Belfast Cathedral marks Racial Justice Sunday
A special service in Belfast Cathedral in seven languages on Sunday 8 February expressed love for their neighbours from every ethnic background, marking Racial Justice Sunday 2026.
The congregation was welcomed by Archbishop John McDowell. In his greeting, Dean Stephen Forde encouraged the congregation “to call mind all whose voices have been silenced and unheard, whose stories have been untold, and whose value has not been recognised” and to “recommit ourselves to the work and ministry of racial justice and reconciliation.”
The Bible readings – from Exodus chapter 22 and Matthew chapter 25 – were read in both English and the African languages Shona and Yoruba; the readers were the Revd Faith Sithole, the Revd Shirley Murphy, Winifred Ikhine Akinyemi, and Oluromade Olusa. The sermon was preached by the Revd Eileen Cremin, a Londoner with a family background from Antigua who has lived in Ireland for over 20 years
She spoke of the hope and desire for fairness shown in the parable of the Good Samaritan, remarking: “If we are not made to feel welcome, it is very difficult to love ourselves and others.” Mrs Cremin suggested that wrong “is a word we need to think twice about when it comes to difference” and the Church should be a “shining example of what justice should look like” so that a full vision of the Kingdom of God can be realised.
The increase in racist incidents in Ireland in recent years, Mrs Cremin added, contrasted with a life where the stranger would be made welcome in line with the teaching of Jesus. “We should not only look busy but be busy,” she concluded, “and celebrate what we have in common – our humanity.”
Praise included an original composition sung by the Revd Jenu John and Dr Sherin Jacob – ‘Vandanam Thriyeka’ (Salutations to the Holy Trinity) – in Malayalam, and the traditional Ugandan song ‘Yesu ni Wangu’ (Jesus is mine, giver of life), sung by musicians from All Nations Ministries.
The Cathedral Choir sang the anthem ‘Let all the world in every nation sing’ and the congregational hymns were ‘God is love: let heaven adore him’, ‘In Christ there is no east or west’, and ‘Mayenziwe ‘ntando yakho’ (Your will be done on earth, O Lord) in Xhosa from South Africa.
Prayers were led by the Revd Dr Maithrie White-Dundas, Ade Oluborode, the Revd Cameron Mack, and Dr Lucy Michael, including the Lord’s Prayer in Irish. As the service concluded, Archbishop McDowell led the congregation in an Act of Commitment concluding with a prayer for the courage to overcome fears and embody love, the grace to grow in integrity, and the strength “to seek the unity for which Christ prayed, that we may rejoice as the children of God.”
Racial Justice Sunday was pioneered by the Methodist Church in Great Britain in 1995, as a response to the murder of Stephen Lawrence in London, and is being marked around the Church of Ireland following a resolution from its governing body – the General Synod – expressing support for the initiative.
The service was organised in partnership with the Primate’s Reference Group on Ethnic Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Justice, and supported by the Dioceses of Connor and Down and Dromore. Clergy attending the service included Bishop George Davison (Bishop of Connor), Bishop David McClay (Bishop of Down and Dromore), and the Revd Richard Kerr (Moderator-designate of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland). The service was also recorded for RTÉ television and will be broadcast on a later date.