THIS year, Mrs. Edith Kirkpatrick, from Belleek, has been nominated by the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Rev. John McDowell, to receive the Royal Maundy Gift for her exemplary Christian service within the community.

The Royal Maundy Gift consists of two purses, one red and one white, with the red purse containing a symbolic contribution for clothing.

This year, a specially minted £5 coin to celebrate the Queen’s 95th birthday is included, as well as a specially minted 50p coin, that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the currency’s decimalisation in 1971.

In addition, the white purse contains specially minted ‘Maundy’ money – silver pennies, twopences, threepences and fourpences, all to the value of 95p, the Queen’s age.

Each year, on Maundy Thursday, the Sovereign attends a special Royal Maundy service in a particular cathedral in the United Kingdom, and afterwards distributes the Maundy Gift to certain individuals who have been nominated by the church hierarchies throughout the UK.

In 2008, Queen Elizabeth attended her first ever Royal Maundy service outside of England and Wales, when she came to Armagh Cathedral.

This year, the service was to he held at Westminster Abbey; however, it had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the Maundy Gifts instead sent out by post, with an accompanying letter from the Queen.

The tradition of the Royal Maundy Service goes back many centuries – all the way to the 4th Century in Italy and Spain – with there being a reference to one such service being held in England in the 6th Century, when St. Augustine was Archbishop of Canterbury.

Direct British Royal involvement dates back to at least 1210, when there is a record of King John attending such a service at Knaresborough Castle in Yorkshire.

It is generally thought that the Sovereign took part in such services in much earlier times, but this is the earliest record of the Sovereign’s attendance.

Quoting from the letter from Her Majesty: “Each year, at the Royal Maundy Service, we have an opportunity to recognise, and give thanks for, work done by countless people for the wellbeing of their neighbours; work that has often been taken for granted or hidden.”

Mrs. Edith Kirkpatrick has always shown great love for her family, the community and her church, where regular worship and service is very much a part of her life.

She said that she is humbled and privileged to have been nominated to receive the Royal Maundy Gift this year, and is very pleased to accept it on behalf of all the unsung heroes in our families and in the community, who make more of a difference than even they realise.