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The Revd Canon Joel
Edwards - General Secretary of Evangelical
Alliance in the UK, is pictured laying a
wreath at a wreath laying ceremony at Saint
Patrick's Grave following this year's Saint
Patrick's Day festival service in Down
Cathedral last Saturday morning. L to R: Jennifer
Still - Church Warden, Councillor Dermot
Curran, Rt Hon Eddie McGrady MP, Ven Philip
Patterson - Archdeacon of Down, Councillor
Margaret Ritchie MLA, Very Revd Henry
Hull - Dean of Down,
Very Revd Canon Sean Rogan PP VF - Parish
Priest of Downpatrick, Councillor Willie
Clarke MLA (Chair of Council), Revd
Dr David Steers, Minister of Downpatrick,
Balee and Clough, Brian
Poxon - Crucifer, Rt Revd Harold
Miller - Bishop of Down and Dromore and
Joy Wilkinson - Church
Warden
The Revd Canon Joel Edwards, General Secretary of Evangelical
Alliance in the UK was the guest preacher at this year's Saint
Patrick's Day festival service in Down Cathedral, Downpatrick.
Joel has held the position of General Secretary of EAUK since
1997 and also serves on a number of faith, government and public
agency advisory groups. He is an ordained minister in one of the
UK's major Caribbean denominations and an honorary Canon of St
Paul's Cathedral. He is passionate about unity within the
church, but unity with a purpose - to see real change for real
lives and real communities.
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The Very Revd Henry Hull - Dean of Down, the Rt
Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of Down and Dromore and
a large crowd pictured at the historic Saul Church
as they prepare to start the Saint Patrick's Day
Pilgrimage to Down Cathedral last Saturday morning.
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People who took part in the Saint Patrick's Day
Pilgrimage from Saul Church last Saturday morning
are pictured arriving at Down Cathedral for this
year's Saint Patrick's Day festival service.
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As they come to the end of the Saint Patrick's
Day Pilgrimage from Saul Church to Down Cathedral
last Saturday morning, pilgrims are pictured blowing
whistles in solidarity with the Micah Challenge
'blow the whistle' campaign as a sign that we are
coming up to 'half time' in the Millennium
Development goals, which seek to halve poverty by
2015.
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The main St Patrick's Day service was held in Down Cathedral,
with an earlier service of Holy Communion in Saul church. The
preacher at the service in Saul was the recently installed Dean
of Down, the Very Revd Henry Hull, who succeeded the Very Revd
John Dinnen (Rector of Hillsborough Parish) in October 2006. The
organist was Elizabeth Peters. In his address, Dean Hull spoke
of how Patrick was kidnapped, brought to Ireland, sold as a
slave and went on to explain how he came to a living and vibrant
faith in Jesus and established a Christian community here. He
said that Patrick forgave the ones that held him captive and
emphasised that we like St Patrick should have unconditional
forgiveness concluding that 'it is the gospel imperative to hear
God and respond to his call and renew our commitment to be
captives to Christ'.
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The Rt Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of Down and
Dromore pictured during the Communion Service in
Saul Church last Saturday morning.
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The Rt Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of Down and
Dromore (left of church) and the Very Revd Henry
Hull - Dean of Down (at pulpit) pictured during this
year's Saint Patrick's Day festival service in Down
Cathedral last Saturday morning.
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This theme for the day was 'Captive' which linked the story of
Patrick with the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave
trade. There were various elements featured in the services and
pilgrimage to reflect this. One example was the annual
pilgrimage to Down Cathedral, which followed the service in
Saul, where pilgrims carried chains as a symbol of slavery. On
the journey pilgrims blew whistles in solidarity with the Micah
Challenge 'blow the whistle' campaign as a sign that we are
coming up to 'half time' in the Millennium Development goals,
which seek to halve poverty by 2015. During the Cathedral
service links in the chains were broken to signify the abolition
of slavery 200 years ago.
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L to R: Saul Church Wardens - Alan Major and
Raymond Press and Dean of Down - the Very Revd Henry
Hull pictured with Newtownards ladies Margaret Crowe
(Friends of the Cathedral) and her daughter Enid at
this year's Saint Patrick's Day Holy Communion
Service in Saul Church last Saturday morning
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Former Lisburn Parish Priest, the Very Revd Canon
Sean Rogan PP VF, who was installed as Canon of the
Cathedral Chapter of St Peter's Cathedral, Belfast
last February, is pictured with the Revd Dr David
Steers, minister of Downpatrick, Balee and Clough at
this year's Saint Patrick's Day festival service in
Down Cathedral last Saturday morning.
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A wreath laying ceremony at Saint Patrick's Grave followed the
service in Down Cathedral. The invited guests this year included
members of the Mothers' Union, StreetReach, Tearfund and
Evangelical Alliance.
Bishop Harold Miller's Saint Patrick's Day message
On Friday 16th March, the Right Revd Harold Miller, Bishop of
Down and Dromore issued the following Saint Patrick's Day
message:
The Saint Patrick's Day Pilgrimage from Saul to Downpatrick each
March is, for me, personally always a highlight of the year. It
seems to 'touch a chord' with more and more people, and not
least young people. They come from all arts and parts, for a
whole range of reasons and there is a real sense of unity and
focus as the crowds gather on the Hill of Down ' thought to be
Patrick's last resting place. But the fascinating thing is that
all of this happens at a 'protestant' Cathedral ' in a community
where St Patrick's Day has been considered largely 'catholic'
celebration.
This year, as we look forward hopefully to the setting up of an
Executive and the full functioning of the Assembly, I want to
make a plea ' let's all embrace our Christian heritage; let's
all celebrate Patrick with joy and enthusiasm; and let's all
work to build up a peaceful and creative new community in
Northern Ireland, with a place for everyone.
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The Revd Elizabeth Hanna, Rector of St John the
Evangelist's, Magherally is pictured with Magherally
parishioners Florence and Alex Steenson at a wreath
laying ceremony at Saint Patrick's Grave following
this year's Saint Patrick's Day festival service in
Down Cathedral last Saturday morning. Included
in the picture are the Very Revd Henry Hull - Dean
of Down and the Rt Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of
Down and Dromore.
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Sheila Rooney and Margaret Cairns from Gilford
pictured at the Saint Patrick's Day Communion
Service in Saul Church last Saturday morning with
the Very Revd Henry Hull - Dean of Down, the Rt Revd
Harold Miller - Bishop of Down and Dromore and the
Revd Canon Joel Edwards - General Secretary of
Evangelical Alliance in the UK.
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Dromore Cathedral Mothers' Union members Pat
Cherry, Lynn McFarland and Lorna Rogers (left) and
the Revd Simon Richardson - Curate of Hillsborough
Parish and his wife Moyra pictured at the Saint
Patrick's Day Communion Service in Saul Church last
Saturday morning with the Very Revd Henry Hull -
Dean of Down, the Rt Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of
Down and Dromore and the Revd Canon Joel Edwards -
General Secretary of Evangelical Alliance in the UK.
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The Very Revd John Dinnen - St Malachy,
Hillsborough (former Dean of Down) is pictured with
parishioners from Hillsborough, Dromara, Aghalee and
Banbridge who attended the Saint Patrick's Day
festival service in Down Cathedral last Saturday
morning.
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L to R: Jody Rice, Michaela Bingham, Catherine
Walsh and Aine Fitzpatrick from the Brennan-Miskelly-McCormick,
School of Irish Dancing who performed a 'Dance of
Freedom' at this year's Saint Patrick's Day festival
service in Down Cathedral last Saturday morning.
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Sullivan Upper Traditional Group and their
teacher-in-charge Jane Fox-Roberts (right)
entertained people arriving at this year's Saint
Patrick's Day festival service in Down Cathedral
last Saturday morning.
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Rector of Down Cathedral and Dean of Down - the
Very Revd Henry Hull (right) pictured with L to R:
Michaela Bingham, Jody Rice, Aine Fitzpatrick and
Catherine Walsh - dancers from the Brennan-Miskelly-McCormick,
School of Irish Dancing and Sullivan Upper
Traditional Group at this year's Saint Patrick's Day
festival service in Down Cathedral last Saturday
morning.
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18/03/2007
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