Aug 22 2022

St Lugadius’ Church celebrates 400th anniversary

“What a wonderful place,” the Archdeacon of Raphoe said, this afternoon, in St Lugadius’ Church in Lifford, “what a blessing that this house has stood for 400 years, and that people have found God’s heart here and been transformed by the word of God and by the Holy Spirit here.”  Venerable David Huss was preaching…

Aug 17 2022

African friendship rekindled in Donegal

The Donegal Parish Grouping’s friendship with a diocese in East Africa has been rekindled this week with a visit by the Bishop of Yei in South Sudan, the Rt Revd Levi Marandulu, and his wife Agnes. The couple were in Laghey Parish Church on Tuesday evening to meet members of the Donegal, Killymard, Lough Eske and…

Jul 28 2022

15th Lambeth Conference begins

Bishop Andrew Forster is one of the hundreds of bishops from across the 165 countries of the Anglican Communion who’ve gathered in Canterbury to pray, study scripture, discuss global challenges and seek God’s direction for the decade ahead. The Lambeth Conference 2022, which runs until August 7, is only the 15th such global gathering of…

Jul 04 2022

‘It’s Madness out there’

The torrential rain relented in Portglenone, early this afternoon, and the heavy clouds above Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey parted just in time for the Derry and Raphoe BBQ to proceed as planned at this year’s Summer Madness festival in County Antrim. Bishop Andrew Forster was ‘mine host’ for the occasion, which brought back happy…

Jun 29 2022

Local parishes to pilot new course tackling domestic abuse

Three parishes from the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe will be among the first in Ireland to take part in a new course which Mothers’ Union has helped develop to counteract domestic abuse and gender-based violence. The five-part programme was developed in conjunction with Bishops’ Appeal and Tearfund. The Diocesan President of MU, Jacqui Armstrong…

Jun 26 2022

‘Landmark moment’ for Parish of Donegal, says Bishop Andrew

Bishop Andrew Forster described the 300th anniversary of Donegal Parish as “a landmark moment” in the local congregation’s history. He was speaking in Donegal Parish Church during the second of two services, this morning, which marked the tercentenary. Half an hour earlier, the Bishop had joined the local Rector, Archdeacon David Huss, members of the…

Jun 24 2022

“How should the church speak?”

The following article by Archbishop John McDowell is published in today’s Belfast Telegraph in relation to the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and the current political situation. I can’t remember a more difficult or more polarised moment in Northern Ireland or in the relationships between the UK and Ireland over the past 20 years. The friction…

Jun 22 2022

‘Open Door’ ministry unveiled at Christ Church Londonderry

Christ Church Londonderry will be opened to the public on a daily basis from next week under its new ‘Open Door’ ministry. The initiative was unveiled informally, this week, when dozens of children from the Model Primary School visited the church along with their teachers. Small groups of pupils were given short ‘guided tours’ of…

Jun 10 2022

New Rector instituted in Maghera

The faces of the parishioners of Maghera and Killelagh were wreathed in smiles on Thursday evening as they welcomed the institution of their new Rector, Rev Jonathan Brown in St Lurach’s Church in Maghera. The new incumbent’s former parishioners, who had travelled all the way from Hillsborough for the occasion, looked less pleased, although they…