Archbishop Richard Clarke, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and
Archbishop Eamon Martin, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, will
jointly lay a wreath at the War Memorial on the Mall, Armagh, on
Remembrance Sunday – 13 November 2016 – at 11.00am.Following the ceremony, both Archbishops will also attend the Service at Saint Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh.
The act of jointly laying a wreath in remembrance follows on from both Archbishops leading a special centenary peace pilgrimage to significant First World War sites of battle of 1916 in France and Belgium in June this year. The Archbishops made the pilgrimage with a group of young adults drawn from both Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic traditions from across the island of Ireland.
The most significant moments on the June pilgrimage were a visit and prayers at the new Memorial Wall at Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin; a visit to the Ulster Tower in Thiepval, France; a visit to the Irish Peace Tower, Messines, Belgium; and the laying of a wreath symbolising peace at the Menin Gate at Ypres, Belgium.
Archbishop Clarke and Archbishop Martin also participated in the 100th anniversary commemoration service of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July. On that day Ireland’s four main Church leaders, gathered together in France called for Christians of all traditions in Ireland to pray for peace in these challenging times.
The Church leaders said: “Let us put our faith into action – love our neighbours, reach out to the stranger, care for the vulnerable, build community and be agents for peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.”