Ireland's Day

A fair night's sleep, awakening to a mild, cloudy St Patrick's day with Sunday Worship coming from The National Cathedral of St Patrick in Dublin, with some glorious singing and an engaging sermon about one of Ireland's two Patron Saints, the other being St Brigid of Kildare. Dublin is an unusual city because it has two Anglican Cathedrals. And this in a predominantly catholic country too! St Patrick's doesn't have a diocesan Bishop, but serves the whole of the island of Ireland's Anglican faithful as a focal point since the disestablishment of other C of I in 1880. There's a separate Cathedral of Christ Church which is the see of the Anglican Archbishop of Dublin and Glenaldough. Both buildings are 11-12th century. I recall visiting them on a trip we made to Dublin when I did a holiday locum in Newcastle County Down fifty years ago.

The city centre was quiet when I travelled across the city centre to attend Mass at St German's. There were forty of us in church altogether, an encouragingly diverse congregation nowadays reflecting the locality, reflecting I think post brexit changes in population with new non-european workers staffing the Infirmary nearby, plus students and asylum seekers. It was good hearing Reader Mike Cook preaching again thoughtfully. Fr. Stewart is moving painfully around the alter, and up and down the steps, due to his worn out knee joint in need of  replacement. I hope it happens soon, as he's been waiting for about four years. 

There was a congregational meeting after the service to elect representatives for church warden and Ministry Area Council, which then turned to planning the hospitality for Fr. Jarel's licensing service next Saturday. The meeting went on until three, I heard later. Basma and I went into the church hall and I took her through the responses in the baptism part of the Easter Vigil service. It's difficult to grasp if you've never experienced this liturgy before. We parted company at one, but I had to drive to Tesco's to get some petrol for the car on the way home. I alerted Clare in advance, so she waited patiently for me so we could eat together.

We went out for our different distance walks later in the afternoon, enjoying sunshine as the earlier cloud cleared for a while. After supper, I continued watching 'The Lost' which concluded in a partial resolution of crimes committed, but disappointingly left an ending suggesting there'll be a series two, like or not. What I did like was the portrayal of a Maori community funeral gathering, with poetic speeches made and laments chanted. As the story had an Irish family in it, we were also treated to the Gaelic original of a song called 'The Parting Glass', which I remember my late lamented friend David Barker singing when we made music together in our student days. The rest of the detective story showcased all the latest crime busting technology used by police worldwide these days - well, at least where there's a strong enough internet signal. Today is definitely Ireland's day today winning the Six Nations International Rugby championship again this year.