ST PETER'S CHURCH BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS

SONGS OF PRAISE

On Sunday 16 th September St Peter's Church, Portlaoise began its week-long bicentenary celebrations with a lively "Songs of Praise". This was no ordinary SOP, as interspersed with the singing, members of the parish, past and present were interviewed by RTE's newsreader, Bryan Dobson.

The church looked resplendent florally bedecked for its Festival of Flowers and the body of the church and the gallery were full to capacity for this joyful event.

The singing was led by the choirs of St Peter's Church, Maryborough School, The Portlaoise Singers, directed by Brendan McNamara and the Kilkenny College Chamber Choir under their musical Director, David Milne who also played the organ.

The Revd Hilary Dungan welcomed everyone and the service began with the popular hymn, "Praise my soul, the King of heaven".

Bryan Dobson began his interviewing with Mark Onions, descendant of the Onions family who have been in the parish for several generations and whose ancestors would have attended the consecration of St Peter's in 1804.

Then Dr Rachel Pike, daughter of Bishop Robert Pike who was rector of Maryborough from 1936 to 1957 before he became Bishop of Meath, talked of how her father became a leader in the local community and was far ahead of his time in the ecumenical ethos. She also recalled a time now long gone of how her father could drive his faulty car in reverse all the way back from the Rock to be in time for Evening Service in St Peter's.This was followed by the choirs singing Rachel's own tune "Maryborough" to the hymn "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness".

Keith Dungan, grandson of A.E.Child who was the artist of the stained glass window in memory of Horace Turpin, talked of his grandfather and of the changing times in Portlaoise over the years.

Rosemary Day, wife of the late Revd Philip Day, Rector of Portlaoise 1984-1995 talked of her husband incorporating all-comers to his church, whatever their denomination and of the transition of the old "Maryborough" to the new Portlaoise as it is today.

Kilkenny College choir sang: "For the beauty of the earth" and, later, "May the Lord bless you and keep you" by John Rutter and a setting of the Prayers of St Francis of Assisi by Jan Neiland.

Bryan then took on the task of talking to two of the younger members of the congregation. ND Onunze in his white alb and although now living in Dublin, was happy to be back in Portlaoise where he had been baptised at the age of eight. Shane Reynolds was asked about his part in the play being put on this week called "The Graveyard" and how to learn lines without an auto cue which Bryan Dobson has as a newsreader.

The Maryborough National School in their bright Laois blue jumpers then sang "Our God is a great big God" with an encore, insisting on the congregation joining in!

Nicola Rowan, studying journalism and recently commissioned as a parish reader, talked about youth involvement in the church and the problems associated with it. Her advice was that young people can be brought into church through various activities that lead towards worship. Asked about her career she said she would like to work in the Press or, looking directly at her interviewer: RTE?!

The final interview was with John Culbert, Rector's Churchwarden and a young farmer within the parish but now moving on to Athy.

"Be thou my vision" was the offertory hymn followed by the Blessing given by the Rector who then thanked everyone, especially Bryan Dobson and asked the congregation to round off the proceedings with a rousing singing of "Thine be the Glory". However it got off to a very shaky start; no one could draw breath for laughing as right on cue, just after the announcement of the hymn a very small but very loud voice, obviously one of the primary school's members having had enough and thinking of his orange and biscuit in the marquee outside, was heard audibly to throughout the entire building: "OH NOooo!!!!!"

Eventually everyone was out in the Portlaoise evening and making their way towards the cheese and wine reception knowing that they had been part of a very joyous occasion and looking forward to the continuing celebrations of the week ahead.