St Columb's Lenten lectures

This year the chosen topic is 'The Millennium a Decade on: Where are we now?'

A different invited guest speaker every Thursday will try to answer that question from his/her professional perspective.

The Talks begin on Thursday 18 February when the speaker will be The Recorder of Londonderry, His Honour Judge Desmond Marrinan, whose focus will be on 'Justice'.

The following week 'The Economy' will come under focus from Mr John Simpson, a regular contributor on radio and television in Northern Ireland on matters in this regard.

Then on March 4th Professor Deirdre Heenan, Dean of Academic Development at the University of Ulster, will deliver her talk on 'Education', while on March 11 'The Family' will be the focus of Pip Jaffa from the Parents Advice Centre, Belfast.

Dr Donal Keegan OBE, retired hospital consultant, will give the address on March 18, when the spotlight swings on to the subject of 'Health'.

The final talk, on March 25, will be delivered by Dr Aideen McGinley, Chief Executive Officer of Ilex, the Regeneration Company, on the subject of 'Development of City Infrastructure.

St Columb's Cathedral has been running a Lenten series of talks for many years now and as the Dean of Derry, the Very Rev Dr William Morton explains, this series, as in previous years, is to help people think about faith, about life and our place in society.

"I have been most encouraged by the response to the Lenten series of talks over the years in that the series has provided a means of bringing together people to think about real live issues which affect us all in life. There have been people from the Cathedral and from other churches who have come along, as well as those who would not claim any particular religious allegiance whatsoever, and they all have considered that they gained something from the series - perhaps new ideas, new approaches to old problems, new perspectives.

"That is why I'm delighted that we are able to host a series again this Lent," said Dean Morton who went on to say that Lent is all about 'taking stock' of our lives in terms of our relationship with God, and thinking about how we can understand more about, and make a contribution to, life in society around us," he said.

Dr Morton has extended a warm invitation to all who would like to come along to the talks series on Thursdays from February 18 to March 25 from 1.05 pm to about 2pm in the Cathedral.

A light lunch will be provided after the talk

each week.