12.09.2016
New Dean’s Vicar Installed At Christ Church Cathedral
The Revd Abigail Sines was Installed as Dean’s Vicar at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, yesterday (Sunday September 11). The Installation took place during Choral Evensong, sung by the Cathedral Choir, and Abigail was assigned her stall by the Very Revd Dermot Dunne. The sermon was preached by the Revd Dr William Olhausen.
Abigail succeeds the Revd Garth Bunting who was appointed Rector of Drumcondra and North Strand earlier in the summer. She was ordained a Deacon in 2014 and priested the following year for curacy in the Christ Church Cathedral Group. She is from Hampton, Virginia, in the United States. In university she studied international relations and Chinese. After graduation she spent a year in China teaching English before undertaking postgraduate studies at the University of Hawai`i, continuing her academic interest in China and eventually taking up a position at the East–West Centre, the Honolulu–based organisation that had sponsored her studies.
After six years Abigail felt the call to study theology and in 2008 began studies at Belfast Bible College and completed an MTh there in 2010. She then began her studies at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in 2012. Following her ordination to the diaconate, she served as Intern Deacon at St Paul’s, Glenageary.
The duty of the Dean’s Vicar is to assist the Dean to teach the Christian Faith, to welcome all visitors and pilgrims, care for those in need, pray for the clergy and people in the United Dioceses and for the Church of God throughout the world and to promote the work and mission of the people of God in the cathedral.
In his sermon Dr Olhausen outlined the context in which the Gospel reading [John 6: 51–69] was set and the series of events which showed that people were excited about Jesus and wanted to know who he was. Speaking in the synagogue in Capernaum Jesus said he was the living bread which came down from heaven. He said that these words were a revelation and that cathedrals and churches are places of revelation. “Abigail, the Lord has called you to minister in the largest place of gathering in these United Dioceses. Never forget that this is a place where the voice and word of Christ can be heard,” he said.
Dr Olhausen added that the Gospel tells that people had difficulty with the idea of eating the flesh of Jesus and drinking his blood but said that Jesus could accomplish his mission through his death – through his grace he bestowed eternal life on all people. “This city is full of people crying out for grace. They need to know the eternal love of the Son of God,” he said urging Abigail to help ensure that Christ Church continues to be a cathedral of grace.
The Gospel reading also said that after that point some of the disciples no longer went with Jesus. He said this was a challenge to us collectively, as people of the United Dioceses, and individually – to ask ourselves to what extent it might be true of us. He said Abigail was good at making disciples and urged her to continue her investment in this.
Photo caption: The Revd Abigail Sines (centre) with the Revd Dr William Olhausen (left) and Dean Dermot Dunne.
More photos on our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/DublinandGlendalough/posts/1092629000773143