Tuesday, January 14, 2014

4 Corners Festival (15 January-1 February): "bringing Belfast together"

Coinciding with the annual week of prayer for Christian Unity, the 4 Corners Festival is back for a second year with a range of faith-based events (PDF programme) to introduce and network people and churches from right across the city.

The 100 World Day of Migrants and Refugees is being marked in Clonard Monastery on Thursday 16 January, The Psychology of Peace in the Sermon on the Mount will be explored in Fitzroy Presbyterian on Sunday 19, Scotland-Ireland links will be celebrated on Burns Night in Sacred Heart Parish Centre on Friday 24 and there will be poetry from Pádraig Ó Tuama in An Cultúrlann on Wednesday 29 and songs from Anthony Toner and Dave Thompson in 174 Trust on Saturday 1 February.

If you register with abernethysmile AT Hotmail DOT com you can head up to the Long Gallery in Parliament Buildings at 7pm on Friday 17 January to hear four politicians from across Belfast explain what got them into politics and what sustains them. Tara Mills will chair 4 Corners, 4 Stories with Alasdair McDonnell (South Belfast), Chris Little and Michael Copeland (East), Jennifer McCann (West) and Lee Reynolds (North).

In 174 Trust (156 Antrim Road) there will be a prayer breakfast starting at 7.30am on Friday 24 January. Four civic leaders will talk about areas in which they would value prayer support: Patricia Lewsley (Children and Young people), Katherine Stone (Victims) and Michael Wardlow, (Equality) will be joined by Lord Mayor Máirtín Ó Muilleoir.

More stories on Monday 27 January at 7.30pm, this time with four church leaders in South Belfast Methodist Church (238 Lisburn Road). QUB’s Prof John Brewer will chair the panel of clerics as they each answer the question “Is Christ divided in this city?” Bishop Harold Miller (Anglican Bishop of Down and Dromore … and an East Belfast resident); Rev Dr Norman Hamilton (former moderator and minister of Ballysillan Presbyterian in North Belfast); Father Ciaran Dallat (Assistant Priest in St Peter’s Catholic Cathedral in West Belfast); Rev Dr Heather Morris (President of the Methodist Church in Ireland and Director of Ministry in Edgehill Theological College in South Belfast).

Skainos (239 Newtownards Road) will host a conversation between Patrick Magee (the Brighton bomber) and Jo Berry (whose father was killed in the blast). Listening to your Enemies starts at 7.30pm on Thursday 30 January and will be chaired by Lesley Carroll.

The 4 Corners Festival will finish on Saturday 1 February with prayer in front of Belfast City Hall at 8.30am with time to catch a coffee on the way to gather in one of four venues across the city: Peace wall in Duncairn Gardens beside The Lighthouse Project (North Belfast); International Meeting Point, 133 Lisburn Road (South); Peace wall in Workman Avenue close to Springfield Road Methodist Church (West); Skainos, 239 Newtownards Road (East).

Up to date information about the 4 Corners Festival can be found on their website, Facebook or Twitter.

1 comment:

Rosemary McCloskey said...

This deserves support after all the hard work and preparation tat has gone into putting it together. It is a blessed opportunity for Belfast folk to come together, talk and learn about the joys and sorrows of life we all share through our human condition regardless of what group we belong to. The way forward for ALL of us in Belfast is communication, dialogue and building of relationships hopefully promoting a greater understanding of who we are and hopefully leading to the casting out of fears.It seems to me that our people are full of fears of the OTHER SIDE> of those who have positions of power over us for whatever reasons. We watch with suspicion in case anyone might get more than we get and we look for faults and failings in the other forgetting that we are human and prone to similar weaknesses and strengths. We need to start truly living our Christianity, stop judging and start reaching out in love to others. Love casts out fear and it is the only road to take if we really want healing and an end to the evil in our society. Let it begin with me!