Down & Dromore parishioners receive Royal Maundy
Queen Elizabeth distributed the Royal Maundy in St Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh on 20th March 2008 . This is the first time the Office for the Royal Maundy has been held outside England and Wales. The Queen has attended 52 Maundy Services at more than 40 cathedral during her reign. At the Armagh ceremony six parishioners from Down & Dromore were amongst the 82 men and 82 women, who received the traditional red and white purses from Her Majesty. His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied the Queen.
The 82 recipients, from all over Northern Ireland, were nominated by the four main Church leaders and selected for their significant contribution to Church or Community life. The Choir of the Chapel Royal, along with St Patrick's Choir, Armagh, led the worship at the Royal Maundy service in the Cathedral.
The ceremonial red and white purses distributed each Maundy Thursday contain coins made especially for the occasion. The white purse contains one coin for each year of the monarch's reign and the red purse contains money in place of other gifts that used to be given to the poor.
In the 17th century, and earlier, the King or Queen would wash the feet of the selected poor people as a gesture of humility, and in remembrance of Jesus' washing the feet of the disciples. The last monarch to do this was James II. The ceremony of the monarch giving money to the poor on this day dates back to the reign of Edward I