12.05.2023
Church of Ireland General Synod Gets Underway Today in Wexford
The Church of Ireland General Synod begins its 2023 meeting today (Friday May 12) in Clayton White’s Hotel, Wexford. Synod will continue in person tomorrow, Saturday May 13, and then members will meetin an online evening session on Tuesday May 16. This will be the first meeting of the General Synod to be held in Wexford.
Each day of General Synod begins with a short act of worship and a Service of Holy Communion is held on the first day before its business commences. This year’s service takes place in St Iberius’ Church, North Main Street, on Friday May 12 at 9.30am. The preacher is Bishop Adrian Wilkinson, who leads the Diocese of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory.
St Iberius’ Church is named after St Ibar who was one of the earliest Christian missionaries to the south–east of Ireland, founding a monastery north of Wexford in the fifth century. The current church building is unusual because of its north–south axis due to the narrowness of the original site between the main street and the sea.
To find out more about visiting the town and county, please check out www.visitwexford.ie
General Synod will begin at 11.00am in the hotel with the start of business followed by the Presidential Address by the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Revd John McDowell.
The provisional timetable is available at www.ireland.anglican.org/synod/2023/timetable and is subject to approval by the members of General Synod.
This will be the third meeting of the 52nd General Synod.
There will be a number of events outside the business of General Synod.
Changing the Story – Mothers’ Union Lunch
Friday, 12th May 2023 – 1.00pm to 2.00pm, McCarthy Suite
The Mothers’ Union will host a light lunch of soup and sandwiches for members of General Synod in the McCarthy Suite on the first day of the meeting. The theme will be changing the story of gender–based violence and domestic abuse and working towards its ending. June Butler (All Ireland President) and Jacqui Armstrong (Mothers’ Union Advocate on Gender–Based Violence) will be joined by Bishop Andrew Forster and Lydia Monds (from the Church’s Ministry of Healing).
Admission is free and all donations will towards lunch expenses and the work of Mothers’ Union in highlighting domestic abuse and gender–based violence. If you wish to attend, please email muchangingthestory@gmail.com
There will be no General Synod Mission Breakfast this year.
Communications Competition – Results Announcement
Friday, 12th May 2023 – 1.45pm to 2.00pm, Westgate Suite
This year’s communications competition is celebrating the best in the print magazines and newsletters produced by our parishes, dioceses and affiliated organisations. Prizes will be presented in the Westgate Suite on Friday, 12th May, at 1.45pm.
The competition is kindly sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance. If you wish to attend, please email the Press Office at press@ireland.anglican.org
Lighten Our Darkness
Saturday, 13th May 2023 – 12.15pm to 1.15pm, Synod Hall
Young people from the Lighten Our Darkness group, from Mullingar Union of Parishes, will make a special dramatic presentation to encourage greater care for Creation. The presentation will be introduced by Bishop Pat Storey.
The audio feed will also be available on the General Synod website during its proceedings: www.ireland.anglican.org/synod/2023
News updates will be published during the meeting on the General Synod website and on the Church of Ireland’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds. The General Synod hashtag is #coigs
You can follow all the news of General Synod on the website at
https://www.ireland.anglican.org/synod/2023/news