

clearly now.’ I couldn’t see very clearly

for tears!

I kept a journal at that time and the

last words in it were “Take it back

home, the way to keep what you have

is to give it away. After every

mountain top experience the word is to

take it back home. Tell others what

God has done for you.”

.

But I was well again! For the next six

years I very much walked through the

wilderness. The pressures of life took

over, stress at work, pressures in my

marriage, and I took consolation in a

bottle or two of red wine!!! I knew it

didn’t feel right and I kept telling

myself something had to change.

In September 2005 I went to a

Mothers’ Union meeting and Beryl

Whitehead spoke about wanting a

quiet heart and a gentle spirit and I

thought - ‘that is exactly what I want!’

On December 19 2005 I was referred

with a breast lump. The consultant

was concerned. He called that

evening to tell me it was definitely

cancer and we had already an

appointment at Antrim hospital.

That evening I told those closest to

me. My daughter Hannah, then only

14, asked if she could give me my

Christmas present. I said: “I can’t

promise you anything but I can

promise I’m not going to die before

Christmas!” She replied: “That’s not

the reason, it’s because of what I’ve

bought.” It was an ‘Angel of Hope!!’

Now how could I not have hope?

I was overwhelmed by the amount of

prayers and support I received over

the next few months, more than 200

cards and messages of

encouragement and this is what held

me up in the times when I was unable

to pray myself.

Aweek after my surgery the

surgeon called us in and told us

the news was not good. I had a

very aggressive type of cancer and of

the 19 lymph nodes removed, 15 of

them were affected by cancer. I was

to have chemotherapy, radiotherapy

and take the new drug Herceptin. I

was devastated - as were my family.

When everyone went home I got out

my wee books and I read Psalm 118

vs 17 & 18: “I will not die but live and

proclaim what the Lord has done. The

Lord has chastened me severely, but

he has not given me over to death.”

I canclearly

Laverne Fillis fromSt Patrick’s,Coleraine, hasfaced manychallenges inrecent years. WithGod’s help, shecontinues toovercome these.This is her story.

A number of youth leaders from

Connor Diocese have been awarded

certificates from Youthlink NI.

The organisation held presentations

to celebrate the success of more

than 600 young people and youth

leaders who achieved accredited

qualifications through Youthlink.

The successful leaders from Connor

were: OCN Youth Work Level 2 –

Stefan Berry (Ballyclare), Chris

Hackworth (Whitehead), Ryan

Moffett (Woodburn, Carrickfergus);

OCN Youth Work Level 3 – Annie

Kidd (Glengormley), Andrew Neill

(Glenavy); OCN Outreach and

Detached Work – Gillian Millar (St

Paul’s, Belfast), Diane Rhodes (St

Paul’s, Belfast); Kairos Training the

Trainers – Catherine Little (Church

of Resurrection, Belfast).

The Ven Barry Dodds, Archdeacon

of Belfast, represented the Church of

Ireland at the event and gave out

certificates along with other leaders

from Methodist, Presbyterian and

Roman Catholic Churches.

Young people from St Paul’s, Tigers

Bay, performed worship songs as an

introduction to the event.

Peter Hamill, Connor Diocesan

Training Co-ordinator and vice-

chairperson of Youthlink NI, said: “It

is great to see so many young

people and leaders from across all

denominations achieve awards in

excellence in delivering youth work.

“It is particularly heartening to see

so many from Connor Diocese

involved and hopefully they will

encourage others to train for

leadership roles.”

Youthworkersrewarded

We are now onFacebook. Look usup at Church ofIreland Diocese of Connor.

At that time I believed that God had

chastened me but I was sure God

wasn’t going to let me die just yet.

Over the last five years there are so

many stories I could tell you, about

how God has helped me through this

journey and the healing process in

many ways. Here are just a few…

There were times when I was

disheartened and tempted to

give up. Times when I just

locked the door and asked my

husband not to let anyone in. There

are occasions when it is more

necessary to shake the patient rather

than the medicine bottle! When your

hopes seem buried and you have

nowhere to turn, isn’t that when God’s

power begins to operate in your life to

the greatest measure?

I have met some of the most amazing

people, including nurses and fellow

patients, and have made many

wonderful new friends. God always

seemed to just bring someone along

beside me when I needed them most.

During my chemotherapy I kept being

reminded to ‘rejoice in all things’.

Again there are so many examples of

this but a poignant one was when I

knew I was going to lose my hair. I

prayed a lot about this and kept

reading ‘His love endures forever’

Psalm 118 again!! When it was time I

was surprisingly prepared for it and my

wonderful hairdresser and I actually

laughed at lot, she told me “Isn’t it

great – you’re so good looking even

bald!” She had already prepared my

wig for me and many people didn’t

even notice. Another occasion soon

after, I was looking for something to

wear to a wedding and being so

conscious of my legs I was fretting

about getting something that would

cover them. The day I planned to go, I

read Psalm139 and the explanation

read: “You were deliberately planned,

specifically gifted, and lovingly

positioned on this earth by the Master

Craftsman…..” In a system that ranks

the value of a human being by the

figures of his salary or the shape of

her legs. Let me tell you Jesus’ plan

is a reason for joy! How amazing is

this.

My fears about breast cancer

are far from over and there are

no guarantees, and just

because I walk closely with God and

my relationship with Him is good does

not mean life will not still have its

struggles, but what I have learned

over the past five years is that the God

I believe in is a forgiving and loving

God and he uses every circumstance

to bring us closer to Him. Ecclesiastes

7:14 says: “When times are good, be

happy but when times are bad

consider that God has made one as

well as the other.”

Although I do not know what the future

holds… I certainly know who holds the

future.

Laverne is married to Russell and is mum

to Christopher and Hannah, and

grandmother to Max. She is Parish

Administrator at St Patrick’s and St

Andrew’s, Coleraine. This article first

appeared in St Patrick’s Parish magazine.

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Forty nine members of the

Church of Ireland Men’s

Society travelled to Derry by

train for their annual outing.

Their first stop was the

Derry and Raphoe

Diocesan Centre for tea and

coffee. Bishop Ken Good

and Dean William Morton

made the visitors welcome

before they proceeded to

the newly renovated St

Columb’s Cathedral where

final landscaping was being

completed before the

Service of Thanksgiving and

Dedication for the

Cathedral.

A Service of Holy

Communion was conducted

by Bishop Ken Good

assisted by Dean Morton

and CIMS Secretary, the

former Dean of Armagh,

and now Bishop of Tuam,

Killala and Achonry, the Rt

Rev Patrick Rooke. Organ

accompaniment for the

hymns was provided by the

Dean who climbed the spiral

staircase to the organ loft at

the appropriate times.

After the service the group

went to St Augustine’s

Parish Hall where the

Ladies’ Guild provided soup

and sandwiches, before

meeting Martin McCrossan

who led a whirlwind tour of

the centre of Derry and the

Walls.

The tour finished at the

Guildhall where the group

was met by the Mayor,

Maurice Devenney, before

their evening meal.

During dinner a

presentation was made to

Bishop Rooke, who was

leaving the Society when

consecrated as Bishop.

Connor branches who took

part in the outing included

All Saints, Eglantine; St

Mark’s, Ballymacash; St

John’s, Malone; Church of

the Evangelist, Carnmoney;

Cloughfern and Agherton,

Portstewart.

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Abeach holiday in Belfast?! The grouped parishes of

St Aidan and St Mary Magdalene made the

impossible possible when they created a sandy

oasis in the inner city for a week in July.

The parishes literally hauled tons of sand into Sandy Row

to form a beach for the young and not so young to enjoy

as the summer holidays kicked off.

Mission Beach was launched on the night of June 30,

when the whole community was invited to celebrate the

start of the school break with a barbecue and party on the

beach in Blythe Street. Literally hundreds turned up!

The idea of bringing a beach into the heart of Belfast

became a real possibility when a team of 30 young adults

from Global Expeditions, USA, offered to come and

partner St Aidan and St Mary Magdalene in mission for

10 days.

A piece of waste ground was donated by Academy Print,

along with 40 tons of sand from a parishioner who works

in the building world. The project received funding from

some individuals and the Priorities Fund, and great

support from parishioners and members of Boring Wells,

as well as food in gospel proportions and plenty of

buckets and beach toys.

Mission Beach was open from June 30 to July 5, and

each day the beach came alive with parents and children

enjoying buckets and spades and paddling pools, while

music played in the background and new murals were

created.

The beach activities were accompanied by a children’s

holiday club, afternoon tea in both churches for the senior

citizens, a bus run to Lady Dixon Park to hear the

Templemore Silver Band, and teams of people doing

‘random acts of kindness’ around the parishes.

All of this was set in glorious sunshine over just five days

in the midst of the marching season, when riots in Belfast

again made the global news.

Adrian McCartney, Parish Outreach Coordinator, said:

“The clergy, select vestries and congregations of St Aidan

and St Mary Magdalene have created a new memory at a

time when our city was once again marred by conflict.”

Life’s a beach!

Mens’ Society members in the Guildhall. Photo by Arthur Macartney

CIMS outing to Londonderry

youtH / MiSSioN

coNNor coNNEctioNS

NiNEtEEN

One of the pressing issues

facing many parishes in

Connor Diocese is how to

engage with young people. The

Energize Project, set up by Bishop

Alan, has been looking at developing

events, training and new initiatives to

help clergy, youth leaders and young

people get to grips with the complex

but exciting opportunities to work with

today’s youth.

The Energize group is chaired by

Keith Neill (Lisburn Cathedral) with a

working group consisting of Peter

Hamill (diocesan training co-ordinator),

the Rev Adrian Dorrian (St Peter & St

James), Sharon Hamill (CIYD), the

Rev Peter Ferguson (St Nicholas’) and

Stuart Moles (SEELB).

Building on two years of consultations,

events and training, the programme for

the coming year will support,

encourage and give everyone a real

sense of direction. The aim is to

ensure youth leaders feel valued and

to equip them with the knowledge and

skills to deliver exciting, challenging

programs. Planned events include:

October 19 - Energize the Soul in

Antrim Civic Centre for youth leaders

and volunteers to take time out, hear

what God is saying and find a support

network across the diocese.

November 16 - Come Dine with Me at

Drumsilly Hotel when Bishop Alan and

the Energize group will enjoy

fellowship with full and part time youth

workers in the diocese.

February 6 2012 - Refresh the Soul

with Bishop Ken Clarke.

A youth evening will take place in

Lisburn Cathedral. Energize Worship

begins at 6pm on November 20. This

year’s speaker this year is Greg

Fromholz (3Rock Youth Dublin) and

the theme is HOPE. Leading the

worship will be Bean Baker and his

Band, who led the youth celebrations

at New Wine Sligo this summer.

On Saturday March 10 2012 a Hear

Our Voice youth conference will take

place in St Anne’s Cathedral when

parishes will be invited to send two

youth leaders/clergy and three young

people to look at the issues, the needs

and direction the diocese needs to

take to minister in an effective,

meaningful and challenging way to a

disengaged generation.

There will be an evening celebration

when clergy, vestries and parents can

come along to see and hear some of

the findings of the conference.

Energize also hopes to hold Easter

Worship at St Nicholas’ with the Mark

Ferguson Band. Date to be arranged.

Keith Neill said: “These events are a

great initiative to get our young people

together, to be part of the wider church

family and build the foundations for a

growing and important Youth Ministry

in Connor.”

During June 2011 the Rev Jim Carson,

Stanley Gamble and Chris Orr from

St Paul’s Parish, Lisburn, visited

Kajiado Diocese, Kenya, where they

linked up with Ronnie Briggs from

Church Mission Society Ireland.

St Paul’s has an ongoing partnership

with Kajiado, a group visited Kenya in

2009 and a Kajiado team was in

Lisburn in 2010. Another visit to Kenya

is planned for next July.

The team saw some of the projects

the parish has been supporting,

including Oloosuyian School for

Maasai Girls. Here the parish has

funded a water-pump and pump

house. The team presented a plaque

honouring Mabel Morrison whose son

Mark Jamison had raised a large

proportion of the money in her

memory.

The motorbikes bought by the parish

in 2009 are having an impact in parish

ministry in remote areas. The team

learned that each bike had covered up

to 17,000 kilometres, contributing to

church extension and helping local

communities.

The team also viewed a site in

Oltiasika where St Paul’s hopes to

contribute to the building of a church.

This was an opportunity to meet local

church people to talk about the plans

for the project which will cost an

estimated £15,000.

Mr Carson said: “This is an exciting

partnership which has brought

together people from two different

parts of the world in fellowship through

working together and has helped

people both in Kenya and Ireland grow

in faith.”

Partnership helps people grow in faith

The team from St Paul’s sees how the motorbikesthe parish purchased are impacting in rural areas.

Energizing ideas!

E s t . 1 6 6 9 - C h u r c h o f I r e l a n d M a n a g e m e n t

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