Mrs Ruth Mercer (pictured above with her family and Bishop Henderson and Archbishop Harper) was commissioned as All Ireland President of the Mothers’ Union by the Archbishop of Armagh at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, on Sunday 7th March 2010.The Commissioning of the All Ireland Board of Trustees will also take place at the service (pictured above).The service was led by Canon Terry Scott, the Mothers’ Union Chaplain in Armagh Diocese and the speaker was the Rt Revd Ken Clarke, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, recently appointed as the Central Chaplain of the Mothers’ Union Worldwide (see Interview with Bishop Clarke on his new role under Press Releases on this website).The lessons were read by Ruth Mercer and Mrs Rosemary Kempsill (the Worldwide President of the Mothers’ Union). Prayers were taken by the Rt Revd Dr Richard Henderson, Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry and All Ireland Chaplain of the Mothers’ Union; Mrs Florrie Revels (Armagh Diocesan President); and the Revd Kathy Trimby (All Ireland Faith and Social Policy).Mothers’ Union members from all twelve dioceses in Ireland attended the service which was followed by afternoon tea served by the Members of Armagh Diocesan Trustees in Church House. For further information, contact: Iris Suitor, PRO Northern Diocese Mothers’ UnionT. 028 87727116www.mothersunion.ie

School children from around the diocese will be the special guests at this year’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations at Down Cathedral, along with guest speaker, US children’s author and storyteller, Bob Hartman. The theme is, “Pass it On” and the Festival Service in Down Cathedral will involve 140 children in drama, story-telling and singing. There will be performances by Waringstown Primary School Choir, who were the 2009 Songs of Praise Junior School Choir of the Year, and the Down Cathedral Junior Choir.Mr Bob HartmanWith the focus on passing on the faith and heritage of St. Patrick to the next generation, Bob Hartman’s participation is especially apt as storytelling used to be the main way of passing on local values, traditions and history.“I cannot tell you how delighted I am to be invited to the event,” says Bob. “When I was asked to write a book on Saints several years ago, I made sure that Patrick was included, because his was a story I'd been telling for years. So to be asked to speak at the place where the man himself is buried, on his special day, is a gift that I never imagined receiving.”The annual St Patrick’s Day event gathers hundreds of visitors, from Ireland and abroad. It begins with a service of Holy Communion at Saul Church, followed by a pilgrimage to Down Cathedral and the Festival Service. After the service a wreath is laid at St Patrick’s grave by local ministers of all denominations and then lunch is served to invited guests in the Cathedral grounds. View Down and Dromore’s 2009 celebrations on YouTube.For further information, please contactAnnette McGrathDown & Dromore Diocesan Communications OfficerChurch of Ireland House61-67 Donegall StreetBELFASTBT1 2QHTel: (028) 9032 2268Fax:(028) 9023 1902Mob: 07595 231958Email:  DCO

On February 25th the first Unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) concluded at St. Luke's Home, Mahon, Cork. CPE is the prime methodology for training and accrediting Healthcare Chaplains in Ireland and beyond.The unit was run as an extended unit over 20 weeks rather than the more traditional full time unit which takes place over twelve weeks. The unit's flexibility allowed participants continue their ministry in their work environment. In some cases placements were augmented and the Rev Daniel Nuzum and the Rev Brian O'Rourke acted as mentors in some of the placements.Participants came from diverse traditions and ministerial settings. There were opportunities for those taking part in the unit to avail of the various training courses offered by the Education Centre. The Certificates of Completion were presented by David O'Brien, Director of Administration.The successful participants are pictured with members of the St Luke's Home Staff. Those participating from Cork were the Rev John Ardis, the Rev Hazel Minion and Drew Ruttle. Fr Teddy Linehan from Kerry General Hospital and Hilda Plant from Ferns completed the group.The next unit of CPE will commence in St Lukes Home in the late autumn  and informal enquiries are welcome to the Director of Education the Rev Bruce Pierce.

The latest edition of Connor Connections, the magazine for the Diocese of Connor, is now available, and includes a 10 page focus on Connor’s link diocese of Yei in Southern Sudan.Diocesan Communications Officer Karen Bushby, who edits Connor Connections, travelled to Sudan with a small team in January, and records her impressions in words and images in the diocesan magazine.Other articles include a profile of new diocesan secretary June Butler, the end of Connor’s 10-year partnership with Linkoping Diocese in Sweden, social initiatives by the Diocesan Training Council, Connor Clergy Conference, and a look at the new-look St Patrick’s, Glenarm.Connor Connections is available free of charge to all parishioners in Connor Diocese. Anyone wanting additional copies, or anyone from outside the diocese who would like a free copy, can contact dco@connor.anglican.org. This edition, and all previous Connor Connections, can be downloaded from the Publications section of the Connor diocesan website www.connor.anglican.org .For further information please contact:Karen BushbyConnor Diocesan Communications OfficerTel: 028 4066 0798Mob: 07766 103880E-Mail: Connor DCO

Saturday 7 March 2010Remembering the Environment for LentEco Congregation Ireland (www.ecocongregationireland.org) has contacted clergy throughout Ireland to encourage them to sign up to the’10:10 campaign’, which sees churches, schools, organisations, businesses and individuals committing to cut carbon emissions by 10% by the end of 2010.  They are also encouraging church study groups and individuals to use one of the many excellent Lenten resources that incorporates an environmental theme. For example, the Diocese of Bath and Wells has produced a Lenten course called ‘Love for the Future’, which consists of six short films on DVD. The course poses the question, What can we find within ourselves to develop family and community life, respond to the environmental crises and achieve a sustainable world? Or, the Church in Society Environmental Advisory Group has produced an Environmental Bible Study – ‘Five Studies on God’s Works in Creation and Redemption’, which aims to show that creation care is an integral part of the Christian faith.Dr David Atkinson, former Bishop of Thetford and author of Renewing the Face of the Earth,  a theological and pastoral response to climate change, will be giving a talk in the Irish School of Ecumenics at 2.30pm on Wednesday 24th March. The respondent speaker will be Rev Elaine Murray, Vicar of the Kilkenny Group of parishes. Places will be limited, so if you are intending to attend, please contact info@ecocongregationireland.org.  Rev Elaine Murray was one of the people responsible for the Dioceses of Cashel & Ossory adopting a Green Charter, which is displayed in all church premises throughout the dioceses. The Dioceses’ Environmental Group hopes to have a bill introduced at General Synod, in May, which will encourage the adoption of a similar charter by the other dioceses in the Church of Ireland. Tomorrow (Sunday) morning the singer Noirin Ni Riain will be the speaker at the Lent series in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, while on Wednesday evening, in Drumcondra, Geoffrey Perrin will address the subject of unemployment. Education and science are the subjects for Lenten discussion in Rathfarnham at 8pm on Thursday evening when the speakers will be Professor Ferdinand Von Prondzynski from DCU and Dr Chris Horn, President of the Engineers of Ireland. At the same time in the Stillorgan Park Hotel the local churches in Booterstown, Mount Merrion and Blackrock will meet to discuss ‘One Spirit – Many Churches’. The speakers will be Fr Dermot Lane, President of Mater Dei, and Mrs Gillian Kingston, Lay Leader Designate of the Methodist Church in Ireland.This evening at 8pm in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, the Cathedral Choir and the Seafield Singers will give a concert in aid of the Coombe Hospital. ‘Celebration for the Coome’ will feature music by Mozart and Hayden and will be preceded by a reception for patrons in the Deanery.The Standing Committee of the General Synod and the Representative Church Body will meet in Church of Ireland House, Dublin, on Tuesday.On Wednesday evening at 8pm in Whitechurch parish church the Archbishop of Dublin will commission Mrs Joy Gordon as the new Diocesan President of the Mothers’ Union in Dublin and Glendalough.At the same time, the successful series of public lectures in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute will continue when the guest lecturer will be the Very Revd John Dinnen, former Dean of Down. Dean Dinnen’s lecture will look at Anglican missions in the 21st century, and he will speak about the work of the Intercontinental Church Society, a mission agency with a particular interest in European and continental chaplaincies