CHURCH OF IRELAND NOTES
For Saturday 26th January 2002
From: The RCB Library
Email: RCB Library
Retirement of the Bishop of Derry
On Thursday the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Dr James
Mehaffey, retires after forty-eight years in the ordained ministry. His
career has been one of remarkable service to church and community and
one which ought to be a model for all aspiring clergy - sound training
as a curate, faithful ministry and continuing study as a rector and
selfless giving of himself as a bishop.
He was ordained in 1954 for the east Belfast parish
of Ballymacarrett and after a spell as curate of Deptford in south
London he returned to Ireland as curate in Down Cathedral. He was
appointed to his first incumbency in 1962 as Rector of Kilkeel and in
1966 became Rector of Cregagh during which time he was Canon Missioner
in Down Cathedral.
His appointment as Bishop of Derry and Raphoe in 1980
was the beginning of the most demanding phase of his career. The duties
of a diocesan bishop, potentially difficult at the best of times, were
complicated by the pivotal role of Derry in the sustained civil unrest
in Northern Ireland. Throughout he was a conscientious father in God to
his diocesan clergy and an unremitting public advocate for the city of
Derry. In the higher counsels of the church, and especially as chairman
of the Central Communications Board, he was a model of patience, an
advocate of careful debate and a font of sound advice.
The Archbishop of Armagh has appointed the Archdeacon
of Derry, the Ven. Donald McLean, to be commissary following Dr
Mehaffey's retirement. An Electoral College, to choose the next Bishop
of Derry and Raphoe, will meet in Armagh on 1 March.
Tomorrow (Sunday) Shannonside/Northern Sound
Radio will broadcast Morning Prayer from All Saints' Church, Cootehill,
Co. Cavan, where the Revd Janet Catterall is in charge while the
Archbishop of Dublin will visit Delgany where he will dedicate a new
parish hall. In the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, the European
Correspondent of The Irish Times, Denis Staunton, will speak on
"Detachment" in the series of lecture sermons on the theme of
"Virtues and Vices".
Christ Church, Taney, will host a Service for
Christian Unity for all churches in the Dundrum/Ballinteer area of
Dublin. The service will begin at 3.30 pm and the preacher will be the
Revd Paul Symonds from St Malachy's College, Belfast, who is a regular
contributor to BBC Radio Ulster's "Thought for the Day". At
the same time, in St Ann's Church, Dawson Street, Dublin, David Adams
will give a harpsichord recital as part of the current Bach series.
In Adare parish church the Bishop of Limerick and
Killaloe will institute the Revd Rachel Lewis to the incumbency of Adare
and Kilmallock. Miss Lewis has been Team Rector of the parish of By
Brook in the Diocese of Bristol since 1999.
On Thursday the Archbishop of Armagh will chair the
meeting of the Anglican Communion Finance Committee at Bellinter House
Conference Centre, Co. Meath. In St Nicholas' Collegiate Church, Galway,
the Revd John McCullagh, Secretary of the General Synod Board of
Education, will speak on "Education in the School".
On Friday the Bishop of Cashel and Ossory begins a
visit to the Diocese of Lund in Sweden with which his dioceses are
linked.
In St Ann's Church, Dublin, at lunchtime Mr Trevor
Sargent TD, will launch Hands Up, a book of prayers written by
Church of Ireland clergy and laity throughout the island. The
publication is an initiative of Mrs Norma McMaster who is a lay reader
in the Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough.
Church of Ireland Notes appear in the Irish
Times whose web site may be found at
http://www.ireland.com/ |
