St. Macartin's Cathedral
Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Welcome!
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The Church of Ireland - part of the Anglican Communion
Services & Meetings
(last updated 30th June 2010)
St. Macartin's Church of Ireland Cathedral has a prominent position in the main street of Enniskillen, the largest town in County Fermanagh. The church has a long and distinguished history, much of which you will find on this website. If you know details that we haven't recorded, tell us and we will publish them!
During the months of June to August, guided tours of the church are available to visitors every morning and afternoon except Sundays. Even long-term members would be very surprised by what they discover about their own church!
During the months of June to August, guided tours of the church are available to visitors every morning and afternoon except Sundays. Even long-term members would be very surprised by what they discover about their own church!
Click HERE to listen to our bells (recorded in March 2003)
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Rev. Canon Brian Courtney BD MA
Hello, you are very welcome to our website. Whether you are already a church member or a visitor, we invite you to look around - you will find much to interest you!
If you have any comments you can use the form on the "Contact us" page.
If you have any comments you can use the form on the "Contact us" page.
Four Evangelists, One Gospel
I visited the opticians recently and as most of you will know, one of the tests you get there involves identifying which of two sets of circles is clearest. The optician adds a series of lenses and wants to know if you find the object sharper with them or without them. During the Sunday mornings in Lent we have been thinking about the distinctive features of each of the four Gospels. We are blessed to have four different yet similar views of the life and work of
Jesus providing us with different lenses with which to see more clearly why He came, what He did and what it means for us.
In all four accounts of His life we see that the ministry of Jesus has a purpose, He does not simply wander through Galilee teaching and healing, He has a destination in view, Jerusalem; He does not just randomly perform miracles or expel demons, He has a destiny to fulfil, giving his life as a ransom for many. Meeting with Him changes people’s lives – a widow’s sorrow is transformed, a greedy man becomes generous, a prostitute is given dignity, the lost are searched out, the hungry are given food, those who follow him find hope and a place in God’s kingdom.
Holy Week approaches when we would in heart and mind journey again to Jerusalem, make that journey so that as you see the providence and purpose of God in the life of Jesus you might see that providence and purpose worked out in the world of today and in your life today. Don’t waste this season, take the journey so that you might meet afresh with the Lord and know his grace amid your trials and sorrows, and know His forgiveness for your sins and His redeeming hope for your life.
Canon Reggie Twaddell is our guest preacher for Holy Week; the series of united services begin on Palm Sunday evening at seven o’clock in the Presbyterian Church, continuing at 8.00 pm in the Cathedral from Monday to Good
Friday and concluding with Easter evening praise at seven o’clock in the Methodist Church. Canon Twaddell worked as a teacher prior to being ordained and served in several parishes before retiring after a long and faithful
incumbency in the large parish of Portadown.
In a changing world where we no longer speak about things being as safe as the Bank of England it is good to have the built in reminder that Holy Week and Easter bring of the eternal and unchanging message of the Cross and Resurrection. Together let us take the opportunity this special season brings to look again to the One the Gospels focus on, Jesus Christ our Lord.
I visited the opticians recently and as most of you will know, one of the tests you get there involves identifying which of two sets of circles is clearest. The optician adds a series of lenses and wants to know if you find the object sharper with them or without them. During the Sunday mornings in Lent we have been thinking about the distinctive features of each of the four Gospels. We are blessed to have four different yet similar views of the life and work of
Jesus providing us with different lenses with which to see more clearly why He came, what He did and what it means for us.
In all four accounts of His life we see that the ministry of Jesus has a purpose, He does not simply wander through Galilee teaching and healing, He has a destination in view, Jerusalem; He does not just randomly perform miracles or expel demons, He has a destiny to fulfil, giving his life as a ransom for many. Meeting with Him changes people’s lives – a widow’s sorrow is transformed, a greedy man becomes generous, a prostitute is given dignity, the lost are searched out, the hungry are given food, those who follow him find hope and a place in God’s kingdom.
Holy Week approaches when we would in heart and mind journey again to Jerusalem, make that journey so that as you see the providence and purpose of God in the life of Jesus you might see that providence and purpose worked out in the world of today and in your life today. Don’t waste this season, take the journey so that you might meet afresh with the Lord and know his grace amid your trials and sorrows, and know His forgiveness for your sins and His redeeming hope for your life.
Canon Reggie Twaddell is our guest preacher for Holy Week; the series of united services begin on Palm Sunday evening at seven o’clock in the Presbyterian Church, continuing at 8.00 pm in the Cathedral from Monday to Good
Friday and concluding with Easter evening praise at seven o’clock in the Methodist Church. Canon Twaddell worked as a teacher prior to being ordained and served in several parishes before retiring after a long and faithful
incumbency in the large parish of Portadown.
In a changing world where we no longer speak about things being as safe as the Bank of England it is good to have the built in reminder that Holy Week and Easter bring of the eternal and unchanging message of the Cross and Resurrection. Together let us take the opportunity this special season brings to look again to the One the Gospels focus on, Jesus Christ our Lord.
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We are somewhat surprised that there are church members who regularly use the Internet but are unaware that this website exists! So if you find it interesting and/or useful, please spread the word around - the more visitors we have the more encouragement there is to keep it alive.
Photo: William Holmes
Mr Karl Saunders’ Commissioning
Our Sunday School Superintendent Karl Saunders was commissioned as a Diocesan Lay Reader by Bishop Michael Jackson on Thursday 17th June in St Tighernach’s Church, Clones. Keith Browne (Ematris) and Roy Crowe (Clones) were also commissioned as Readers at the Service and Lindsey Coaler (Colebrooke & Cooneen), Joan Nelson (Trory & Killadeas) and Isobel Stewart (Lisbellaw) were admitted as Parochial Readers.
The service was conducted by Rev Helene Steed, Rector and Canon Trevor Gillian, Director of Ordinands. Rev Bryan Kerr read the first lesson and Rev Steed the second. The prayers were led by Mr Walter Pringle, Diocesan Reader and Diocesan Pastoral Assistant. The singing was excellent and the
spirit high. Everyone was invited back to the Protestant Hall in Cara Street for tea following the service. Karl was given his robes by the Vestry as a gift from the parish. Please remember Karl and his family and the others who were commissioned and admitted in your prayers as they continue on their journey of faith.
Karl is pictured above with Bishop Jackson and Canon Gillian.
Our Sunday School Superintendent Karl Saunders was commissioned as a Diocesan Lay Reader by Bishop Michael Jackson on Thursday 17th June in St Tighernach’s Church, Clones. Keith Browne (Ematris) and Roy Crowe (Clones) were also commissioned as Readers at the Service and Lindsey Coaler (Colebrooke & Cooneen), Joan Nelson (Trory & Killadeas) and Isobel Stewart (Lisbellaw) were admitted as Parochial Readers.
The service was conducted by Rev Helene Steed, Rector and Canon Trevor Gillian, Director of Ordinands. Rev Bryan Kerr read the first lesson and Rev Steed the second. The prayers were led by Mr Walter Pringle, Diocesan Reader and Diocesan Pastoral Assistant. The singing was excellent and the
spirit high. Everyone was invited back to the Protestant Hall in Cara Street for tea following the service. Karl was given his robes by the Vestry as a gift from the parish. Please remember Karl and his family and the others who were commissioned and admitted in your prayers as they continue on their journey of faith.
Karl is pictured above with Bishop Jackson and Canon Gillian.
The Bible is not only a historical account of God’s story, but it also reveals what will happen in the future. We are living in that story somewhere between the tree of life, as described in CREATION (Genesis 2), and the tree of life as revealed in NEW CREATION (Revelation 22).
The questions God asked, the promises God made, the Good News Jesus preached in the Bible are still applicable today. What God said to the Israelites in Jeremiah 29, God says to you and me today:
11. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Do you know the plans God has for you?
To understand God’s plans for us, we must go back to the very beginning and understand God’s plan for creation. Genesis tells us that God was pleased with everything He made. His plan at the outset was for humanity to be in a right relationship with Him and in harmony with the rest of creation around them. In the garden there were no wars, no poverty, no pollution and no economic crisis. There was only one thing Adam and Eve were not supposed to do. They could eat from any tree including the tree of life and live forever, but if they ate from the tree of good and
evil they would discover something called “Death”. We know what happened. Adam and Eve did their own thing, they wanted to be like God and so they ate from the tree. Death came into the world, as did war, poverty, pollution and greed.
Genesis 3 tells us that as a consequence of their actions God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden and placed angels with a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life. However, God’s plan remained intact and the rest of the Bible tells us of God’s work to save the world so that once again we might live in peace with all of creation and have a right relationship with God. The Bible recounts:
God’s pledge to Abraham.
How Moses led the Jews out of Egypt.
How the Jews messed up the ten commandments and walked around the desert for 40 years.
When they entered the Promised Land they messed up again.
They chose a King over God and failed to listen to the Prophets.
They messed up so much that God threw them out of the Promised Land.
Enter Jesus with the Good News telling them how to get right with God and each other.
A Dodgy trial, Jesus is crucified, but three days later He's back.
He sends the Holy Spirit and the church kicks off.
Paul tells everyone how to live right with God and each other.
Fast forward to the end of the story and we read that Jesus triumphs over evil and God’s plans for creation are fulfilled in new creation. Man lives in a right relationship with God and we live in harmony with all of creation. No wars, no poverty, no pollution, no economic crisis, no sickness, and no death. And it’s all written down for you and me.
If this is God’s plan for humanity, then his plan for you and me is:
To be in a right relationship with him
To live in harmony with the rest of creation around us
At our end of year Sunday School Service, our P1-P4 class reminded us of what we have to do to have a right relationship with God. There is only “ONE WAY - JESUS”. We must accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Jesus says:
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” [John 14:6]
”For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life" [John 6:40]
If we believe in Jesus, then it’s as if we have eaten the fruit from the tree of life - we are given eternal life. But there is more. When we genuinely follow Jesus the Holy Spirit comes and lives in us, and in time the fruit of the Holy Spirit
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control will grow in us. We then become more like Jesus and live more and more in harmony with all of creation around us.
We know the end of God’s story, because it is written down in the Bible.
The question is will you be there?
Karl Saunders (Sunday School Superintendant and Diocesan Lay Reader)
The questions God asked, the promises God made, the Good News Jesus preached in the Bible are still applicable today. What God said to the Israelites in Jeremiah 29, God says to you and me today:
11. For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Do you know the plans God has for you?
To understand God’s plans for us, we must go back to the very beginning and understand God’s plan for creation. Genesis tells us that God was pleased with everything He made. His plan at the outset was for humanity to be in a right relationship with Him and in harmony with the rest of creation around them. In the garden there were no wars, no poverty, no pollution and no economic crisis. There was only one thing Adam and Eve were not supposed to do. They could eat from any tree including the tree of life and live forever, but if they ate from the tree of good and
evil they would discover something called “Death”. We know what happened. Adam and Eve did their own thing, they wanted to be like God and so they ate from the tree. Death came into the world, as did war, poverty, pollution and greed.
Genesis 3 tells us that as a consequence of their actions God drove Adam and Eve from the Garden and placed angels with a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life. However, God’s plan remained intact and the rest of the Bible tells us of God’s work to save the world so that once again we might live in peace with all of creation and have a right relationship with God. The Bible recounts:
God’s pledge to Abraham.
How Moses led the Jews out of Egypt.
How the Jews messed up the ten commandments and walked around the desert for 40 years.
When they entered the Promised Land they messed up again.
They chose a King over God and failed to listen to the Prophets.
They messed up so much that God threw them out of the Promised Land.
Enter Jesus with the Good News telling them how to get right with God and each other.
A Dodgy trial, Jesus is crucified, but three days later He's back.
He sends the Holy Spirit and the church kicks off.
Paul tells everyone how to live right with God and each other.
Fast forward to the end of the story and we read that Jesus triumphs over evil and God’s plans for creation are fulfilled in new creation. Man lives in a right relationship with God and we live in harmony with all of creation. No wars, no poverty, no pollution, no economic crisis, no sickness, and no death. And it’s all written down for you and me.
If this is God’s plan for humanity, then his plan for you and me is:
To be in a right relationship with him
To live in harmony with the rest of creation around us
At our end of year Sunday School Service, our P1-P4 class reminded us of what we have to do to have a right relationship with God. There is only “ONE WAY - JESUS”. We must accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. Jesus says:
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” [John 14:6]
”For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life" [John 6:40]
If we believe in Jesus, then it’s as if we have eaten the fruit from the tree of life - we are given eternal life. But there is more. When we genuinely follow Jesus the Holy Spirit comes and lives in us, and in time the fruit of the Holy Spirit
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control will grow in us. We then become more like Jesus and live more and more in harmony with all of creation around us.
We know the end of God’s story, because it is written down in the Bible.
The question is will you be there?
Karl Saunders (Sunday School Superintendant and Diocesan Lay Reader)