03.12.2016
Archbishop of Jerusalem Gets Taste of Dublin & Glendalough Diocesan Life
The Archbishop of Jerusalem, the Most Revd Suheil Dawani and his Chaplain, Canon David Longe, began their first full day in Dublin & Glendalough yesterday (Friday December 2). They are here on the first official visit to the dioceses under the Jerusalem Link partnership which was agreed in Jerusalem in January. Journeying with them throughout the day were the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, and members of the Dublin & Glendalough Council for Mission.
Their day got underway with pupils of Springdale National School in Raheny where Archbishop Suheil spoke to the children about his diocese and the city of Jerusalem. The Dublin school has over 200 pupils from 21 faith backgrounds and he talked of the importance of peace and living together as the family of God. The Archbishop presented the school with a Jerusalem Cross and they, in turn, presented him and Canon Longe with Irish rugby gear. Archbishop Michael Jackson explained the background to the Jerusalem Link. Later, the Principal Stella Downes talked about the importance of integration.
Mount Temple School in Clontarf was the next stop where they were greeted by the Principal, Liam Wegimont, and chairman of the board, Canon Robert Deane. Students provided a wide range of musical entertainment and members of the Student Council told the visitors about their school. Archbishop Dawani told the students about schools and the other facilities run by his dioceses. He said that while the majority of people attending their schools, hospitals and facilities were Muslims, they focused on respect for human beings rather than their religion.
A tour of the Cowper Care facility in Baldoyle which saw Care Manager, Jack Buckley, give the history of the facility and its transition from being solely a Christian Brothers care home to its integration with the Church of Ireland. He said the integration process had been their greatest challenge but it had been seamless. He also highlighted the centre’s JCI accreditation, one of only two nursing homes in Ireland to have attained it. Archbishop Jackson described the work of the centre as being faith and community in action and praised the partnership between the Christian Brothers and the Church of Ireland.
The group then joined parishioners of St Doulagh’s Church, Balgriffin, for Evening Prayer. The site of the church has been a place of Christian worship for 1,400 years and parts of the current church building are 900 years old, the Rector, the Revd Dr Norman Gamble, explained. Speaking during the service Archbishop Dawani said he hoped and prayed the partnership between the Dioceses of Jerusalem and Dublin & Gendalough would continue to be strengthened by prayer and visits. “Our ministry is of peace and reconciliation. There is a lot of violence and destruction so I hope we can work together for peace and reconciliation,” he stated.
Later in the evening, representatives from many Faith communities attended a reception in the Mansion House in Dublin, hosted by the Ambassador of the State of Palestine, Mr Ahmad Abdelrazek. Among the guests was the Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd Dr Richard Clarke.
Representing the Ambassador, who was unable to be present, the Chargé d’Affaires, Jilan Abdalmajid, praised the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem’s achievements in the medical, social and educational fields. Archbishop Dawani said it was a special occasion to meet people from Jerusalem and share friendship and fellowship. Talking about his diocese’s work, he said they helped all people in need, people who were marginalised and said it was important that all people have dignity and hope. “We pray and hope because we believe that religion can be part of the solution… We pray for peace and stability for everyone in the region,” he said.
Archbishop Jackson spoke of Dublin & Glendalough’s fundraising efforts which have succeeded in raising €200,000 for the refurbishment of on–call facilities and solar panels at Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza. He added that the Jerusalem Link was not simply about money, but about friendship and solidarity.
Photos – Top in St Doulagh’s Church, middle in the Mansion House with the Chargé d’Affaires and bottom in Springdale National School.
There are many more photographs from all the locations visited yesterday on the Jerusalem Link Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/JerusalemLink/posts/1165747170176221