Religious Programmes for Holy Week and Easter, 2011

21 Apr 2011

Religious Programmes for Holy Week and Easter, 2011

On RTÉ Television and Radio

Thursday 21st April – Holy Thursday

1900-2000            Fr Joe McGee celebrates Mass of the Lord’s Supper in the RTÉ Television studios with the choir and congregation of Caheragh Parish in West Cork. (RTÉ Two)

1930-2030            Mass of the Lord’s Supper from the Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow with music from the Cathedral Music ministry. The Celebrant is Fr Padraig Shelley. (RTÉ Radio One LW 252 / Digital platforms)

2305-2335            Passion In The Pale. In Lent, 2010, first-time filmmaker, Patrick Butler, followed the preparations for two very different artistic interpretations of the Easter story, on either side of the Liffey. In St Werburgh’s church, American director, Ruth Palileo, prepared to stage a Passion Play with a group of amateur actors – in the church and its graveyard and on the streets of central Dublin, culminating in a crucifixion inside the gates of Dublin Castle, on Good Friday. Meanwhile, across the river, Blanaid Murphy was rehearsing two choirs and the Orchestra of St Cecilia for a performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. The film, which was shot, directed and edited by Butler, asks: what is it about this 2000 year old story, which continues to inspire and move so many people in so many different ways? (RTÉ One)

Friday 22nd April – Good Friday

1000-1200            Paul Herriott in Tempo includes Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater in his musical selection. (RTÉ Lyric FM)

1345-1400            Dying To Live. Aidan Mathews presents a scripted reflection, as a footnote to Good Friday. (RTE Radio One. All wavelengths.)

1400-1500            Dr Godfrey Brown, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, leads a Service for Good Friday, with readings from scripture by his wife, Margaret Brown, and music from the Tullamore Gospel Choir, directed by Brendan Keeley. (RTÉ Radio One LW252 / Digital Platforms)

1455-1600            Solemn Liturgy for Good Friday. Fr Kieran O’Brien is principal celebrant for this passion liturgy, which comes from St John’s Church, Tralee, Co. Kerry. Music and passion drama directed by Fr Pat Ahern. The broadcast is simulcast on RTÉ Radio One (LW252 / digital platforms), with live commentry by Mary Curtin. (RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta)

1500-1600            Craolfar Searmanas na Aoine an Chéasta ó Theach Pobail Mhuire sna Doirí Beaga. Is é an tAthair Brian Ó Fearraigh a bheidh ina cheiliúrai. (RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta)

1900-2000            My Tunes. Aedín Gormley’s guest is the Dublin harpist, composer and Church of Ireland priest, Anne-Marie O’Farrell,  who is a graduate of UCD and who studied at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, University College Dublin and NUI, Maynooth. Her work comprises orchestral, sacred choral and chamber music, including an extensive harp repertoire. As a priest, she is attached to Sandford Church and St Philip’s, Milltown, both in Dublin. (Lyric FM)

2000-2200            The Lyric Concert features Bach’s Mass in B Minor, recorded at the NCH, Dublin, featuring Malin Christenssen, Alison Browner, Sean Clayton, Matthew Hargreaves and the RTÉ Philharmonic and National Symphony Orchestra . (RTÉ Lyric FM)

Saturday, 23rd April – Holy Saturday

2100-2200            The Easter Vigil from the Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow.  Celebrant:  Father Rory Nolan.    Cathedral Music Ministry, directed by Marian Gaynor. Organists : John Egan, Marian Gaynor and Conor Maguire. (RTÉ Radio One LW252 / Digital Platforms)

2300-0040            Easter Vigil Mass from St John’s Church, Tralee. The Principal Celebrant is Fr Sean Hanafin; the director of Music is Fr Pat Ahern and among the readers is this year’s Rose of Tralee, Claire Kamabamettu. (RTÉ One)

Sunday 24th April – Easter Sunday

0700-0900            Gloria. Tim Thurston offers a selection of sacred music to celebrate Easter Sunday.

0915-1100            Mass for Easter Sunday celebrated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter’s Square, Rome. Followed by…

1100-1135            Urbi et Orbi. The Pope’s Easter Message to the world. With live commentary from Fr Thomas McCarthy, OP. (RTÉ One)

1000-1050            Mass for Easter Sunday from the Cathedral of Our Lady & St Nicholas, Galway.  TheCathedral Choir, directed by Raymond O’Donnell, perform a Haydn Mass in its liturgical setting. (RTÉ Radio One LW252 / Digital Platforms)

1050-1135            Morning Worship for Easter Day from Sydenham Methodist Church, East Belfast.   The service is conducted by the Rev. Karen Spence with organist, George Yendall. (RTÉ Radio One LW252 / Digital Platforms)

1130-1230            Aifreann an Lae ó Theach Pobail Mhuire sna Doirí Beaga. Is é an tAthair Pádraig Ó Baoill a bheidh ina cheiliúrai. (RTÉ Raidio na Gaeltachta)

1135-1220            Service for Easter Sunday. Patricia Shouri leads members of Teen Challenge, a drug rehab programme based in Tiglin, Co. Wicklow, in a service which celebrates their very real and personal experiences of resurrection. (RTÉ One)

1345-1435            The Da Vinci Shroud explores the latest theories about the famous piece of cloth, which some believe bears an imprint of the body of the crucified Christ. (RTÉ One)

Monday 25th April – Easter Monday

0740-0830            The Private Life Of A Masterpiece – The Taking Of Christ. (RTÉ One)

1930-2030            Were You There…? Joe Duffy talks to five people whose personal experiences may offer particular insights into some of the key figures in the Easter story.  The Rev. Julie Nicholson is an Anglican priest, whose daughter, Jenny, was killed in the London underground bombs of 7/7/05. She has withdrawn from active ministry, because of her inability to lead others in worship based around forgiveness, when she herself cannot forgive her daughter’s killer. Here, however, she talks about the inspiration and solace she takes from the figure of Mary, who also experienced the brutal death of her child. Tommy O’Neill is best known now as Det. Sgt Deegan in RTÉ’s Fair City, but previously served time for armed robbery.  What, if anything, does the story of the good thief, promised paradise by Jesus on the cross, have to say to him? Rabbi David Rosen is a former Chief Rabbi of Ireland and has been a key figure in building positive relations between Christians and Jews. He’s even a Papal Knight. What does he make of the role ascribed to the Chief Priest, the Pharisees and the Jews in the Gospel accounts of the Passion – accounts which have given rise to centuries of mutual resentment and prejudice between members of the two faiths? Mary Smith is a survivor of the notorious Magdalene Laundries, who is struck by the stigma attached down the centuries to Mary Magdalene and how it contrasts with Jesus’ own attitude towards her. She was, after all, a witness of the crucifixion and the first person to see the risen Christ. Does this give Mary any encouragement? Fr Niall Ahern was falsely accused of abuse and experienced his own Calvary of vilification and alienation as a result. Does the betrayal of Christ by Judas resonate at all with him and if so, can he learn from Christ’s reaction to it?   (RTÉ Radio One. All wavelengths.)

For further information, please call:

Joe Hoban (01 208 2399) for radio or Vivienne Flood (01 208 3164) for television enquiries.