Prayer at the centre on St Patrick’s Day
Prayer for our nation was at the centre of Down and Dromore’s cross–community St Patrick’s Day celebrations on 17 March.
The situation with Coronavirus made the decision to go ahead a difficult one but with precautions in place, around 50 people gathered to worship, walk and pray at Saul and Downpatrick.
As in previous years, the day began with Holy Communion at Saul Church followed by the pilgrimage walk to Down Cathedral. Led by Diocesan Evangelist, Glynis Matchett, the pilgrims stopped at several points along the route to pray.
The theme was ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ and it felt providential that it had long been the plan to dedicate ourselves as a diocese to praying specifically for Ireland from St Patrick’s Day until Pentecost Sunday. To that end, our bishop, the Rt Revd David McClay, commissioned worshippers at the Festival Service as intercessors and each person was given a Prayer for Ireland (BCP p.145) to take away.
He said: “Today Patrick’s courage and love for the people to whom God had called him are at the forefront of my thoughts. As a Diocese we are focussing on a period of prayer for our nation at a time when we are facing into a crisis. Like Patrick we are re–focusing on bringing God’s love to all in the power of the Holy Spirit and with a creative generosity that enables us to move into this period of doing church differently.”
“Christ at the centre”
The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, the Rt Revd Andrew Forster, was the guest preacher in Down Cathedral and as he laid the wreath on Patrick’s grave the cathedral bells rang out joining others around the world. The international bell–ringing was coordinated by Downpatrick’s Saint Patrick’s Centre.
Dean Henry Hull commented: “St Patrick was a source of enlightenment for our ancestors. He was a man of faith who had to overcome many trials in his life, and he knew the power of prayer. St Patrick’s Day is a chance to remember what is most important in life and that means putting God first. I think in this crisis the words of St Patrick’s breastplate – which place Christ at the centre – are particularly poignant as the bells ring out.”
