The Joy of Pilgrimage A few weeks ago, I stood at the top of Croagh Patrick with my son Conor. It’s often called Ireland’s holiest mountain and is associated with St. Patrick, who is believed to have made the ascent in 441 AD and spent 40 days in prayer and fasting as he considered how […]
Three reels of cine film dating from 1958 and 1960, containing footage of significant events in Down and Dromore almost 70 years ago, have been brought back to life by the RCB Library. They were first shown at the 2026 General Synod in Newcastle, which was particularly appropriate as all the films were shot in […]
When Church Takes Your Breath Away Over the years that I have been writing this blog I have tried, in a small way, to pull back the curtains and to let people know what sorts of things go on in a church. I’m very conscious that, for many people in our society, churches are a […]
Searching for Consistency There can sometimes be a disconnect or an inconsistency between the words we speak or the values we espouse and the actions of our lives. For as long as I can remember, Christians have been accused of hypocrisy because of the gap between their lives and the one they claim to follow. […]
Dear Friends, One of the things I’m always conscious of as we enter the months of July and August, is how grateful we are for all of our volunteers in church. During these months things sometimes quieten down a bit in terms of groups taking a well-deserved break after the busyness of the yearly programme. […]
Passing On the Baton Over the course of the past 48 hours, I’ve observed 2 public figures signal their intention to hand over power in quite striking ways. The Bishop of Meath and Kildare, the Most Reverend Pat Storey, announced her retirement some months ago. We trained in theological college around the same time, over […]
In light of recent unrest, we continue to pray over the situation in Belfast and other communities and ask for blessing and peace to be visited upon our streets. Pray for people from migrant communities, many of whom are scared and uncertain. They fear for their safety and the safety of their families. Pray for […]
Where Everybody Knows Your Name Yesterday morning, I had breakfast in the Hare’s Corner with my mum and my brother. It was my mum’s birthday, and my brother and I were delighted to make it home from Leicester and Belfast respectively on Sunday evening. It’s not often we manage to find ourselves in the same […]