28.06.2020
Rathmines Rector Receives Lord Mayor’s Covid Hero Award
The work of Holy Trinity Rathmines in supporting vulnerable people in their community during lockdown has been recognised by the Lord Mayor of Dublin. On Saturday afternoon (June 27) the Revd Rob Jones accepted a Covid Heroes award on behalf of his parish team. The award was presented by the Lord Mayor Tom Brabazon.
Earlier this month the Lord Mayor sought nominations for Covid Heroes and 1,210 people responded nominating 215 individuals and groups. He read each nomination and chose five people to receive the Dublin Crystal plaques.
Rob and his Holy Trinity team were nominated by a member of the local Garda station for helping vulnerable citizens in Rathmines with food and medicine drops while Rob also spent time with people in Harold’s Cross Hospice whose families couldn’t visit them because of the pandemic. Holy Trinity also worked to raise the spirits of people in the area and is currently hosting a community art exhibition on the church railings in conjunction with Kildare Place School.
Other Covid Heroes were Michael Larkin who became famous around the world for his balcony bingo in Canon Mooney Gardens in Ringsend, Glenda Harrington who continued helping homeless people during the pandemic, Moira Kennedy and her friends who raised funds for the Ranelagh Covid Response Team and Theresa Kelly who organised food deliveries for vulnerable people in Raheny.
The Lord Mayor visited all five Covid Heroes yesterday and in Holy Trinity Rathmines he said he had been drawn to the work the parish had done. “Rob’s work was drawn to my attention by a member of the local Garda station who highlighted the link that Rob provided between people who were passing away in the local hospice and their families who could not see them. But this only scratches the surface because I’ve come here and I see the connection with children, volunteers and the wider community. Everyone played their part,” he said.
He added: “Throughout the Covid period the city has drawn together in an amazing way. The work has been wonderful to see - the altruism that has come to the fore and the sense of community that has been discovered. I hope it is not lost. It has been the silver lining during this period. I thank each and every one of you for your leadership and community spirit”.
Archbishop Michael Jackson noted that Rob was keen to point out that the work had been carried out by the whole parish team. However, he said that all teams needed leaders. “Rob never puts himself above others but he is a very effective leader. During this time we could have locked ourselves down but honour and respect lies in doing something for someone else. When we see the range of people and activities right across the city it is a wonderful endorsement of what people have done in an age that people never thought they would see and never want to see again,” he said.
Rob said he was honoured to receive the award. When lockdown began 16 weeks ago he recalled sitting in the church office with the team. “We all felt that we needed to serve the community,” he said. “I knew I couldn’t do this alone. All of these people stepped up – whether it was food and medicine drops or providing online content to help and encourage people, the railings project, the flowers and the music. It was a privilege to serve together.”