Farewell and St Christopher’s Day Dinner: Friday 29th May 2015
Christopher’s Day Dinner: Friday 29th May 2015
Friday was marked by two significant events: a farewell in the morning to Chaplain Michael Baker, who has been the Deputy Force Fleet Chaplain and a good friend of the Cathedral in his time here. Last Thursay he organized a group of our young people to experience the Climbing wall at the US Navy Base followed by lunch in the Food Court. Michael has appreciated a regular liturgical service and made his home with us when he has been able.
In the evening we were delighted to welcome Iain Lindsay, the British Ambassador, as our speaker and he took as his 
theme the subject of Reconciliation. He outlined the significant progress made that Bahrain had made particularly following the Bahrain Independent Commission of Enquiry Report. In particular he highlighted the quiet work of the Causeway Institute for Peace-building and Conflict Resolution, which seeks to share the Northern Ireland experience of peace-building in areas of the world where there has been conflict. Ninety Bahrainis have visited Northern Ireland to learn from peoples’ experiences of reconciliation across painful divides there and many have come back to Bahrain enthused to work with their peers across sectarian divides to rebuild trust in communities here. The full text of the Ambassador’s speech can be found on the British Embassy facebook page.
Prior to the St Christopher’s Dinner, Tricia was singing Stainer’s Crucifixion at the Golden Tulip Hotel. It was a slightly strange setting for such a choral work, and, a few days after Pentecost, was perhaps not the ideal season in the Church calendar, but it is a very moving piece and the choir and soloists, many including Tricia singing solo for the first time, had worked very hard to reach such a high standard.