News
A busy start to the new semester
The new semester in the Church of Ireland Theological Institute is now up and running after a very busy programme for the opening weeks.
The visitors to the Institute have been gifted and varied:
- The Revd John Bell from the Iona Community was the guest speaker at one of the Monday morning “Spirituality” sessions and then led a seminar on “Imagination and Liturgy” with members of the student body and the academic staff.
- Brother Thierry of the Benedictine Monastery of the Holy Cross, Rostrevor, Co Down, was the guest preacher at the Community Eucharist at the end of the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity. The institute welcomed many of our neighbours and ecumenical friends at this celebration and at the reception that followed. Brother Thierry’s sermon is available here: [hyperlink]
- The Archdeacon of Swaziland, the Ven Bheki Magongo, is a visiting scholar at the institute, under sponsorship from the mission agency, USPG – Anglicans in World Mission. He spoke to the staff and students about the difficulties and opportunities facing the Anglican Church in Swazliand, where about one–third of the population is HIV + or has AIDS, and where over half the population is unemployed. He is also visiting the Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough, Limerick, and visiting Kilkenny, Waterford and Leitrim. Speaking in the chapel, Archdeacon Bheki described movingly how his landlocked country in Southern Africa has 300,000 orphaned children and 75 per cent of the population is living below the poverty line.
- The former Minister for Food and Green TD, Mr Trevor Sargent from Balbriggan Parish, was also a recent visitor to the institute.
Staff and students also attended the introduction of a former student, the Revd Anthony Kelly, as Bishop’s Curate in Saint George’s Church, Balbriggan.