It is one of the many unpalatable truths for the church today that it is frequently led by the demands of society rather than being the determinant of society's agenda. This has been particularly so in the rash of millennium celebrations which have marked the past year.
As early as autumn 1999 the APCK had published its volume of millennium essays, A Time to Build, and this proved to be but the harbinger of many church-sponsored projects. Under the banner of a large sign for 2000, the national ecumenical celebrations began on January 2nd, in the National Concert Hall, and were followed by a series of events throughout Dublin.
In February the annual theological lectures in Queen's University Belfast were entitled "The Return of Religion at the Close of the Millennium", and March was the closing date for a millennium competition for church magazines. The Mothers' Union Millennium Journey began in Cork on St Patrick's Day and travelled through all 12 dioceses of the Church of Ireland before arriving in Armagh on March 25th. More static but equally appealing was the Millennium Flower Festival in St Fethlimidh's Cathedral, Kilmore, which attracted many visitors to Co Cavan in the first week in June.
In Dublin, Christ Church Cathedral marked the millennium with the publication of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. A History which was launched by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, on June 18th, and this was speedily followed by "Ceiliuradh", an international festival of liturgy. St Patrick's Cathedral hosted a year-long series of addresses on "Hopes for the Millennium", which concluded earlier this month with an address by Mrs Mary Robinson.
These events are no more than a sample of the outburst of creativity which the secular millennium celebrations induced from the church. But now, on the eve of the opening of the third millennium since the birth of Christ, is there anything left?
Hopefully there will be some follow-up on some of the more substantial ventures. Perhaps the St Patrick's Cathedral addresses will be published; perhaps some of the liturgical innovation of "Ceiliuradh" will find its way into our patterns of worship; perhaps readers will continue to purchase the APCK essays and the Christ Church history.
One millennium initiative which is still continuing but which should come to fruition in the next year is the Dublin and Glendalough diocesan project to publish a biographical succession list of the clergy of the united dioceses.
This project is in the hands of Mr Ronnie Wallace, former head of history in the High School. He has been editing the text, which was assembled in the last century by Canon J.B. Leslie, and through his own researches in the diocesan records, and elsewhere, has added considerably to Leslie's work.
This has been a massive undertaking, for historically there were more clergy in Dublin and Glendalough than in any other diocese. Dublin was the focal point of the Church of Ireland and the residence for many clergy: not only those who ministered in the parishes but also those in the cathedrals; the many quasi-independent chaplaincies; and those in the university. The publication of this most important work of reference will be a fitting conclusion to the church's millennium celebrations.