Author name: Mike O'Sullivan

Service of Dedication and Blessing

Announcements / By /
On Sunday 29th of January at 2pm, we will have a service to dedicate and bless our new Spirit of Life chapel. The service will be led by The Rev. Bridget Spain, Moderator of The Synod of Munster and The Rev. Mike O’Sullivan, minister of the church. We will be joined by ecumenical friends and all are welcome. The service will be livestreamed as per usual on our Facebook page. if your planning to attend in person or remotely please note: 2pm start and there will be no morning service that morning.

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Church Liturgical Calendar 2023

Announcements / By /
The Church Liturgical Calendar for 2023 is now available on the website. Planned services include; a Mid Winter service, a service for International Women’s day a Parenting service, Earth day, a Diversity service, a Festival of Faiths service and in October a animal blessing service. Our Harvest will be an Urban Harvest service. the month of May will be Unitarian heritage month with June ; Affirmation month. We have our congregational outing pencilled in for July. Ordinary Sunday homily topics will be updated monthly. The calendar can be viewed in full at : https://unitarianchurchcork.com/news/event-calendar

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Despite the heat, this World Cup leaves me cold

From Our Minister / By /
Those who know me, know I am a huge soccer fan, I watch it on TV and get to live games whenever I can. Since the age of about 5, thanks to my grandad, I have been a passionate Arsenal fan, living through the glory days of Arsne Wenger and the slumps before and after. Like all ” Gooners” I am basking in our revival and a hopeful return to those glory years under Wenger. I have owned every bit of Arsenal merchandise ever made; when alive, my dog Bobby wore an Arsenal collar, and I am a familiar sight around the church in my Arsenal baseball cap. As much as I love soccer, as much as it excites me, the prospect of this World Cup, the traditional battle of the worlds footballing giants is leaving me cold.
Bill Shankly once commented that football was more important than life or death, now it seems both life and death do not matter to a game that has been consumed by money. The World Cup is a spectacle, universally watched and enjoyed by all ages, its image I fear has been tarnished, its principles sold, it has given away its soul.
Some say that sport should be beyond politics, but this is not politics. This is life and death. The death of over 6,000 migrant workers in the construction phase simply cannot be ignored, Qatar’s treatment of those who are LGBTQI+ likewise cannot be brushed under the carpet, the rights of women and young girls cannot be ignored. The players did not choose this venue, they had no say but those who did surely have questions to answer because it seems Bill Shankly ironically may have been right; football is more than life or death and that is footballs shame.

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Puddles in the Rain

Announcements / By /
Being the minister of a city centre church allows me to watch the life of the city and its people ” close up ” as it were. Standing at our church gates I see people shopping, heading to and from work, I see people rushing and others enjoying a gentle stroll. I see people by themselves, I see friends engaging in conversation, I see lovers holding hands.
While standing at the gates this morning, due to the deluge of rain and a blocked drain on the street, there was outside our gate, a huge puddle of water. As I stood there, a man approached with two young children in tow. They were dressed for the weather in brightly coloured wellies, the wet and rain didn’t seem to bother them at all. As they approached the puddle, dad walked around it but in typical childlike fashion, the two toddlers had to walk right through it; stomping and splashing as they went. The delight on their faces was evident. Oh, to see our world with such wonder and adventure! All the best, Rev. Mike

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Unitarian Church Supports Local Artists

Announcements / By /
On Saturday 12th November we launch a new event in the church hall. The Unitarian art Spotlight is an initiative to highlight the work of local artists and will happen initially on a monthly basis. Admission to all shows is free and the spotlight launches with an exhibition by Virginia Giglio called ” Whimsical Women”. For more info visit; www.unitarianartspotlight.ie

Pictured is Rev. Mike O’Sullivan with new signage to promote the event.

Credit: N.Dunnigan

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A Lesson from the Nuns of Kylemore

From Our Minister / By /
As you may have read elsewhere on our website, on Sunday 21st August, Irish Unitarians held an historic service in the chapel of Kylemore abbey, a service at which I was honoured to deliver the sermon. As well as a major tourist attraction, the Abbey is primarily home to a community of contemplative Benedictine nuns. Living their lives within the abbey grounds they do so in the spirit of the Benedictine motto; Ora et Labora– Pray and Work. After and during the service, I couldn’t help be struck by a number of things as I chatted to Abbess and members of her community. First, their openness to other faiths, their sense of God as the God of all people, their humility, warmth and kindness but most of all their smiles and humour, all blending wonderfully to make a group of Irish Unitarians feel welcome and at home. People often ask; well what is the point of monks and nuns who lock themselves away to live a life of prayer away from the world? That question misses the whole point; they are not removed from life but are very much a part of it, what’s more they offer a powerful witness as to the depth and joy of life, if only we take a moment to stop and recognise it.

All the best for now

Rev Mike

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Historic Service held at Kylemore Abbey

Announcements / By /
On Sunday, 21st of August with the kind permission of the resident Benedictine community of nuns, Unitarians from Cork and Dublin were joined by members of the Non Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland for an historic service in the chapel at Kylemore Abbey in the heart of Connemara. The service was led by the Rt Rev. Lena Cockroft, Moderator of the NSPCI. The homily was preached by Rev. Mike O’Sullivan, minister of Cork Unitarian church. During the service readings were read by Teresa Goggin and Neal Dunnigan with music by Pearse O’Donoghue and Clair McHugh who sang; ” Closer to Fine” and “Amazing Grace”. Doreen Groocock performed ” My Lagan Love” as a flute solo. In attendance at the service were; The Very Rev. Robert McKee, Clerk of General synod along with the Abbess of the Benedictine community; Rev. Mother Marie Hickey, O.S.B. and nuns from her community.

Kylemore was built by Mitchell Henry, a Unitarian and the Gothic chapel was built by him as a memorial to his wife Margaret who died at the age of 45. The abbey was purchased by the Benedictine nuns in 1920 and is now one of Irelands most treasured tourist attractions as well as being home to a community of contemplative sisters.

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