PCI's An Tionólann goes for ‘month of Sundays’

Looking forward to Sunday, Mr Moore said,

“After an absence of many years, PCI began to re-engage with West Belfast in September 2022. Since then, we have arranged a number of historical, linguistic, cultural, sporting and spiritual events, like last summer’s ‘Between the Sticks’ with Antrim GAA and Scottish Shinty teams, and have been delighted with the great response from the people of West Belfast, whom we have come to serve.

“Having started monthly services in September 2024, we now have around 40 regular attenders, so we feel that the time has come to take things to the next level and establish a regular pattern of Sunday services. To kick us off, is my colleague, Rev Moore Casement will preach this Sunday. Moore has a familiar surname, and is actually a distant relation of the former diplomat and Irish patriot, Sir Roger Casement.”

Mr Moore said that he hopes that the initial trial run will become an established weekly service,

“We start at 4pm and follow a simple order of service which includes reading from the Bible and Blessing in Irish, with English translation, singing together as a congregation, which everyone enjoys regardless of how good a singer they are! The heart of our time together is spent listening and thinking about what God says through the Bible and what it means for our lives today. They last just under an hour.”

“Over the course of the month we are looking at some of the “I AM” sayings of Jesus found in John’s gospel, as He tells us who he is in his own words. For example, ‘I am the Resurrection and the Life’ and ‘I am the way the truth and the life’, all of which reveal a different facet of who Jesus is.

“Everyone is welcome and if this initial month of Sunday services goes well, we will be following our Lord on his journey to the Cross in the later chapters of John’s gospel during Lent, which will take us up to Easter. This Sunday it will be great to hear Moore preach and kick off our month weekly services.”

Also looking forward to taking part in the service at An Tionólann, Mr Casement said that, when it comes to his surname,

“In some places it has more resonance than others. My connection to Roger Casement, is, I think, that we share my four times great grandfather, which makes us very distant cousins. “I really want to give thanks to God, however, for what David and his team are doing in building this community of believers, here in West Belfast. I really appreciate the invite and I’m looking forward to joining them.

“This Sunday I will be preaching on John chapter eight, when Jesus said, “‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” It is an awesome and profound statement, and if you want to know more, please join us.”

Thinking about Sunday, Rev David Moore concluded by saying,

“As we seek to reconnect and engage with this part of the city, we are excited about our trial of weekly worship services in Cultúrlann, a place that could not have been more welcoming to us from the start. If you are someone who is searching for answers to life’s big questions, or are just curious about what the Bible has to say, you would be more than welcome to join us, and stay for a cup of tea or coffee afterwards.”