A Hundred Thousand Welcomes on St Patrick's Day
The theme Bishop Harold has taken for the 2006 St Patrick’s Day celebrations is “A Hundred Thousand Welcomes”. He particularly wishes to extend a warm welcome to people of different nationalities and ethnic background living in Northern Ireland and said, “It is very important to me that those who come to live in this land (as Patrick himself did) are welcomed and given hospitality”.
The celebrations begin with a 9.30 am Holy Communion service in Saul, where St Patrick, founded his first church in a barn in the year 432. The preacher at the service will be Dr David Shepherd (Principal of Belfast Bible College).
Following the service in Saul there will be a pilgrimage walk from Saul to Downpatrick which will reach Down Cathedral in time for the main Celebration Service at 11.45am. The preacher at the Cathedral service will be the Revd Roy Searle, President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. The annual wreath-laying ceremony at St Patrick’s Grave, in the grounds of the Cathedral, will take place after the service.
Some folks from our link diocese of Albany will also be joining in this year's celebrations. For further information contact Bishop Harold’s office (Tel: 0280 9032 2268) or email mary@diocoff-belfast.org.