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Hungry for Peace

We pray for Refugees. We pray for the 60 million people who are either internally displaced or who have fled their countries because of conflict, persecution or natural disasters. We pray for those living in temporary settlements for years on end, in a state of limbo, their lives on hold, hopelessness chipping away at their […]

November Mini-Retreat

The Church of Ireland Theological Institute’s Lay Training programme is offering a 2-day mini retreat for commissioned lay ministers across the Church of Ireland. This includes commissioned prayer ministers and lay pastoral assistants, as well as lay readers. This retreat will offer reflections upon our encounters with and responses to human suffering and will be […]

Prayer Stations at the Vigil for Peace

“There is something in the human spirit that will survive and prevail, there is a tiny and brilliant light burning in the heart of people that will not go out no matter how dark the world becomes.” (Leo Tolstoy) Earlier this month we held a Vigil for Peace in Christ Church Cathedral. We prayed for […]

Hospitality to angels

  It seems we have made little progress since the 1850s when between 1.5 and 2 million people left Ireland, weighing up their options and deciding that going was better than staying. Many of them also risked their lives on unseaworthy ships. In the letter to the Hebrews we are told “Do not forget to […]

Vigil for Peace

The refugee crisis in Europe has escalated to a very worrying degree that we can no longer ignore it. Many of us were at a loss when thinking how to respond. Recently we encouraged everyone to pray for the refugees, trusting that our prayer is effective even when we do not know its direct fruit. In […]

A call to pray for the refugees

“You have to understand, no one would put their children in a boat unless the sea is safer than the land,” wrote the Somali-British poet Warsan Shire in her poem about the refugees leaving their home country. But we are well aware that the sea is not safe.  The refugee crisis has escalated to a […]

The change of seasons

As the autumn sun warms our streets, we are beginning to cross a threshold into another season of the year. Sometimes the external seasons point towards the seasons of our hearts, the internal ones. While we encounter moments of eternity in our daily living, moments when God shows us His presence among us, a lot […]

Writing for Healing Workshop with Maureen Ryan

The Very Rev Maureen Ryan is a priest, writer, psychologist, and experienced workshop leader. The workshop will explore writing as a spiritual discipline that helps us celebrate the sacred ordinary, promoting healing and growth especially in times of loss, illness and distress. During the workshop, we will experience the power of writing together in silence, and […]

A call to contemplative practice

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) In our very vocal and busy culture it can be difficult, if not even countercultural, to dedicate time for silent prayer. It may appear […]