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A beacon was lit by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for County Londonderry, Ian Crowe MBE, at the end of a Civic Service in St Columb’s Cathedral on Wednesday 8th May marking the 80th anniversary of V.E. (Victory in Europe) Day.

Leaders from the city’s four main churches led the congregation in prayers remembering those who gave their lives in World War II and those who serve today; and prayers for peace among nations and in our hearts. Prayers were said, too, for King Charles III, and the congregation pledged themselves to “support those working for the relief of the needy and for the peace and welfare of the nations”.

In a poignant address, the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Andrew Forster, recalled the historic visit by King George VI, his wife, Queen Elizabeth, and their two daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, on their victory tour after V.E. Day, during which – on 18th July 1945 – they attended a Service of Thanksgiving in the Cathedral. “A few short months earlier,” Bishop Forster said, “in his speech on V.E. Day, the King began by thanking Almighty God for such a great deliverance.”

Londonderry played a key and vital role in the great deliverance that the King spoke of, Bishop Andrew said. “Here was the fulcrum of the longest continuous military campaign of World War II – the Battle of the Atlantic.” At one point, the Bishop said, 140 Allied escort ships were based on the Foyle and without the protection of the supply routes, the outcome of the war could have been very different. “So, it is hugely appropriate that 80 years after [V.E. Day], we gather in this place with hearts filled with gratitude, and hearts filled also with poignant thankfulness that such a terrible conflict ended and the evil of war was swept away in a renewed love of peace.”

Bishop Andrew shared a moving account of a conversation he had with his late father who was nearing the end of his life in which he recalled being driven into Belfast to join the V.E. Day celebrations. “What he remembered most of that night, as a 15-year-old boy, was that all the lights were on. For six years there’d been a total blackout. Air raid wardens patrolled the streets making sure no light spilled from any window. The street lights had had their bulbs removed. Even the traffic lights were switched off. But that night, the lights came on again.”

The Bishop said there was light and there was darkness in every human heart, and often there was internal conflict between those two things. “The lessons of human history show us that a root of bitterness can grow into a weed of hatred that becomes a swamp of destruction. In some way, that was the perverted outworking of Nazism – the darkness won in people’s hearts. Do we let the darkness win in our own context? Is a root of bitterness growing into a weed of hatred? History shows us that that will lead us into a swamp of destruction. Search our own hearts, find the light, celebrate the light and ask that the light of Christ will become so evident in your heart that it will drive out the darkness.”

This evening’s service was led by the Dean of Derry, Very Rev Raymond Stewart, who was assisted by the Bishop of Derry, Dr Donal McKeown; the Minister of Glendermott Presbyterian Church, Rev Stephen Hibbert; the Minister of Carlisle Road and Clooney Hall Methodist Churches, Rev Peter Morris; members of the Cathedral Chapter of St Columb; and Bishop Forster. In attendance were prominent members of civic society in Derry-Londonderry, including the Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Londonderry, Ian Crowe, Deputy Mayor, Alderman Darren Guy, senior police officers and local politicians.

Music was provided by the Cathedral Choir of Girl Choristers and Lay Clerks, directed by Louis Fields and accompanied by organist Nicky Morton.

Bishop Andrew Forster has joined his Roman Catholic counterpart, Dr Donal McKeown, in calling for an end to a recent spate of sectarian attacks in Londonderry.

The PSNI are investigating a series of incidents including an assault on three young men in the city’s Nelson Drive area, an organised fight in the Waterside, an attack on a busload of young people returning to the city, and a paint attack on a mural in the Fountain estate.

During one of the incidents, which all took place over last weekend, police officers were attacked by youths throwing bricks, bottles and fireworks, while a vehicle carrying two police dogs was also targeted.

The two bishops have condemned the incidents and appealed for no escalation. Bishop Andrew warned that the violence could have serious implications for those responsible, as well as their victims.

“This could have life-changing consequences,” he told Highland Radio. “If you pick up a criminal record at 18-19 years old, you’re not going to be able to travel as much, your job opportunities narrow down, this has huge consequences, let alone it’s putting people’s safety at risk. All it takes is for one stone to hit somebody in the head and it could be murder; for one firebomb to ignite a bus and you have multiple deaths, multiple injuries. This is how serious this is.”

Bishop Andrew has urged young people to be careful how they respond to things they see online. “A lot of it, from what I understand, is being whipped up through social media,” he told the BBC, “and a few seconds on social media can ultimately destroy lives. It can also destroy the lives of the people who are posting the stuff as well.”

“This city has come through an awful lot of pain in the past,” he said. “We have built a much more inclusive, warm and friendly place and I want everyone to feel part of that, no matter what part of the community they belong to. This is something that all of us can play a part in and seek to have a more positive, better future for a place where we all love.”

Clergy, Diocesan Readers and Parish Readers from all across the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe attended a special Maundy Thursday Service of Holy Communion in St Columb’s Cathedral on Thursday 17th April 2025. It was led by Bishop Andrew Forster, who was assisted by the Pastoral Assistant at the Cathedral, Reverend Canon John Merrick, and Parish Reader Jacqui Armstrong.

During the service, the clergy – a small number of whom have retired from ministry – were invited to renew their Ordination vows, and Diocesan and Parish Readers renewed their vows.

Some of the clergy brought oils with them to the Cathedral and near the end of the service, Bishop Andrew blessed them for use in healing ministry.

There was a surprise in store for teenagers attending the Diocese’s second Confirmation Day in Stranorlar Parish Hall on Saturday 1st March. Bishop Andrew Forster – who’ll be confirming them at services later this year – arrived to speak to them about the big day and to share memories of his own confirmation, which took place in 1981.

Twenty-seven confirmands from parishes in the Raphoe Diocese were put through their spiritual paces by our Diocesan Youth Officer, Claire Hinchliff, assisted by Rev Canon Mervyn Peoples, Rev Susan Elliott and leaders from the parishes whose young people were taking part.

Our Diocesan Confirmation Days are relaxed events, combining religious teaching with games and activities. The programme include quizzes – designed to gently test the young people’s knowledge of Scripture – and games to encourage fellowship among them. Claire proved her aim was true as she threw chocolate bars to those who answered questions correctly. The young people also enjoyed lunch together in the hall.

The Bishop of Kondoa, Most Rev Dr Given Gaula, has issued an urgent appeal for prayers for an end to a drought which is threatening crops in his diocese in north central Tanzania. Last October, Dr Given signed a 5-year partnership agreement with Bishop Andrew which committed our two dioceses to support one another through prayer, resources and skilled personnel. The two leaders spoke by telephone last Friday.

Bishop Given has announced that today – Monday 3rd March – will be a prayer day for the parishes in Kondoa and for any partners, and Bishop Andrew is urging parishioners here in Derry and Raphoe to support our friends in Kondoa in prayer.

The Diocese of Kondoa has a population of around 700,000 people, most of them dependent on crops grown by subsistence farmers who already produce barely enough to feed themselves and their families.

Dr Gaula says seeds that were planted last November and December are starting to die because the expected rains haven’t arrived. Rain is needed within the coming days if the seedlings are to be saved to provide enough food for the coming year.

Bishop Given is appealing to friends to join them in praying for the rain to come. He says, “No rain [means] no life for us. Water is life! Pass the message to as many people as possible. Pray, pray, pray for the rain to come. Imagine what will happen to people if the crops all die.

“Please can we all pray for good rain,” Bishop Given continues. “Too much [rain] can be just as damaging as too little.”

Around 30 young people took part today in the first of this year’s Diocesan Confirmation Days, which was held in Christ Church Limavady’s parish hall.

The event was led by our Diocesan Youth Ministry Officer, Claire Hinchliff, who was ably supported by our Children’s Ministry Officer, Kirsty McCartney, and by clergy and leaders from a number of parishes.

The day combined scriptural teaching with activities. When the showers stayed away, the young people managed to squeeze in some fun and games outside the hall.

Claire spoke to the young people about the divinity of Christ, the significance of miracles, the importance of the Easter season and the wonder of the resurrection. The participants’ biblical knowledge was tested – gently – in a series of quizzes.

Every army – even a young, Christian one – marches on its stomach, and there was ample fare on offer to sustain body and soul for the duration of today’s event.

The second of this year’s Confirmation Days will take place in Stranorlar on Saturday 1st March, beginning at 11.00am.

Four of our parishes will be in celebratory mood today after learning that they’ve become the first to benefit from the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe’s new Mission Fund Grant Scheme which was launched at last year’s Diocesan Synod to explore “creative ways of financing mission in the Diocese”.

Glendermott, Christ Church Derry and Termonamongan (Killeter) have each been awarded £5,000, while Kilbarron (Ballyshannon) is to receive €5,000 for projects seeking to “reach those with little or no connection to church” in their respective communities – a vision identified by the Church of Ireland’s Pioneer Ministry. 

Glendermott’s award will help to fund a youth worker (already part-funded by the Benefact Trust) who’ll work with teenagers dealing with isolation and mental health issues. It’ll also support the parish’s wellbeing hub, provide Alpha courses and help Glendermott to run wellbeing courses in conjunction with Christians Against Poverty, GriefShare and Hope.

Christ Church Derry’s grant will underwrite ‘Unpacking the Passion’ – a new aspect to the Walled City Passion play performed on Londonderry’s iconic city walls over the past number of Easters. The new element is a response to an increasing demand from local schools to provide direct engagement with the school community at primary and secondary level. The funding will help deliver interactive sessions with five schools in the run up to Easter, and ensure pupils can attend promenade performances of the drama.

The Parish of Kilbarron’s award will support community outreach at the newly-refurbished St Anne’s Hall in Ballyshannon. The grant will help pay for computer equipment and broadband internet to extend the range and volume of courses and events to upskill those looking for work or to re-enter education. It’ll also be used to tackle isolation among older members of the community who’ve no IT skills or access to the internet, and to assist the integration of the burgeoning refugee community by facilitating English language classes.

The Parish of Termonamongan’s grant will go towards a community café and catering facility at the newly refurbished St Bestius Church. It’ll be used to engage with people who don’t currently belong to the Church and to address rural isolation. The café will also be used as a relaxed and informal venue for engaging with visitors to the Church who aren’t regular parishioners, especially local school groups visisting St Bestius’ as part of their history, art, religion and music studies.

The Diocesan Mission Fund was launched at last October’s Diocesan Synod to encourage parishes to consider ways of realising the Church of Ireland Pioneer Ministry’s vision to “reach those with little or no connection to church”. It placed a particular emphasis on people rather than buildings; new projects rather than recurrent expenditure; mission and outreach rather than maintenance; and projects and programmes rather than structures. The grants were announced by the Diocese’s Finance and General Purposes Committee.

‘𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮, 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦.’ 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘢𝘩 29:11

The dawn of a new year gives us cause to reflect on the past twelve months and to look forward, with a little trepidation and excitement, to what lies ahead. It is hard to believe that in 2025 we will mark a quarter of a century since the new millennium began. At that time there was much fear that on the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve 1999 all computer technology, and indeed the world, would grind to a halt and everything as we knew it, would end.

Those fears were thankfully unfounded yet the world we had hoped to see emerging in this new era, with people living at peace with their neighbours, and with more kindness and respect, has sadly not been realised. Instead, we are now living on a planet that is shrouded in the darkness, pain and sorrow of war and violence in so many different places. Calls for peace, reconciliation and love for our neighbours have been ignored or unheard.

In Northern Ireland we are grateful to have witnessed the restoration of devolved government in the last year, with the Executive and the Assembly sitting once more at Stormont. In coming weeks, it is hoped that a new Irish Government will be formed, following the November Irish General Election. The new UK Government is also slowly bedding in and nearing the completion of its first six months in power.

To govern means making decisions and often difficult choices. We continue to pray for all who hold positions of responsibility in this land and throughout the world, that they may be acutely aware of the needs of all people and especially of the poor, neglected and underprivileged, mindful particularly of the high rates of child poverty.

We will have failed our children and grandchildren if we do not work strenuously to help and support the needs of the next generation, which may mean being prepared to have less for ourselves so that they may have something. May we all, in our call to serve one another, provide a voice for the voiceless and work tirelessly for healing and peace locally and internationally, offering help, hope and encouragement to those who will come after us.

The poet T.S. Eliot wrote, ‘For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.’ As we begin a new year may the language of hurt and division be confined to the past so that the words we use, and the actions we undertake, may be focused on love rather than hate, peace rather than war, light rather than darkness.

We believe that our beginnings and our endings are in Jesus Christ. In faith we never journey alone, for He is our guide and the voice of truth and hope. May we all journey well in 2025.

‘𝘔𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵.’ 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴 15:13

The Most Revd Eamon Martin (Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh & Primate of All Ireland)

The Most Revd John McDowell (Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh & Primate of All Ireland)

The Rt Revd Dr Richard Murray (Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland)

The Revd Dr John Alderdice (President of the Methodist Church in Ireland)

The Rt Revd Sarah Groves (President of the Irish Council of Churches)

Advent is a joyful season, a time when we look forward to Christmas and prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth – the moment when, as John writes, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”.

In many of our homes and churches we put up cribs to remind ourselves of this extraordinary moment. These captivating nativity scenes – a baby lying in a stable, watched over by his devoted mother and father, as the three Magi pay homage and the shepherds look on – enthral children and stir something in many adults, as well. For a while, we, too, become onlookers.

And yet, how fully, I wonder, do we grasp the magnitude of what’s being celebrated?

For Christians, Jesus’s birth is one of the two greatest events in human history – and I use the term ‘human history’ quite deliberately. “‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son’, Matthew writes, ‘and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).’”

Jesus came among us fully human and fully divine. He experienced the human condition in its raw completeness. His life story – an infant refugee growing up in an occupied land; witnessing poverty, inequality and oppression; experiencing injustice, persecution, bereavement, betrayal, mockery and abuse; feeling abandoned and, ultimately, suffering an unimaginably brutal death on the cross – means that Jesus endured many of the hardest trials that can befall humankind.

Whenever we feel lost or abandoned, when our world is in turmoil, when the valley is at its darkest, Jesus is the one constant we can turn to. He knows what suffering feels like. Our Lord’s birth, the Incarnation, is one of God’s greatests gifts to us. It allows Jesus to empathise with us, and he will never forsake us. God’s second great gift is, of course, the promise of eternal life for those who believe in him and follow his way.

This Advent, if you find yourself an onlooker at the Nativity scene, open your heart to the wonder at its core and experience the joy of Christmas in all its fullness.

I wish you every blessing this Christmas, and a happy and peaceful New Year.