04.02.2013
Celebrating 300 Years of St Brigid’s Church Stillorgan
Parishioners and friends of St Brigid’s Parish Church in Stillorgan began celebrations of the church’s 300th year with a special service on St Brigid’s Day February 1. The service was attended by clergy from all over the dioceses and the preacher was Archbishop Michael Jackson.
Introducing the service, the rector of Stillorgan and Blackrock, the Revd Ian Gallagher, said he was delighted to see so many people at the service where they were gathering to “remember, rejoice and renew”. The rector was presented with a St Brigid’s Cross which had been made in Kildare that morning, and water from the well at the site of St Brigid’s Monastery by Fr Tony Coyote, ADM of the neighbouring parish of Kilmacud and Mount Merrion.
In his sermon Archbishop Jackson said that the evening was a joyful occasion providing many reasons to give thanks to God. “Three hundred years of parochial life; three hundred years of people – their baptism, their wedding, their funeral; three hundred years of that wonderful thing to be doing: coming to church – here in St Brigid’s, Stillorgan! Things have changed; times have changed. And this church and parish are witnesses to change – and that is the greatest gift which we can give back to God in thanksgiving and in joyfulness – the beauty of change,” he said.
The service was the beginning of a weekend of activities at the church during which the great research work carried out in the graveyard by Karen Poff and June Bow was unveiled to visitors. The graveyard was mapped by Dr Paddy Prendergast and students from DIT Bolton Street. There were tours of the graveyard on Saturday, the Irish Genealogical Society was on hand and there were a number of talks and presentations. On Sunday The Celtic Choristers performed at a service of Holy Communion.
You can read the Archbishop’s sermon in full here.