4 May 2006               First woman appointed to sing in U.K. Cathedral Choir.

St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Edinburgh has appointed Judy Brown as a full time member of its Cathedral choir.  Judy Brown is the first woman to sing in any Cathedral choir in Britain with a daily choral tradition.
Judy Brown, a music undergraduate at Edinburgh University, took up her appointment as an Alto Choral Scholar at the beginning of May.  (Judy had previously been a Treble at St. Mary’s Cathedral Edinburgh some years ago.)
St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral was the first Cathedral in Britain to employ girls in the Treble line as well as boys, in 1978.  Whilst many Cathedrals followed suit ten or more years later, girls have often formed a separate choir, rather than singing with the boys as they do in Edinburgh.
Judy Brown is part of a  a generation of women who have been taught in the Cathedral choral tradition and who are able to take on the role of choral scholars .
Judy Brown said, ‘I loved singing in the choir as a child, and am delighted to be able to be a part of it once again. It is great that St. Mary’s has had the vision to open the choir to people of merit, whatever their gender.’
The Revd Philip Blackledge, the Cathedral Chaplain said, ‘We have had girls singing in the treble line for 25 years, and the sound is rich and strong, and having women singing the alto part with the men only adds to that.’
Simon Nieminski, the Cathedral’s Organist said, ‘If women have the skills and ability to sing as an adult in the choir, then it is simply a matter of fairness that they should be able to do so.’
The Revd Philip Blackledge can be contacted on 0131 346 7653 or 07977 33 00 74

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 27 April 2006            Borders Clergyman made Canon of Ghanaian Cathedral.

The Revd Duncan McCosh, the Rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Galashiels, has been made an Honorary Canon of Christ Church Cathedral in the Diocese of Cape Coast Ghana. (Cape Coast is a busy market town west of the capital Accra, on the coast in Ghana's Central Region.)
This post has been conferred upon the Revd Duncan McCosh by the Bishop of Cape Coast, the Right Reverend Daniel Allotey.  It is in recognition of the work that the Revd Duncan McCosh has done in building relations between the Diocese of Edinburgh and the Diocese of Cape Coast.  
The Revd Duncan McCosh has also been instrumental in building relations with and supporting the Anglican Church in Uganda for a number of years.
The Revd McCosh on being informed of the honour said,
“It was quite a shock and totally unexpected.  I am both humbled and honoured by this.  It comes from people whom I hold in very high regard”.
The Bishop of Edinburgh, the Right Revd Brian Smith said, ‘I am extremely pleased for Duncan that his work in building relationships between the church in Scotland and the church in Africa has been honoured in this way.  It is a great credit to him.’
The Revd Duncan McCosh can be contacted on 01896 753118

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6 April 2006                  Guantanamo Detainee inspires Edinburgh’s Easter Mural.

Moazzam Begg, the freed Guantanamo detainee, is the inspiration behind the Holy Week and Easter Mural to be painted on 7/8th April at St. John’s Princes Street in Edinburgh.
The controversial Christmas Mural at St. John’s highlighted the issue of Extraordinary Rendition.  The new Mural shows that the both prisoners and guards at the American military base are children of God.
Moazzam Begg spoke recently to a packed meeting at St. John’s, Princes Street.  He said that for him it was important to see the guards as human beings like himself. This enabled him, as a Muslim, to establish a rapport with some of the Christian guards.
The mural will show a prisoner in an orange jump suit and fetters and a guard in uniform.  In the background will be a depiction of the crucifixion of Jesus with the Roman centurion at the foot of the cross.  The words on the mural will be the Biblical quotation, ‘Surely this man is a son of God.’
The Rector of St. John’s Princes Street, the Revd Dr John Armes said, ‘We believe Moazzam Begg’s story offers us a reflection on the hope of Easter, a hope that we can discover a common humanity and respect.’The Revd Dr John Armes can be contacted on 0131 229 7565 or 0131 225 5004

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14 March 2006                     Ghanaian Anglicans Visit to Diocese of Edinburgh

The Rt. Revd Daniel Allotey, the Bishop of the Diocese of Cape Coast will be visiting Scotland with a party from the Anglican Church in Ghana from 16th to 28th March. Cape Coast is a busy market town west of the capital Accra, on the coast once called the Gold Coast, now Ghana's Central Region.
The Diocese of Edinburgh is using its annual Lent Appeal to raise money for educational programmes in the Diocese of Cape Coast. The money will assist the development of its overall educational programme within its fourteen parishes,equipping a diocesan centre and providing resources in the outlying areas.
The group of six clergy and lay people will be spending two weeks in Scotland, visiting Edinburgh and the Borders. Several church visits are planned, including Livingston Ecumenical Parish, a joint service in the Borders, St David's Pilton, St Peter's Peebles, St John's Edinburgh and St Mary´s Episcopal Cathedral, Palmerston Place in Edinburgh.
The aim of this visit is to deepen ties of friendship and fellowship between the two Anglican Dioceses of Edinburgh and Cape Coast.
The Bishop of Edinburgh, Rt Revd Brian Smith said, “It is important that we recognise the international dimension of our church life and to bring it powerfully into the life of the Diocese of Edinburgh.”

Contacts for the party whilst in Scotland:
Dr Anne Pankhurst, (Edinburgh and Livingston) 0131 557 0726
The Revd Duncan McCosh (Borders) 01896 753118

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16 December 2005            Famous Edinburgh landmark used to protest over torture on terrorist  suspects.

Torture of terrorist suspects is the theme of the Christmas  Mural on St  John’s Princes Street.  This latest mural is painted  on the side of the church  facing Edinburgh’s most famous  shopping street.
With an international reputation, murals at St. John’s frequently raise  controversial political issues and are a popular feature of  West End  Edinburgh.  It will be painted on Friday 16th and  Saturday 17th of December.
The latest mural addresses directly the topical issue of the  torture of terrorist  suspects.   The mural depicts Jesus as the  Light of the World illuminating  representations of torture. 
Its inspiration comes from St John’s Gospel, “All who do evil  hate the light  and do not come to the light, so that their deeds  may not be exposed.  But  those who do what is true come to  the light…” (John 3.19-21). 
The mural underlines the view that no government should  permit torture  within its own jurisdiction or collude with other  regimes in this abuse of  human rights.
The Revd John Armes, the Rector of St John’s Princes Street said, “Torture is  always wrong.  It degrades those who are  tortured as well as those who  perpetrate or condone torture.  It  motivates and fuels the anger that prompts  further acts of  terror.  At Christmas time we recognise that all our actions are   seen in the light of God’s love for us shown in the Christ Child.” St John’s (a Scottish Episcopal Church), in partnership with  Artists for  Justice and Peace, has sponsored public art works  outside the east end of  the church building for nearly 25 years. 
The Revd John Armes can be contacted on 0131 229 7565 or  0131 225  5004 

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28 June 2005          Bishop of Edinburgh to Lead Anglicans on to the Streets on July 2nd

The Bishop of Edinburgh, the Rt Revd Brian Smith will lead Anglicans from around the world on to the streets for the Make Poverty History March on July 2nd.

He will lead the special service for the Make Poverty History March in St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral. Palmerston Place which begins at 10.30am.  When the service ends, Bishop Brian Smith will lead the congregation to the street after he has spoken these words to them, 

Sinners and weak as we are, we are called by love to loose the bonds of injustice, to set the captive free. In the name of God’s Holy church and in the name of the God of Love, let us march for justice, plead for mercy on the suffering, and walk humbly with our God.

He will then lead the congregation from the Cathedral to the street.

The Bishop of  Edinburgh, the Rt Revd Brian Smith said, “On Saturday the Anglican Church in Edinburgh will be remembering before God all the people of Africa and those about to make decisions concerning their future.  The Diocese of Edinburgh is very conscious of the Scottish and Anglican connections with Africa.  Many millions of Anglican brothers and sister throughout Africa bear witness to this relationship.”

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28 June 2005         Bishop of Edinburgh Supports Archbishop of Canterbury’s Call for Justice.

The Bishop of Edinburgh, the Rt Revd Brian Smith today supported the call by the Archbishop of Canterbury and other religious leaders for political leaders to grasp with urgency the need to alleviate the suffering and privation of the world’s poorest countries.

In the past Bishop Brian Smith has expressed great concern for the countries of sub-Saharan Africa. He represented the Archbishop of Canterbury on an Anglican church delegation to Swaziland in 2004.

The Bishop of Edinburgh, the Rt. Revd Brian Smith said, “Whatever the complexities that lie behind the political and economic issues, the church must always be alive to the necessity for justice and the well being of the poor.”

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 21 June 2005           Media Release - Make Poverty History Eucharist July 2nd

On 2nd July at 10.30am there will be a Festal Choral Eucharist at St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, Palmerston Place, Edinburgh for the Make Poverty History March. The Celebrant will be the Bishop of Edinburgh, the Rt Revd Brian Smith, who will commission the congregation as part of his final blessing.

The service will last under an hour, after which the congregation will walk to the Meadows in time for the 12.00pm start of the March.

The Eucharist is open to all members of the Anglican Communion and members of any other denomination who wish to attend. There will be a choir of seventy drawn from the local Edinburgh Churches.  The BBC will be recording the service.

The Vice Provost of St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, the Revd Canon Jane Millard said,  ”It is hoped that this service will give people the opportunity in the peace of the Cathedral to focus in prayer on their contribution to the day's activity.”  '

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