Church Review Notes March 2016

The Parish of Saint Catherine & Saint James with Saint Audoen
Canon Mark Gardner (Editor) Tel: 01 454 2274 Mobile 087 266 0228
The Revd Martha Waller (Curate-Assistant) Tel: 01 868 1655
Email: markgardner300@gmail.com
Review Distribution: Doris Brooks Tel: 01 453 0887
Website: cja.dublin.anglican.org

Service times every Sunday
10.00 Eucharist, St Audoen, Cornmarket. (Parking in Francis Street is free on Sundays)
11.30 Eucharist (and Sunday School, in term time) St Catherine & St James, Donore Avenue. (Family Service and Church Coffee, usually Second Sundays)

First Wednesday of the Month
10.30 Service of Wholeness and Healing, with Laying-on of Hands and Anointing.

Diary dates
Wednesdays in Lent 10.30 mid-week service.

Saturday 12 February St Audoen’s Cornmarket, AGM of the Irish Association of Change Ringers.

Monday 14 March 20.00 Easter Vestry, St Catherine & St James Donore Avenue.

Palm Sunday 20 March 10.00 St Audoen Cornmarket Eucharist & Holy Baptism.

Easter Day 27 March 11.30 Festive Eucharist St Catherine & St James. There will be no vehicular access to the Church (and no access whatever to St Audoen’s) owing to a parade in the city, which An Garda Síochaná anticipate may be attended by as many as 500,000 people. At time of writing, we expect that people coming to the Easter service at St Catherine & St James by car will be able to park on the canal bank and walk across Sally’s Bridge. Services at Christ Church Cathedral and St Ann’s will move to Sandford Church where the Archbishop will preach his Easter Sermon.

Sunday School
On Sunday 7 February 2016 all the members of Sunday School enjoyed a Fun Day. After Sunday School volunteer leaders and parents along with the children set off on their day out. The day couldn’t have happened without the co-operation of drivers who ensured that those without cars enjoyed the Fun Day also.
The first stop was McDonald’s in Stillorgan Shopping Centre where fun and food was enjoyed by all. Afterwards everyone went over to Stillorgan Bowl. Here the preferred option was bowling while the younger children enjoyed their time in the Play Zoo.
A great day was had by all and sincere appreciation and thanks must go to the volunteer leaders who put much time and energy into our Sunday School programme and ensure the children always enjoy their time together during school term.
On a final note, we wish every blessing to Suzanne, one of our volunteer leaders, and Peter Mulhall on the safe arrival of baby Ollie on 1 February 2016. A baby brother for Heidi Victoria. Congratulations!
Martha Waller
Concert at St Audoen’s
Saturday 2 March with the Improvised Music Company (IMC), a not for profit organisation for jazz and related music, Ireland’s largest specialist music producer and resource with hands-on involvement in many aspects of music making throughout the island. Hosted by the OPW.

Holy Baptism
On Saturday 13 February at the Church of St Catherine & St James, Alexandra Mary, daughter of Sam Lowther (restauranteur and cousin of Doris Brooks) and Fiona Ryan of Newmarket Square, Wards Hill, overlooking the ruins of the Church of St Nicholas without and St Luke. Her Godparents are David Lowther (Fanagans Funeral Directors, Aungier St) and Sheila Harris.

Irish Autism Action Mobile Phone Recycling Appeal
St Catherine’s NS has registered to support Irish Autism Action and their Mobile phone recycling appeal this school year. By donating the phones, not only is the school gaining much needed technology and equipment, we are also doing our bit for the environment. The mobile phones will be exchanged for badly needed resources for our school like iPads, laptops, Defibrillators, sporting equipment etc. Most of us have old mobile phone lying at the bottom of that drawer, so I would encourage you to take a look in that drawer, cupboard or box, hopefully find a phone, and bring it to the Church or to the School. For more information on the campaign go to www.autismirelandphones.ie. Remember by donating the phones you are also helping Irish Autism Action in its mission to raise the quality of life of individuals and their families affected by autism. I hope you will consider donating your old phone to our collection. Thanking you in advance for your continued support of our school.
April Cronin

Clarification on the rescinding of rule number 68 from the Rules for National Schools.
In response to numerous enquiries, the Board of Education of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland wishes to clarify that the requirement for Church of Ireland primary schools to teach the Follow Me RE curriculum is unaffected by the rescinding of rule 68 of the Rules for National Schools. The concept of a school’s ethos has had a long recognition and is widely understood to refer to both the learning environment of the school and to the values that underpin and guide the teaching and learning in school. In Church of Ireland schools, these values will always be Gospel values which inherently express inclusivity and welcome. The living out of the message of the Gospel does not rely on any formal regulatory rule. Rather, it is the manifestation of human encounter with the living God, an outpouring of the Spirit and is located in the interplay between Gospel imperative and social reality.
While the Board notes that section 15 of the Education Act 1998 recognises the rights of denominational schools to express their own religious ethos the outworking of the religious ethos of Church of Ireland schools is dependent on the school community living out those Gospel values in all aspects of school life. In this regard, the rescinding of rule 68 should have no practical effect in Church of Ireland primary schools.
The practice of governance and management in schools has long moved on from the practice of simple adherence to rules. The school community now takes ownership of the management and operations of all aspects of school life through involvement in the Board of Management of the school.
Dr Ken Fennelly

Irish Cultural Centre Paris
On his most recent official visit to Ireland in May 2015, the Prince of Wales gave a speech during which he referred to ‘these Atlantic islands’, diplomatically avoiding the term ‘British Isles’, which, as a rule, is not used by the Irish government as a term to describe the UK and Ireland. What unites and divides the two islands? Where do the similarities and differences lie? Over the course of 2016, a number of discussions organised by CCI will tease out the complexities of our long relationship. For this first conversation chaired by comedian, writer and broadcaster Colm O’Regan, we gather philosopher Richard Kearney, journalist Gemma Tipton, archaeologist and member of the Royal Irish Academy Peter Harbison and academic Wesley Hutchinson to discuss the term ‘British Isles’ – its origins and alternatives, the politics of language – within the historical context of interaction between the two islands and their influences upon each other.