31.05.2016
St Doulagh’s Restoration Appeal Launched at Open Air Service
The sun shone on the congregation at the annual St Doulagh’s Church Open Air Service which took place on Sunday (May 29) in Balgriffen. The service was attended by Archbishop Michael Jackson and was led by the Rector, the Revd Dr Norman Gamble. Music was led by the Brass Band of the 1st Dublin Company of the Boys’ Brigade and by the Male Voice Choir of the Dublin Conservative Club.
The service also saw the launch of the St Doulagh’s Church Restoration Appeal. The appeal’s target is €300,000 which is needed to carry out substantial repairs to the ancient church. Works include the cleaning and repointing of the stone roof and tower, the replacement of the Victorian tiling inside the church and the securing of retaining walls around the churchyard.
Much of the structure of St Doulagh’s dates back to the 12th century and the church is the oldest place of worship still in regular weekly use in Ireland. The site has been used for worship since at least the 6th century. The area around it is undergoing major residential development and the parish wants St Doulagh’s to be a living reminder of the area’s heritage as well as a centre of worship and spirituality in a contemporary society.
In his sermon, the Archbishop referred to the readings [Genesis 28: 10–19 and 1 Peter 2: 4–5, 9] observing that the authors of both wrote about stones. He said the connecting factor between Jacob and the hearers of 1 Peter was faith: faith in God, faith in a different future, faith in themselves as the carriers and vessels of such faith.
“The stone–built cluster of church–related buildings that forms St Doulagh’s, as we know it and as thousands of people drive and cycle past it every day, put me in mind of these two passages of Holy Scripture. If Scripture is to guide us, then Scripture needs to be our firm foundation. If St Doulagh’s is to have an engaged, on–going spiritual life, it has to nurture a new and an exciting role from within the life of Christian Ireland here and now for the future. The precious stones of St Doulagh’s are in our custodianship and for our partnering with others. I encourage you here, now in this quest and in this work. There is so much about which to be hopeful and positive here and there is no reason whatsoever that you will not reach your target of €300,000. There is national and international support for this church of great beauty and this pearl of great price,” he said.
He stated that there were many aspects of St Doulagh’s which made it unique. It connected us with Christian presence and activity in the area from the earliest days. The construction and architecture of the building was also important as was the site’s monastic history. It also bears the scars of violence and warfare having been ransacked in the wake of the Battle of the Boyne.
Archbishop Jackson suggested that in the future St Doulagh’s could move into being a place of contemporary pilgrimage. “Its fascinating and faithful architecture could become the basis of a Journey in Faith through a phone–app for daily use and devotion on the part of countless people worldwide… Its history of living through history along with its violent expression of history might enable it also to be a place for Reflection on Reconciliation, with an annual gathering for peace and understanding of contrasting viewpoints, working in with others who are committed to this tireless and essential work. Its curiosity – and I use this word in the best sense – is perhaps its greatest magnetism in a virtual and a digital age. It is real; it is tangible; its stones still live and speak,” he said.
Photo captions:
Top – Cllr Jimmy Guerin representing the Mayor of Fingal, the Revd Dr Norman Gamble, Archbishop Michael Jackson and Ken McAllister at the St Doulagh’s Open Air Service.
Bottom – The congregation, the Brass Band of the 1st Dublin Company of the Boys’ Brigade and the Male Voice Choir of the Dublin Conservative Club at the St Doulagh’s Open Air Service.