26.05.2025
‘We are all on a pilgrimage of faith’ – Five New Lay Readers Commissioned
Five people embarked on a life of service in the Church yesterday afternoon (Sunday may 25) when they were commissioned as Lay Readers in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. Archbishop Michael Jackson commissioned one Parish Reader and four Diocesan Readers during Evensong.
Erica Tully (Castlemacadam) will serve as a Parish Reader. Sandra Ganly (Taney), Eric Hughes (Swords/Donabate), Ingrid Brennan (Holy Trinity, Rathmines) and Desmond O’Carroll (Chapelizod) will serve the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough as Diocesan Readers.
The sermon was preached by the Revd John Tanner, Warden of Readers in Dublin and Glendalough who encouraged the Lay Readers to think about their mission in their new roles in terms of the Five Marks of Mission of the Anglican Communion.
He said that ministry is a privilege for anyone who serves the church and it provides a sense of purpose and reward. The Diocesan Readers are following a tradition of over 100 years while the role of Parish Reader was introduced more recently, he explained adding that they were no less important.
Both Diocesan and Parish Readers are being commissioned for roles of leadership, he said noting what the Archbishop of Armagh said in his Presidential Address at General Synod recently – “Authority and leadership are closely related. A leader at any level is someone who has been ‘authorised’ to do certain things. In the Church of Jesus Christ to be ‘authorised’ is to know that the Lord stands with you as you preach or witness or teach or lead in any way; you do so in his Name.”
Mr Tanner also referred to the second reading [Matthew 28: 1–10, 16–20] known as The Great Commission. Commission contains within it the word ‘mission’ and he asked the five Lay Readers what their mission was.
He suggested that a good place to start was the Five Marks of Mission which have been distilled to Tell, Teach, Tend, Transform and Treasure. He encouraged them to Tell by using the words Scripture and reading Morning and Evening Prayer, Teach through preaching (where authorised) and Bible study, Tend by looking out for the most vulnerable in our communities, Treasure by respecting God’s creation and protecting its resources, and Transform by being active in challenging the structures of society that do not treat others equally.
“All of this might sound like a big ask. However, few are called to work on the full Five Marks of Mission all of the time. Instead most are called to prioritise the mark or marks which best suit the gifts God has given to them. But it is important that everyone has an understanding of the full scope of what mission is all about and to recognised the variety of contributions of those who take their call to mission seriously,” he said. “Erica, Des, Eric, Sandra, Ingrid, this is a special day for you as you move forward in responding to God’s call and make promises in his presence.”
Mr Tanner said his own ministry began by serving as a Parish Reader, then as a Diocesan Reader before going forward for ordination. He did not suggest that they would all follow the same path and each ministry was important. He said being a Parish Reader gave him confidence while serving as a Diocesan Reader gave him a chance to serve different parishes in the dioceses which helped him to grow in a new way. He encouraged Diocesan Readers to exercise their ministry throughout Dublin and Glendalough and move out of the comfort zone of their own parishes.
Addressing the entire congregation he asked: “We are all on a pilgrimage of faith and each are at different stages in our journey, and we have been all called to ministry through our baptism but what are we doing to grow our faith? Looking at the Five Marks of Mission, what gifts God has given us that we can offer back to His Church?”
Check back later in the week when we hear from the new readers about their hopes for their ministry.
