On Monday 18th March, a wonderful service took place to celebrate the Armagh Agreement. The Armagh Agreement is a new and very special agreement between the Church of Ireland and the Moravian Church in Britain & Ireland, which was passed at the Synods of both churches in 2022, having been agreed in 2021. The agreement enables inter-changeability of ordained ministry between our two churches.
I am writing this in the week where we heard of new plans by the government to criminalise homelessness. Under proposals that form part of the UK government's flagship crime bill, police in England and Wales are to be given powers to fine or move on rough sleepers deemed to be causing a 'nuisance'. This has understandably provoked outcry and placed the issue of
'She's off on a cruise!' is probably not the answer our retreat leaders were expecting when they asked the question 'Where could we find our Joy?' Explanations followed, Sr Joy Raynor was indeed away on a cruise, and a feeling of light-hearted joviality continued to permeate much of the retreat.