Connor Mothers’ Union Festival Service will be held in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, on Sunday April 7 at 3.30pm.
This service will incorporate the Commissioning of new Diocesan President, Mrs Sally Cotter, who took up the post in January.
A former primary school teacher, Sally has been a member of Mothers’ Union since 1989, and has held posts at all levels.
Her first branch was St Nicholas, Carrickfergus, where she was branch young members rep; area education rep. She was on the Prayer and Spirituality Unit and in 1996 was appointed Diocesan Marketing Co-ordinator.
In 2001 Sally became All-Ireland Marketing Co-ordinator and in 2007 was appointed to the Marketing Unit Committee at Mothers’ Union headquarters in Mary Sumner House.
She was Diocesan Worldwide rep from 2007-2013, and since 2013 has been Vice-President of Fundraising and Communications in Connor Diocese.
Sally joined the Broughshane branch of Mothers’ Union in 2010, when her husband, the Rev Dr Bob Cotter, became curate in the parish of Skerry Rathcavan and Newtowncrommlin, Broughshane.
A native of Dollingstown, near Lurgan, Sally met Bob when they were both singing with the St Anne’s Cathedral Evening Choir in 1979.
Singing is not Sally’s only musical talent. She was organist in First Lurgan Presbyterian Church for five years and in Holy Trinity Parish Church, Woodburn, for 13 years. She currently plays in Donegore Parish, and has been a church organist for 30 years!
She ran a Mothers’ Union choir in Carrickfergus for 21 years. Named ‘Sally’s Singers,’ the choir sang all over Ireland, north and south, and raised money for charity.
Sally has been a trustee of Carrickfergus Home Start for 20 years, an organisation she says has aims closely linked to Mothers’ Union, namely helping families and children.
She has also been a Sunday School Superintendent and a Girls’ Brigade Officer.
Sally taught in King’s Park Primary School in Newtownabbey for 31 years before taking early retirement. She and Bob have one son, Christopher.
