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Saint Patrick's Day festival service in Down Cathedral

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.

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.

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.

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.

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'.

The Rt Revd Harold Miller - Bishop of Down and Dromore pictured during the Communion Service in Saul Church last Saturday morning.

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.

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.

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

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. 

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.
 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

 

 

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.

 


18/03/2007