St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral in Armagh, will celebrate the 750th anniversary of the present building with a Festival Service of Choral Evensong.
The guest preacher at the event – to be held on Sunday, September 23, at 3.15pm – will be the Rt Rev Stephen Cottrell, Bishop of Chelmsford.
The foundation of the first church on the site is attributed to St Patrick, in 445AD, and the present Cathedral dates from the work of Archbishop Máel Pátraic Ó Scanaill in 1268.
Of this building, all that remains for certainty is the crypt.
The structure was extended by Archbishop Milo Sweetman in the 14th Century. After several centuries of destruction and disrepair, the building owes much to the major restoration in the 1830s under Archbishop Lord John George Beresford, and to further alterations of the east end between 1890 and 1913.
Looking ahead to the Service, the Dean of Armagh, the Very Rev Gregory Dunstan, said: “Armagh Cathedral is one of those focal points of Irish Christianity. Prayer and worship have been offered on this site for more than twice the age of the present building.
“From the original monastery, through cycles of destruction and repair, through Reformation and rebuilding, the Cathedral embodies a remarkable inheritance in Church history. The surrounding graveyard testifies to a great congregation in the Communion of Saints.
“We will gather on 23rd September to celebrate the treasure that we have inherited.
“We look forward, too, to welcoming Bishop Stephen Cottrell to point us towards our continuing mission in the present and in the future.”
All are welcome to attend the service.
Further information is available from the Cathedral Administration on 028 3752 3142, or email admin@stpatricks-cathedral.org
