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The small village of Ballintra, in County Donegal, was the venue, on Sunday 29th May, for the first in-person Healing Service in the diocese since the pandemic struck, over two years ago. The Service of Celebration of Wholeness and Healing, in Drumholm Parish Church – one of the southernmost churches in the diocese – was led by the Rector of Macosquin, Rev Paul Lyons, who is Warden of the Derry and Raphoe Ministry of Healing. He was assisted by Rev Heather Houlton, who preached the sermon and took part in the laying on of hands; Archdeacon David Huss, who provided music; and Wendy McCool and Brian Seaton, from the Diocese’s Healing Ministry team, who delivered the Gospel readings and helped with the private prayers afterwards.

The clergy and congregation – which included people from different denominations – were welcomed to the church by the Rector of Drumholm, Kilbarron and Rossnowlagh, Rev Canon Brian Russell.

Rev Lyons said those taking part in the service “believed fervently in the power of prayer”. He encouraged members of the congregation to avail of the opportunity for prayer: “Maybe it’s for illness, maybe it’s for a relationship, maybe it’s for a certain situation.”

In her sermon, Rev Houlton said those present were thinking mainly of sickness of “body, mind and spirit”. She commended Romans Chapter 8 to anyone who was feeling down. “It’s filled with encouraging words,” she said, “especially the second half of the chapter, so, remember that: pull out your Bible and read Romans 8 as soon as you can.”

Rev Houlton said that she had been on teams praying for healing for many years and had seen answers to prayer. “When the Holy Spirit touches us,” she said, “it is possible for us to experience healing because the Holy Spirit is so powerful. He was there at the beginning of creation. God is the one who knows our complex human bodies because he made them. The Holy Spirit came into Christ’s dead body in the tomb and raised him from the dead. The Holy Spirit is able to do that, and he is able to touch our bodies in the place of our sickness still today.”

After the service, the congregation stayed on either to pray privately – as individuals – with the Healing Ministry team, or to enjoy refreshments provided by members of Drumholm Parish.

Rev Lyons said he and his colleagues on the Ministry of Healing team looked forward to supporting clergy and congregations right across the diocese in future. He invited rural deans to get in touch if they wanted the team to come and support healing services in their local communities.

The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, Most Rev John McDowell, has paid tribute to Castlerock parishioners – past and present – for first of all building and subsequently maintaining their parish church, which has been belatedly celebrating its 150th anniversary, this weekend.

The Archbishop preached the sermon during a Service of Morning Prayer, on the third and final day of the ‘Lord, for the Years’ Flower Festival, which has attracted hundreds of visitors to Christ Church Castlerock over this weekend.

More than 2,000 flowers were used by floral designers Alan Beatty and James Burnside to transform the church’s interior. The festival was project managed by Castlerock parishioner Evelyn Conn, with all proceeds going towards church funds.

Castlerock Rector, Rev Chris MacBruithin, told the congregation, this morning, that the Covid pandemic had forced the parish to postpone its celebrations. Thanking the Archbishop for his visit, Rev MacBruithin said the Primate’s presence was an indication of the significance of the anniversary.

In his sermon, Archbishop McDowell reflected on the first reading – from Genesis 28: 10-17 – which recounts Jacob’s dream at Bethel. The Archbishop thanked the congregation for maintaining a church that was obviously so very close to their hearts. “We discovered this during Covid,” he said, “when we had to close them, that buildings are very close to people’s hearts, that they’re a place where we encounter the holiness of God, a bit like old Jacob, lying on a stone near Beersheba, not realising it until afterwards that surely this place is the gate of Heaven, surely this place is the house of God.”

The Archbishop said people often talked about God’s mercy and love and glory, but not half often enough about God’s beauty. “Those people who designed this church and those churches of the 1830s and beyond had one word in their mind more than any other – more even than beauty – and that was glory: churches were meant to reflect the glory of God, so that the glory of God might be in the land; and that’s what you and I are here for, so that the glory of God can be seen in Castlerock. That is the purpose of a church – to reflect the glory of God and the face of Jesus Christ in the place where they are. And that glory isn’t cold or aloof; that glory isn’t superior; that glory has love in it; therefore, it has a redemptive power which all that cold, stand-offish holiness never has or had.”

Archbishop McDowell said his hope and prayer on the 150th anniversary of Christ Church was that for the remainder of its existence, its parishioners would continue to make a difference to one another and also to the community in which they were set, and that they would reflect the glory of God and the face of Jesus Christ.”

Busloads of people made their way to the north coast on Friday 27th May for the opening day of the ‘Lord, for the Years’ Flower Festival in Christ Church Castlerock. The visitors travelled from far and wide to see a floral display that celebrates what the Rector, Rev Chris MacBruithin, called a “belated 150th anniversary”. The festival had originally been conceived three years ago, but plans had to be put on hold because of the Covid pandemic.

The ‘Lord, for the Years’ Flower Festival was Christ Church’s first such festival in quarter of a century. The church was transformed for the occasion by the festival’s artistic director, the renowned floral artist and national demonstrator, Alan Beatty, who was assisted by James Burnside. The festival was project managed by Castlerock parishioner Evelyn Conn. All proceeds are going towards church funds. Among the first there to see the flowers were Hazel and Archie Thompson, who are members of the same Mid-Ulster Flower Club that the artistic directors belong to.

In his sermon, at the opening Service, the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Andrew Forster confided that he had had an unpleasant close encounter with a display of lilies at a different flower festival a number of years ago. “Lilies and me don’t agree,” the Bishop said. “I could feel my nose beginning to tingle a bit. Then I started to sneeze, and I carried on. And then my eyes began to water and by about minute four or five I was a blubbering mess. I then tried to move over to the lectern to continue the sermon, but we just had to give up. Now, in about four or five minutes” – the Bishop said, to peals of laughter – “you will maybe be hoping that I’ll have to give up again, but I’m feeling very safe at the moment.”

Bishop Andrew said the floral displays in Christ Church were stunningly beautiful. “In some ways, in the world that we live in – that seems to revolve around bad news and difficult news and sad news – to appreciate again the beauty of creation can ground us in the love of God and in the good purposes of God. And we have the joy and the privilege of living in a corner of God’s creation that so many people come to see because of its beauty, because of its landscape, because of what we see around us.“

Unfortunately,” the Bishop said, “whenever we’re caught up in this downward spiral of news, our eyes can be blinded to the beauty around us, and an event like this helps us to open our eyes again to beauty, to open our eyes again to the intricacy of the creation of almighty God, because what you see today is God as the artist – the artist of the beauty in the world around us. And doesn’t it say so much about the art of our God, doesn’t it say so much about the ingenuity and creativity of our God that every flower in this building is different; that every colour is different; that every leaf is different; and that every person here is different; and yet we are made in the image of God?”

Bishop Andrew talked to the congregation about the evocative power of scent: the bouquet of flowers, the smell of coffee, the scent of baked bread, and the fragrance of perfume, could awaken in us powerful memories. “In 2 Corinthians, St Paul says of you and me that we are to be ‘the aroma of Christ’, so that in our lives, in our witness, in the people that we are, there’d be that scent of the beauty of Jesus, and in the way we live our lives, the aroma of Christ would be evident. Let’s be those people who take our part in God’s creation, who celebrate beauty and creativity, who build for new generations, and that in this village and far beyond people will recognise in us the aroma of Christ himself.”

The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe has paid tribute to parishioners of Glendermott – past and present – who, by sharing their talents and gifts, have helped build the kingdom of God in their parish. 

Bishop Andrew Forster was speaking during a Service, on Tuesday evening, in Babington Hall, opposite Glendermott Parish Church, during which the hall was re-dedicated following an extensive renovation, and memorial gifts bestowed by families of people who had worshipped in Glendermott or socialised in the hall, were also dedicated.

The Rector, Rev Canon Robert Boyd, led the service of worship. He was assisted by the Curate of Glendermott and Newbuildings, Rev Iain McAleavey, and by Bishop Andrew, who preached the sermon.

Canon Boyd outlined a brief history of Babington Hall, which was built in 1893 in memory of the first Rector of the parish, Canon David Babington, and his wife. Canon Babington came as Curate, on St Patrick’s Day 1848, to what he described as “a dingy and dilapidated little church”. At the time it had a congregation of 38. By the time of his death, the church was regularly filled to capacity – with more than 500 attending – and the newly-built sister church of All Saints Clooney was also filled.

Canon Babington had described his own preaching as “good, rough, strong, country preaching” and over the years, Canon Boyd said, his predecessor turned the parish around. Canon Babington dedicated his life to the poor and needy, and, after his death, his grateful parishioners built the parish hall in thanksgiving for Mr Babington’s 41 years of work in Glendermott.

In his sermon, Bishop Andrew said he was happy to be in Glendermott to celebrate the “generosity of the people of God”. He thanked them for their kindness and for being, what he called, Kingdom-builders in the building of God’s Church.

The reading at the service came from Nehemiah, Chapter 3, which recounts the repair and rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls and the rebuilding of its gates. Bishop Andrew said the reading helped us see our part in the building of God’s Kingdom. Nehemiah had been heartbroken, Bishop Andrew said, that what had once been a structure that stood to the glory of God was in ruins. Nehemiah got permission from a King to return to his homeland and rebuild the walls. When he got there, he was overcome by the scale of the task that lay in front of him.

“Sometimes for us,” Bishop Andrew said, “in the world that we live in, the role and the task of the Church in a secular society almost seems too much, almost seems too difficult, now, whenever faith is denigrated, whenever God’s word is ignored, and the place of the Church put way down the pecking order. Sometimes the role of building the Kingdom of God, today, seems too much for us.

“It was too much for Nehemiah, but God led him through difficult times – through times of political turmoil, led him through times of famine, and led him through times even of pandemic – to do great things for his saviour. And for you and me, I think the story of Nehemiah, and the story of this parish, should encourage us, as the people today, never to underestimate what God can do through those who are committed to his plan and path for their lives.”

Bishop Andrew noted that the names of those who had helped Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls were never mentioned again in the Bible. “They were never heard of again. You know why? Because they were normal, ordinary people called to do great things for God…Such great things that these names – that are never mentioned again in Scripture – all these years later, we read them out tonight in the Babington Hall in Glendermott Parish and celebrate ordinary people who did extraordinary things for God. Tonight, what I celebrate, are the ordinary people of Glendermott Parish who are prepared to do extraordinary things for God.”

The music for Tuesday evening’s service was provided by Mrs May Boyd, on the piano. Among those in the congregation were Rev Canon Derek Creighton, who had been Rector of Glendermott for 16 years until his retirement six years ago. After the service, the families who donated gifts joined clergy and other parishioners for supper in the adjoining Canon Kelly Hall.  

The parishioners of Camus-Juxta-Bann enjoyed a memorable day, last weekend, at the Macosquin 400 Jubilee Fete. The festivities were a double celebration of 400 years of St. Mary’s Church and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The festivities took place in the rectory garden, beside St Mary’s Church. Many thanks to all those who helped organise the fête and to the hundreds of people who came along, including the Lord Lieutenant for County Londonderry, Mrs Alison Millar.

There was a very pleasant surprise in store for the scores of families and friends who descended on picturesque Oakfield Park, near Raphoe, on Saturday morning for the first Diocesan Family Fun Day since the start of the Covid pandemic. The all-aged gathering was blessed with warm and dry conditions, allowing umbrellas and raincoats to remain out of sight.

The fun day had been organised jointly by SEEDS Children’s Ministry and the Diocesan Mothers’ Union whose hearts must have been buoyed by the sight of dozens of children using the playground, family groups picnicking in the award-winning gardens, and chattering groups waving and laughing as they were transported round the park – past the castle and around the reeded lake – on a busy miniature train.

There was, of course, a significant spiritual element to the day. Proceedings began with prayers, just after arrival, led by our Diocesan Children’s Officer Kirsty McCartney, with music provided by Rev Johnny McFarland. Bishop Andrew Forster was there, to share a few words of welcome. These were followed by a joyful and comedic rendition of “the whole Bible story” by the drama duo ‘Play It by Ear’, which enthralled and amused both young and ‘young at heart’.

The park’s ‘Fairy Tree’ was transformed for the day into a prayer tree, upon which parishioners of all vintages were invited to hang prayers which they had been encouraged to write and then commit to God.

Members of the Aghanloo, Balteagh, Carrick and Tamlaghtard Group of Churches pushed the boat out, in a manner of speaking, with a parish outing to Rathlin Island, on the Feast Day of St Matthias last weekend. More than 40 members and friends of the parish churches accompanied the Rector, Rev Rhys Jones, on Saturday’s daytrip.

The venture was organised by ‘The Parish Trekkers’ – a walking club made up of church members – and participants were rewarded with a calm sea for the six-mile return voyage to Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island. Reverend Jones saw the trip as an opportunity for worship and fellowship between members of his four churches and those who joined them.

The party set off from Ballycastle, onboard the Spirit of Rathlin, on the 10am sailing and after embarking at the harbour walked the short distance to St Thomas’ Church of Ireland for a Service of Thanksgiving and Praise. The Rector welcomed the congregation with a carefully constructed ‘Call to Worship’.

“The world is filled with the glory of God.

The very stones cry out your glory.

“The oceans and its depths sing out your praises,

Let us worship God’s wondrous name.

“From one end of the earth to the other

You inspire our worship and praise.

“As the harbour walls protect these island waters

Surround us, Father, with your presence and love.”

Rev Jones was assisted in the service by Diocesan Reader Brian Robinson. The Rector drew the congregation’s attention to the words from the Epistle Reading (Acts 1: 15-26) in which the apostles sought God’s guidance before casting lots and choosing Matthias as Judas’ successor. Matthias was, the Rector said, the first apostle appointed by God’s church before the coming of the Holy Spirit. “In other words,” he said, “this is the Church of Christ reaching out to God to help and assist the appointment of those who had been called by God. Which one of you is under the impression that you haven’t been called to the apostleship of Christ?”

Rev Jones wondered whether anyone in the pews was experiencing “that sense of God’s call” in their life in some capacity or other – not necessarily to stand at the front and teach and preach – but perhaps to lead, perhaps to guide, perhaps to nurture, and to lead others to Christian maturity. “The truth is,” the preacher said, “Matthias is each and every single one of us. And it’s wonderful to think that in that short journey across – that we shared together this morning as church, as God’s people – it’s a metaphor really for the journey of discipleship itself. Sometimes those waters upon which we travel are without storm; sometimes it’s plain sailing and everything’s fine; and sometimes we hit that little rocky patch. The question for you is the one that faced the disciples as they sought to replace Judas: who, Lord, have you called to a specific role? And I know there are some among you whom God’s now calling.”

Rev Jones expressed thanks to the Rector of St Thomas’, Rev Patrick Barton, for facilitating worship in “this beautiful house of prayer”. While in church, a birthday cake was produced for one member of the congregation who had particular cause for celebration (and whose husband joked that he’d promised her a cruise for her birthday).

After the service, members of the congregation went their different ways to enjoy the splendid sunshine and the attractions that Rathlin Island has to offer. For fitter members of the party, that meant walking the four miles to the Kebble nature reserve, to see the island’s birdlife, including its celebrated puffins; others preferred to complete the journey by bus.

By the time the parishioners arrived back in Ballycastle, around teatime, all were agreed that the trip had been a huge success, and some hoped that it would become an annual fixture in the Balteagh Group’s calendar.

The Parish of Donagheady (Donemana) is to get a new incumbent later this year. Rev Capt Richard Beadle has been appointed to succeed Rev Dr Robin Stockitt, who retired almost a year ago.

The news was shared this morning with worshippers at St James Church in Donemana and parishioners in the Manorhamilton Group of Parishes, in the Diocese of Kilmore, which Rev Beadle has been overseeing as Bishop’s Curate since his ordination in September 2017.

Rev Beadle has been an active Church Army Officer since 1998 and before being commissioned had worked in the Employment Service in the UK. His work as a Church Army evangelist took him to parishes in Nelson, East Lancashire; St. Matthew’s on Belfast’s Woodvale Road; and the rural Swanlinbar-Kildallon Group of Parishes in the Diocese of Kilmore.

“I am excited that my family and I will be coming to Donemana,” Rev Beadle says. “Exploring Donemana with the nominators has been a privilege and blessing, and we have clearly sensed God’s hand. We pray God will use our gifts fully to make a lasting contribution as we seek to share the wonderful news of Christ. We greatly look forward to getting to know our new parish and diocese.”

Moments such as this can be bitter-sweet for clergy. “After 14 years,” Richard says, “leaving Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh Diocese is not easy, yet we are enormously grateful for our time and friends there.”

Richard, and his wife Pauline, will now be making preparations for their move to the Church of Ireland’s northernmost diocese. Pauline is a midwife by profession. She loves cooking and her happy place could be any kitchen. The couple have three children: Ruth, who is at Lancaster University, and twins Alicia and Asher who are studying for A-levels in England.

When time allows, Rev Richard indulges his passions for tennis and nature photography – he was interviewed on BBC Radio Ulster recently about the plight of the curlew – and he describes himself as “a rare Crystal Palace fan”. A date has still to be arranged for the new Rector’s Service of Institution.

There was loud applause for the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Andrew Forster, on day two of the General Synod in Belfast when he called on the UK government to “step up to the mark” in its response to the refugee crisis which has arisen as a result of the war in Ukraine.

During consideration of the Report of the Church of Ireland’s Standing Committee, the Bishop compared the responses of smaller countries like Ireland to that of the UK. Out of 66,000 visa applications [from Ukrainians], he said, only 11,000 had been settled in the UK. “Now, what’s happening with the visa applications is that you may have a mother with three children, and two of the children are getting an application and the mother doesn’t get it – and families [are] to be split up. I can’t understand whether that is incompetence or cynicism, to be honest with you.“

The fact that our response in the United Kingdom to this refugee issue with people has been huge – many people have signed up for ‘Homes for Ukraine’, and so on – and then [when] they get to the second part of the process, it is nothing but frustration. Smaller countries like the Republic of Ireland have led the way in saying for the moment we’ll forget about visas because this is a crisis that needs an immediate response.“

The UK government has supported in different ways, we know, in the conflict, but I think it has to be said that the response to the refugee crisis is found wanting and terribly wanting. And, for us as Christians, with open hearts for refugees – because we worship one who was a refugee – can I urge you to lobby your local MPs for this and on this issue. I have done, and I’ve had a very open response to that, but I think we need to be speaking out the cause of the oppressed within this. Bishop’s Appeal is helping us [to] do that but the government needs to really step up to the mark in its response to this refugee crisis.”

The Church of Ireland has announced a Clergy Assistance Programme to help to improve mental health among leaders in ordained ministry. It will be provided by Health Assured, the UK and Ireland’s largest independent provider of programmes of this type, as part of the Church’s mental health promotion project, MindMatters COI. The programme was announced at the General Synod, on Thursday, by the Bishop of Meath and Kildare, Most Rev Pat Storey, who chairs the initiative.

Bishop Storey told delegates: “For those who lead and pastor us, it is vital that there are enough resources to keep them healthy and well. It is to this end that the MindMatters project launches its Clergy Assistance Programme for church leaders, focussing on good mental health and well–being. It is hoped that, in response to the MindMatters survey, clergy will feel more adequately supported.

“As with many professions,” Bishop Storey said, “clergy too have felt isolated and powerless throughout the pandemic – many feel that their very raison d’être was removed. The Clergy Assistance Programme seeks to give clergy a place and a space to explore their own well–being and is intended to supplement and not to usurp the pastoral care of a diocesan bishop.  We hope that this will be a successful contribution to better support and care for those who watch over us.”

This service will be available free–of–charge to all Church of Ireland clergy for three years thanks to generous financial support from the Benefact Trust (previously known as Allchurches Trust).  Key features will include:

telephone helplines – available 24 hours a day and seven days a week – offering practical information and emotional support; a medical information helpline – available on weekdays, between 9am and 5pm; up to six face–to–face counselling sessions, per issue, per member of the clergy, including with applied cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques; up to six structured telephone counselling sessions, per issue, for a member of the clergy, or their spouse, and dependents (aged between 16–24 and in full–time education); crisis management and critical incident support; an online health and wellbeing portal at www.healthassuredeap.com; and a monthly well–being newsletter.

The Clergy Assistance Programme has been put together in response to surveys of Church of Ireland clergy and lay members in May–June 2021, which were commissioned by the Church to document understandings of and attitudes towards mental health.  In responses to the clergy survey, 28% of clergy disagreed (and 18% strongly disagreed) with the statement that the Church of Ireland provided them with good support for their own mental health; by comparison, 20% agreed and 1% strongly agreed.

MindMatters COI is a three–year project to raise awareness of, and respond to the mental health needs of communities across our island, and was launched in October 2020.

Further initiatives from MindMattersCOI:

Dioceses and parishes are currently being invited to submit applications for seed funding for local mental health promotion initiatives to address one of the following four themes emerging from the project’s research:

Stigma – there is a significant level of stigma in relation to mental health issues;

Connections – connections play an important role in positive mental health;

Supporting clergy to support others – clergy may benefit from additional training to support parishioners experiencing mental health issues and can feel unsupported in relation to their own mental health; and

Faith as a support for mental health – as faith and prayer are important to the mental health of members of the Church.

Mental health training is being rolled out to clergy and pastoral carers, free–of–charge and delivered online by Action Mental Health. The training lasts no longer than two hours and provides the participants with a broad overview of mental health, identifies the most common mental health conditions, teaches the participants how to sustain good mental health and emotional well–being, and provides them with relevant resources available in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The Church is also seeking to recruit mental health champions/advocates as part of the project, who will help promote positive mental health in the Church of Ireland and in communities across the island of Ireland. The plan is to match champions’ skills, interests and time availability to the countless opportunities that exist to promote positive mental health in the Church of Ireland and the wider community. Anyone can be a mental health champion, whether they have personal or professional experience in the area of mental health or not.If you have a query or would like to express your interest in training or becoming a mental health champion, please email the project team at mhp@rcbdub.org or fill out the contact form on the home page of its website: https://mindmatters.ireland.anglican.org