Monday, September 10, 2007
Protestant Church attendences up in Derry’s west bank…
Those of you who lived through the 350 + comments on the latest Londonderry name change thread may be relieved to hear that in some respects things are changing in respect to confidence in the city. The Derry Journal reports an upbeat assessment from Canon Bill McNee, rector of the newly enlarged Christ Church parish:
“We are, I believe, now reaping the benefits of this with a growing congregation on the cityside. I think it is important to stress that there will be
no closure of churches because of the amalgamation. No churches are closing in the city - worship will continue in all of them.”Canon McNee acknowledged that, during the ‘Troubles’, Protestants - including many Church of Ireland members - relocated from the cityside to the Waterside.
“However, the whole atmosphere has now changed,” he said. “The fear factor is gone. People who were once frightened to come to the cityside to worship are now returning. It is my hope that this represents the first steps in the re-emergence of a vibrant Protestant community on the west bank. Because, in all truth, until this happens, the city remains incomplete.
“Granted, it may take some time - many years, perhaps - to return to what existed in the city pre-1969, but it is my firm belief that Church of Ireland people have a key role to play in debating the shape and content of this shared future.”
It’s an exact expression of the kind of Protestant optimism the paper called for earlier in the summer.
Mick Fealty @ 07:18 AM
No mention of “disgrace” this time round. Is it the case, Mick, that republicans can only ever disgrace themselves, all good news must be credited elsewhere?
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 09:37 AMBB,
What ‘good news’ is missing?
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 09:44 AM“However, the whole atmosphere has now changed,” he said. “The fear factor is gone. People who were once frightened to come to the cityside to worship are now returning.”
I’m glad to hear that, and thanks for posting the thread.
Barneyben, while I take your point about the difference in the two threads, it’s worth noting that modern Derry does not equal Republicans.
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 09:47 AMTrue Biso but then in the last thread when we discussed Derry’s disgrace many were quick to say that modern Derry did equal Republicans.
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 09:54 AMMick,
Love the somewhat provocative use of “west bank” :0)
Something tells me another marathon has begun….
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 09:54 AMTTP,
Very true. But you’ll find if you read that thread through that I was very explicitly not amongst their number.
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 10:08 AMMixed messages coming from the CoI:
“The reorganisation, revealed this week, leaves just three Church of Ireland parishes on the west bank with Church leaders acknowledging that the move is down to falling congregation numbers.”
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 11:29 AMBeen away have you Nevin?
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 11:38 AMBeen busy with family history, including the initiation of a NALIL blog, Briso. I seldom go away; I sometimes imagine I’m a tourist in the Kingdom of Moyle instead.
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 11:52 AMHow magnanimous of the Derry Journal, who invariably ditch the name Londonderry in all their reporting in favour of a euphemism.
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 12:46 PMI am not trying to be difficult but as far as I can see the lnk shows CoI attendances are up. Whilst that is welcome it does not necessarily mean the total number of Protestant church attendees are up on the west bank let alone the total Protestant population.
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 01:27 PMHow is increased affiliation with religion a welcome development in Northern Ireland? Shouldn’t we be trying to discourage this kind of thing?
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 02:55 PMAgree with Turgon. How many of the new attendees are disaffected catholics?
By the way, I thought the West-Bank was in Palestine.
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 02:55 PMHow many of the new attendees are disaffected catholics?
Speaking as a ‘disaffected catholic’ member of the CofI, I’d guess a few but probably not as many as in some of the more upmarket Belfast parishes; and definitely not as many as in Dublin. I’d also wonder how many were immigrants be it from Africa, Eastern Europe or indeed England.
I really confused this English guy who goes to our church yesterday when I told him I wasn’t a ‘Prod’, let alone a ‘guilty Prod’ as he suggested I was.
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 03:39 PMSammy Morse,
As a matter of interest, what made you turn away from the RC Church? Was it the paedophile priests scandals or would you rather not say?
But what did you mean when you told that chap you aren’t a “Prod”? Guess you don’t much like the abbr.
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 04:19 PM[you’ve been red carded - take the hint and leave it for a fortnight - moderator]
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 09:05 PMOutsider,
I understand you were red carded for a fortnight.
Can you please read this post, which explains the rules governing such breaches, and then come back when your sin binning is over?
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 09:16 PM[you’ve been red carded - take the hint and leave it for a fortnight - moderator]
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 09:34 PMOutsider,
“Surely most immigrants are Catholic.”
That’s what I thought too. Perhaps Sammy will enlighten us by and by.
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 09:39 PMAs a matter of interest, what made you turn away from the RC Church? Was it the paedophile priests scandals or would you rather not say?
Nothing to do with paedophile priests nor actually would I say I turned away from anything. It was a combination of a; no papacy, b; less official homophobia (although when you scratch the surface Catholicism isn’t as bad nor the CofI as good as they appear from the outside), c; better music, d; better preaching. That having been said, it wasn’t a hissy fiot, flounce-out-the-door sort of conversion. There are lots of good things about Catholicism just the overall package doesn’t quite add up for me.
But what did you mean when you told that chap you aren’t a “Prod”? Guess you don’t much like the abbr.
The word has two meanings in NI, and neither apply to me. Theologically I’m not a Protestant, and culturally I’m not an Ulster-Prod.
Surely most immigrants are Catholic.
Most African immigrants are from quite strongly Protestant countries (or the Protestant parts of qutie strongly Muslim ones), most Latvians are Protestants. A lot of Eastern Europeans are neither Catholic nor Protestant but Orthodox, although of the two purportedly largest groups, the Poles are of course overwhelmingly Catholic, the Lithuanians mainly so, unless they’re ethnic Russians when of course they aren’t!
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 09:59 PM“The word has two meanings in NI, and neither apply to me. Theologically I’m not a Protestant, and culturally I’m not an Ulster-Prod.”
To translate: what he means is that Anglicans are actually just yellow pack Catholics. Or Tesco Blue and White pack in modern parlance.
;)
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 10:40 PMGood to see Prods gaining confidence in Londonderry.
Go maith le feiceáil go bhfuil lucht Phratastúnaigh sásta le bheith i nDoire.Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 11:05 PM“Surely most immigrants are Catholic.”
Posted by Outsider on Sep 10, 2007 @ 11:05 PM
A bit of a change since the early 1600s…
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 11:11 PMThanks for the heads-up, Sammy. I must say I always thought that historically a Protestant was part of a protest against the Church of Rome. Not then.
Páid, am I correct in thinking that’s a direct Irish translation of the first line?
Posted by on Sep 10, 2007 @ 11:14 PMI see, so this thread sys there are more Protestants going to church on the west bank of the Foyle, but they’re probably the wrong sort of Prods. Have I got it?
Posted by on Sep 11, 2007 @ 06:16 AM
