A major liturgical festival entitled Ceiliuradh has been planned for Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, from June 18th to 24th, and will be formally opened by the President, Mrs McAleese.
It begins on Sunday, June 18th, with a liturgical reception. The following morning the keynote address, "Why Worship", will be given by Dr Ann Loades, senior lecturer in theology in Durham University.
Morning and afternoon lectures will concentrate on the riches of our liturgical heritage and the creative use of liturgical space, language and music.
Each morning the Rev Rick Fabian, a noted liturgist from San Francisco, will lead a workshop in preparation for a prelunch liturgy, while afternoon workshops will be led by John Bell from the Iona Community.
There will be a special series of lunchtime lectures which will run alongside historical tours of the cathedral and its environs, and each evening there will be a concert and festival club.
In recognition of the history of Christ Church as a monastic community of Augustinian canons before the Reformation, on one day the complete cycle of monastic offices will be sung.
The festival will draw on the established musical resources of Christ Church, and on other noted choirs, to provide a wide range of liturgical music throughout the week.
Participation in this festival is open to all who are interested. It is envisaged that there will be some 200 full-time, residential participants, but the festival will be open to those who wish to attend only specific events.
It is not confined to academics or to Anglicans and it is hoped that many people from different parts of the country and from differing Christian denominations will take part.
Details may be had from the Ceiliuradh office, Braemor Institute, Church of Ireland Theological College, Braemor Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14.
On Monday in the Stricklands Conference Centre, Bangor, Co Down, there will be a conference on the theme "Evangelism in a New Century". The speaker will be the Rev Prof Gerald Bray from Beeson Divinity School at Stamford University, Birmingham, Alabama.
Dr Bray has written widely on church history, doctrine and liturgy and is perhaps best known for his book, Creeds, Councils and Christ. Details of the conference may be had from the Rev B.T. Kerr, Knockarevan, Garrison, Co Fermanagh BT93 4AE, tel: (080128) 68658372).
On Tuesday the Bishop of Cork, the Right Rev Paul Colton, will institute the Rev Brian O'Rourke to the incumbency of St Luke's, Cork. Mr O'Rourke, who was ordained in 1992, has been rector of Newcastle, Co Wicklow, since 1998.
The Bishop of Tuam, Dr Richard Henderson, will institute the Rev Patrick Towers to the incumbency of Galway on Thursday. Mr Towers, who was rector of Nenagh from 1989, succeeds Dr Robert McCarthy, who is now Dean of St Patrick's, Dublin.
It is expected that Mr Towers will also follow Dr McCarthy as Provost of Tuam, and this would give him a seat on the cathedral chapter of St Mary, Tuam.
On Friday the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Walton Empey, will institute the Rev Andrew Orr to the incumbency of Castleknock, where he succeeds the present Bishop of Cork. Mr Orr was ordained in 1992 and has been rector of Castlecomer since 1995.
Last Friday, in St John's Cathedral, Sligo, the Rev David Griscombe was instituted as rector of Sligo by the Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, the Right Rev Michael Mayes. At the same service he was installed as Dean of Elphin and Ardagh.