28.09.2015
Ordination to the Priesthood in Dublin and Glendalough – Lay and Ordained Reminded of Discipleship Roles
Dublin and Glendalough’s newly ordained priests have been urged to be ambassadors for Christ. Speaking at the ordination to the priesthood of the Revd Cathy Hallissey, the Revd Alan Breen, the Revd Ruth O’Kelly and the Revd Abigail Sines, the preacher Canon David Moynan also called on lay people to bring God’s message to those outside the church.
The service of ordination in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, was celebrated by Archbishop Michael Jackson who welcomed the large congregation of family members, friends and people from the candidates’ parishes. He thanked everyone involved in the preparation of the service and in particular, Canon Moynan for preaching as he prepares to move to New Zealand in the coming days.
In his sermon, Canon Moynan said that Cathy, Alan, Ruth and Abigail had responded to God’s call to the priesthood and in their studies and during their intern year, they had learned about many aspects of ministry. “Above all I hope that they have learned that the priestly call is to love people with a deep love and love, love, love them in the name of Christ,” he said.
He said that during the ordination, they would hear of their priestly duties and expectations. However, he said that the essence of the Gospel is God’s unconditional love for his people, expressed through the death of his son on the cross. “This is not just a love for us or members of the Church of Ireland but for all people. I hope you will be ambassadors for Christ. How that plays out in your ministries remains to be seen but in the same way that you are confident of God’s call to ordination, you can be confident that he will guide you,” he stated.
Canon Moynan also urged the new priests to keep in touch with their peers and find a soul mate to whom they could bare their souls. He advised them to keep up their prayer routine and Bible study and to refresh their minds and ministry by reading as widely as possible. They should also take care of their families, he added. Having seen the quality of training the Deacons had undergone, Canon Moynan said he was confident of the Church of Ireland in Dublin and Glendalough.
He also recognised that there is another part to the church and addressing the lay members he acknowledged that there were many pressures on people’s lives today. He said some might call the people in the pews ‘the converted’ but he called on them to bring the message to others outside the church. “God’s call is not just to the ordination, it is to the whole people of God to witness to him,” he said. “We need to be honest and aware that stresses and pressures of life draw us away from God and that which is our ultimate concern becomes our god.”
“Come follow me” was a call for all time, the preacher explained and reminded the congregation that the disciples left everything and followed Jesus. He also encouraged families to pray together and read their Bibles. “If these basics of our Christian lives are not visible in our families how do we make our church–going relevant to young people?” he asked. “Our discipleship, lay and ordained, needs to be dedicated and rededicated on a daily basis.” He added that our words and actions needed to glorify God and do justice to him.
Revd Cathy Hallissey is serving as Curate in Taney Parish, the Revd Alan Breen has been ordained for Curacy in Greystones, the Revd Ruth O’Kelly is serving as curate in Rathfarnham Parish and the Revd Abigail Sines is curate in the Christ Church Cathedral Group of Parishes.
Photo Captions:
Top – The Revd Cathy Hallissey, the Revd Ruth O’Kelly, Archbishop Michael Jackson, the Revd Alan Breen and the Revd Abigail Sines outside Christ Church Cathedral.
Bottom – The Laying on of Hands during the service of ordination.
[There are more photos on the Dublin and Glendalough Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/DublinandGlendalough]