Diocesan Festival

On Saturday 26 September 2009, literally hundreds of people, so many in fact that at the last minute we had to ask Eden Court Theatre if we could have a bigger theatre to meet in, gathered initially in Eden Court Theatre and then processed, with banners and flags along the River Ness side, to the Cathedral. 

The opening session in Eden Court was varied, entertaining and thought provoking. The Bishop welcomed everyone, Church Members, friends and partners from other traditions of the Christian Community and also representatives of some of the wide variety of agencies who are caring for people and supporting the wider communities in this, the far north of Scotland and charged us to give thanks to God and to dedicate ourselves to a renewed vision of mission and partnership in the Gospel as we all seek to serve the world with which we have been entrusted.

Presentations were given by Andrew Deuchar who spoke about the Diocesan Audit, Eden Court Primary School who sang and the ‘Banana, the Bee and Me’ (alias the priests of the West Coast) who conveyed a message about humility!

One of the major contributions to the day was the series of addresses given by the Right Reverend Dom Hugh Gilbert OSB, Abbot of Pluscarden, the first of which sent the gathering out in procession with flags and banners waving to St Andrew’s Cathedral. You can download all three addresses HERE

The Cathedral Eucharist with the Caithness Hand Bell Ringers the Pultney Town Ringers, the St James Dingwall Music Group, the Clarsach played by Katie MacKenzie, Bishop Eden Primary School Choir and the Diocesan Piper was a musical extravaganza!

The Diocesan Youth had slept over the previous night at the Diocesan Centre, Arpafeelie and had decorated scallop shells.

The scallop shell is the traditional emblem of James, son of Zebedee and is popular with pilgrims on the Way of St James to the apostle’s shrine at Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Medieval Christians making the pilgrimage to his shrine often wore a scallop shell symbol on their hat or clothes. The pilgrim also carried a scallop shell with him and would present himself at churches, castles, abbeys etc. where he could expect to be given as much sustenance as he could pick up with one scoop. Probably he would be given oats, barley, and perhaps beer or wine. In this way even the poorest household could give charity without being overburdened.

Scallop Shells were distributed to each congregation to be displayed prominently at the entrance to every church in the Diocese to convey welcome and hospitality.

Following the Eucharist a picnic lunch was enjoyed in the Cathedral Grounds along side the River Ness in the warm September sunshine.

The day concluded with Sung Evensong.

Filed under: General Diocesan News