19.09.2016
Historic Day as Canon McKinley Marks 40 Years in Whitechurch
Parishioners of Whitechurch and their Rector celebrated a milestone anniversary yesterday (Sunday September 18). Canon Horace McKinley has been ministering in the parish for 40 years and Archbishop Michael Jackson was present to celebrate at a special service in the packed church.
Canon McKinley was ordained a Deacon in 1970 and was a Curate in Taney before moving, with his wife Pam and their oldest son Andrew, to become Vicar of Whitechurch in 1976. He became rector in 1980.
It was also Come&Celebrate Sunday, the day on which the Come&C 5 Marks Challege was launched in parishes throughout Dublin and Glendalough so the service followed the specially prepared order of service for the day which focused on celebration. [To learn more about the 5 Marks Challenge see here]
Opening the service the Archbishop said that Come&Celebrate Sunday provided an opportunity to get to the heart of our identity as Anglican Christians. He added that the Come&C programme and the 5 Marks Challenge were designed to embed a sense of mission in the lives of the baptised and the lives of all disciples. He thanked Canon McKinley for allowing him to lead the service on what was a historic day for the Rector and his parish.
During the service Canon McKinley’s son, Philip, talked to his father about the changes he had experienced in Whitechurch over the last 40 years. At the time Whitechurch was a rural area but the Rector recalled that houses began to be built shortly after his arrival and the building has not stopped since.
“The people here are lovely. God fuels the vocation but the people, and service to them, inspire it. The people give far more to you than you do to them,” he stated. He also paid tribute to his wife and family for their support. He encouraged people to pray at the beginning and end of each day, giving thanks for what they have and to enjoy each day.
Speaking about the Come&C programme, Philip McKinley, who is Church of Ireland Chaplain in DCU, said the initiative was transformative and brought many people out of their comfort zones.
After the service Canon McKinley and his wife were presented with a cake and parishioners thanked him for their service to them.
Photo caption: Canon Horace McKinley with his wife Pam, daughter Emma and two of his sons Andrew and Philip.