Last weekend was an unusual one for me, as I went to church twice. The events I attended were different, but equally uplifting.
On Saturday I went to the Chapel of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture here in Canberra, to take part in an ecumenical service for the feast of St Patrick. This was a delightful occasion, with representatives of Canberra’s clearly sizeable Irish diaspora in great voice as they sang traditional hymns. The Irish band was excellent, too. The address was given by Reverend David Campbell, the first Presbyterian to give this address in the years that the service has taken place in Canberra. He spoke thought-provokingly about how St Patrick’s Day is observed in the north of Ireland, and the west of Melbourne.
While St Patrick’s Day celebrates one culture and all its global manifestations, Commonwealth Day celebrates an organisation which is multi-cultural to its core. The Commonwealth Day multi-faith service, held on Monday at the same location, and attended by Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, was a joyous celebration of this multi-culturalism. Readings by representatives of eight faiths were interspersed with African drumming, Australian singing, and dancing from nations and traditions including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Ireland and Bollywood! The theme of Commonwealth Day this year is “An Inclusive Commonwealth”, and this occasion certainly lived up to that billing, particularly through the reflection of this theme given by Mrs Diana Abdel-Rahman. You can learn more about Commonwealth Day at http://thecommonwealth.org/commonwealthday
Both events were, in many ways, family celebrations. It was a pleasure to take part in them.