HOPE AND HISTORY: As part of a range of events celebrating Corrymeela's 50th anniversary the Voices Together Choir will perform a unique musical event at Clonard Monastery at 3pm on Sunday June 14.
Corrymeela is Northern Ireland's oldest peace and reconciliation organisation and the programme will feature music and poetry on the theme of peace-building.
The music will include traditional songs from South Africa, Afro-American spirituals, protest songs and compositions from contemporary choral composers.
Voices Together will be joined by the Jubilate! Chamber Choir and a number of soloists. Padraig O Tuama, leader of Corrymeela Community, will also share readings of his poetry.
Voices Together is an inclusive group of singers and musicians, drawing membership from different communities in Northern Ireland. Directed by Dave Stewart, Voices Together has been in existence since 2012.
Tickets are available at the door, in advance from the Corrymeela office on 028 9050 8080 and online at https://tinyurl.com/nky8cth
SINGING PRIEST: A gospel concert called 'Gracious Mercy' with Fr Raul Caga, the 'singing priest' of the Philippines, and John L Cadelina will be held in St Vincent de Paul parish centre on Ligoniel Road in Belfast on Saturday June 20 at 7.30pm.
Proceeds from the show will go towards the Divine Word Seminary in Tagaytay in the Philippines. Fr Caga is professor of moral theology at the seminary and Gracious Mercy is the title of his upcoming fifth album, which features a duet with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.
Tickets cost 5 and are available from the parish or on the night.
ENCYCLICAL: Pope Francis's eagerly awaited encyclical on the environment will be published next Thursday.
The Vatican has taken the unusual step of announcing the release date in advance "to avoid confusion over the diffusion of unconfirmed information".
No Papal document in recent times has elicited as much anticipation - or anxiety - as Francis's encyclical.
The Vatican has helped fuel interest by mounting an unprecedented roll-out, featuring conferences, speeches, and book launches tied to it.
Environmentalists are thrilled the Pope is lending his moral authority to the climate change debate ahead of the latest round of United Nations climate talks, to be held later this year in Paris; climate change sceptics, meanwhile, have voiced alarm that the Pope is getting involved at all.
