Holy week begins tomorrow with the liturgy for Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of a period of intense liturgical activity in cathedrals and parish churches throughout the Church of Ireland.
In St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin there will be a Sung Eucharist tomorrow morning, with procession and Sung Passion, while in the afternoon "Behold the man" will be a meditation for Holy Week in words and music with scripture reading. On Monday and Tuesday evenings there will be Bach recitals with Arun Rao (cello), sacred songs from the lay vicars and choral preludes by the cathedral organists, John Dexter and David Leigh.
The Rev Dr Alan McCormack, Chaplain in Trinity College, Dublin, will be the preacher at "Tenebrae", on Wednesday at 8 p.m., a dramatic service illustrating the transition from light to the darkness of the Passion.
On Good Friday there will be an Ecumenical Service for the Victims of Violence at 3.15 p.m. at which the addresses will be given by Brice Dickson (Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission) and Michael Lindendaeur (United Nations High Commission for Refugees). In the evening there will be a performance of Bach's St John Passion by Our Lady's Choral Society.
Today in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, under the auspices of the Theological College Extra Mural Programme, a choral workshop takes place with Mark Duley entitled "Stainer from Scratch". The highlight will be a performance, at 8 p.m. of Stainer's Crucifixion by the workshop participants and soloists, Frank Dunne and Bill Young. In the C of I College of Education the Mothers' Union will host a one-day seminar for young women. The keynote address, "The Relevance of MU Today" will be given by Lady Christine Eames, worldwide president of the Mothers' Union.
Tomorrow in St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork, Canon George Salter, for many years Rector of St Luke's, Cork, will mark the 50th anniversary of his ordination by preaching and celebrating the Eucharist. In Arva, Co Cavan, the Dean of Cashel, Dr Philip Knowles, will give an organ recital, while in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, the George Hewson Memorial Organ Recital will be given by Nicholas Kynaston, organist of Athens Concert Hall.
In St Bartholomew's parish church, Dublin, the preacher at the Palm Sunday Evensong will be the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory, the Rt Rev John Neill, who will also preach in St Bartholomew's on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
On Monday the Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Robin Eames, begins a series of Holy Week addresses in Killylea and Eglish while the Bishop of Tuam, Dr Richard Henderson, will spend Holy Week in the Ballisodare group of parishes. The Bishop of Limerick, the Rt Rev Edward Darling, will visit Aughrim and Creagh and the former Bishop of Connor, Dr Samuel Poyntz, will conduct the Holy Week services in St Thomas' parish church, Belfast.
On Maundy Thursday in Christ Church Cathedral, the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Walton Empey, will preside at the chrism service and affirmation of ordination vows at noon. On Good Friday he will be in St Ann's parish church to conduct the Three- Hour Devotion from noon until 3 p.m.
RTE I will broadcast a Good Friday service from St Fin Barre's Cathedral, Cork at 2 p.m. when the Dean of Cork, Dr Michael Jackson, will lead a meditation on the theme, "On the Way to the Cross with Dietrich Bonhoffer."