One of the more remarkable features of life in Dublin is the close co-operation between Christ Church Cathedral and Dublin Corporation. The cathedral grounds are carefully maintained by the corporation's Parks Department.
The cathedral is part of the eco-friendly heating system which originates in the civic offices, and is the venue for the annual Citizenship Service when representatives of Dublin life, led by the Lord Mayor, give thanks to God for his many blessings to the city.
Another phase in co-operation begins this week with the opening of a lunchtime lecture series entitled "Tuesdays in Autumn" sponsored jointly by the corporation and the cathedral.
The first part of the series, on Tuesdays in September, will be held in the City Hall and the theme will be "The Architecture and Conservation of Dublin's City Hall". This will be followed by a series in the crypt of Christ Church on Tuesdays in October on "2,000 Years of Christianity".
The first lecture will be given on Tuesday at 1.15 p.m. in the City Hall when the Conservation Architect, Paul Arnold, will speak on "Conserving and Restoring City Hall: the Architectural Challenge". Mr Arnold is an appropriate choice to begin this new co-operative venture as he was both the architect for the restoration of the City Hall and is the architect for Christ Church. Admission to these lectures is free.
Another co-operative initiative will begin later in the month in Maynooth where there will be a series of talks on "Our Common Heritage". Contributions on the Church of Ireland, Roman Catholic and Presbyterian Churches, the Methodists, Baptists and Quakers, will be preceded by an examination of the Reformation, and the series will conclude with some reflections on ecumenism.
It will begin on September 13th in Maynooth Post-Primary School where the speaker on "The Reformation" will be the doyen of Irish ecclesiastical historians, Mgr Patrick Corish. Details from the Rev Adrian Wilkinson at 01-8253288.
Today the Rev Mark Harvey, formerly rector of Monaghan, will take up his post as Mission Officer of CMS Ireland. The choir of Malahide Parish, directed by Rodney Baldwin, will be in Yorkshire to sing the services in Ripon Cathedral today and tomorrow.
Tomorrow the services in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, will be sung by the choir of Chester Cathedral. In Rathfarnham Parish Church a Millennium Side Chapel, which incorporates a columbarium, will be dedicated by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Empey.
National Heritage Week will be marked in St Fethlimidh's Cathedral, Kilmore, with a talk tomorrow at 4 p.m. by Mrs Lesley Whiteside on the cathedral's stained glass windows. Admission is free, and those interested are urged to bring binoculars. On Friday evening at 8 p.m. there will be a concert in aid of the Cathedral Restoration Fund.
On Tuesday and Wednesday the Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Eames, will preside at a residential meeting of the House of Bishops but will be absent on Tuesday afternoon when there will be a presentation to Dr John Bartlett, the recently retired principal of the Theological College.
The Bishop of Cork will preside at the Cork, Cloyne and Ross Mothers' Union Autumn Festival in St Matthias's Church, Ballydehob, on Friday evening. The preacher will be the Rector of Kilmoe, the Rev Eithne Lynch.