Having approved the nominations of the Curates, Archbishop Michael Jackson encouraged people to pray for them as they prepare for ordination.

“Across the United Dioceses we are delighted at the prospect of welcoming two curates assistant,” he said. “Esther and Cennis are coming to parishes which are in the process of developing their range of ministry and community involvement at home and abroad. We pray for them both as they prepare for their ordination and for the grace of God in their life and work.”

Esther is currently serving her intern year in St Mark’s, Dundela, Belfast, and will join the Rathmichael church family later in the summer.

Announcing the appointment the Rector of Rathmichael, the Revd Sean Hanily, told the congregation that “it has been a joy to get to know Esther in the journey of discernment with her in recent weeks. I have been truly amazed at how clear and strong her calling to Rathmichael is. I am very much looking forward to having her serve alongside us as we continue to grow and reach out to more people in our fast–growing area. This is a very exciting time for us all, and I know that Esther will be made feel as welcome and at home in Rathmichael as I have.”

Esther writes: “There are times when God surprises us. At the beginning of the year, as the curacy process began, I could not have foreseen where I might serve as curate. The process of visiting and discernment has been stretching and fulfilling. It is with excitement that I embark on this next season, serving in a new parish and new diocese. I look forward to both learning from and contributing to the parish life of Rathmichael.”

Cennis is currently serving his intern year in Navan in the Diocese of Meath and Kildare and will come to the Parish of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla in the summer.

Originally from Nigeria, Cennis held the role of Parish Reader in his home parish of Trim and Athboy in Meath Diocese. He is married to Kechi and they have four daughters Divine, Chiamaka, Michelle and Ashling.

Rector of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla, the Revd Colin McConaghie said: “I am looking forward welcoming Cennis to the parish following ordination in June and I am excited by the gifts Cennis will bring along with his warm and friendly personality”.

Speaking of his appointment Cennis said: “I am delighted to be joining the parish of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla as a Curate. Having completed part of my ministerial training in this parish during my first year of the MTh programme, I already have a sense of its warmth and welcome, which has drawn me back. I am particularly encouraged by the parish’s commitment to worship, fellowship, and outreach. I am excited about the opportunity to serve and learn in such a vibrant parish setting.”

News of this nature is deeply distressing, above all for those who have experienced abuse, and also for families, friends and communities.

We encourage anyone directly affected to contact our Safeguarding Team via email at  safeguarding@rcbcoi.org

Reporting is also available through statutory agencies Tusla – Child and Family Agency (Children) or the HSE Safeguarding Portal (Vulnerable Adult).

If there is an immediate risk of harm, contact An Garda Síochána by calling 999 or 112.

Additional support available:

Safeguarding Ireland https://safeguardingireland.org/

ISPCC Childline (under 18’s) 1800 66 66 66 (24 hour) or at https://www.ispcc.ie/

Pieta House on 1800 247 247 (24 hour) or text HELP to 51444 or https://www.pieta.ie/

Samaritans 116 123 (24 hour)

Aware 1800 80 48 48 or 01 524 0360 (7 days a week 10am – 10pm)

‘Benjamin Culme, D D, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral Dublin 1625–1657 – An Overlooked Dean’ will be launched by the current Dean, the Very Revd William Morton in the Deanery of St Patrick’s Cathedral on Tuesday May 19 2026 at 6.30pm.

Robert Kingston is Chaplain to the Mageough in Dublin having served as Rector in a number of parishes. When he became Rector of Virginia in Co Cavan he discovered that one of his predecessors, Culme, had gone on to be Dean of St Patrick’s. When he went to learn more about him he found that no biography had been written and that began many years of fascinating research.

“Culme has been more or less overlooked in the literature but I believe he held a vital appointment at a time of violent tensions in society and tensions between low church Puritans, high church Laudians like Bishop Bramhall and those who, like Culme, sought a broad church middle way,” Robert explains. “He sought an accommodating approach to peace between Christians. In some ways a situation not unlike that in our own time. I believe there is much we can learn from Culme and hope this book might spark a discussion about seeking a conciliatory and eireinic approach.”

Benjamin Culme was reared in an upwardly mobile farming family in Devon in the late 1500s. Having graduated from Oxford in the early 1600s he followed two of his brothers to Ireland where they had benefitted from the Elizabethan plantation of Ulster.

Robert Kingston was Rector of Virginia in Co Cavan from 1984 where the local view, backed by some contemporary sources, was that Culme had been the first Reformed minister. However, his name does not appear in Canon Leslie’s lists of the clergy of Kilmore Diocese and so the search began to find the truth. As an amateur in this area the author was led down all sorts of interesting byways in Cavan, Meath, Dublin, Kilkenny, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin and finally Wiltshire which highlighted many of the issues of the time in church and state matters which affected Culme personally.

“This is a personal rather than an academic account but hopefully doing justice to the available information we have about him and as interesting in the reading as it was in the writing,” Robert commented.

The new book is published by Hinds Publishing and will be available at the launch and on Hinds’ website www.hinds.ie.

Dublin and Glendalough’s Vocation Day will take place on Saturday June 27 2026 in Crinken Church in Bray from 10am to 1pm. Lunch will be provided. Organised by Dublin and Glendalough’s Directors of Ordinands, Canon Suzanne Harris and Canon Tom O’Brien, the day is designed to support those who feel a wish to serve God but are not sure where to start. For more information and to book a place please email Tom at rector@crinken.ie or Suzanne at Suziesharris@gmail.com. All are welcome.

The word “vocation” comes from the Latin “vocare”, meaning “to call”. We often think of vocation as a call from the blue that sets apart the rest of our life from what has gone before. However, in this gently–guided time of prayer, silence, and mindful activity, Lydia will explore the ways in which vocation is part of what we do each day. 

All Christians are called to follow God and to follow His teachings and Word. Many of us are a point of welcome and contact for others – from a job in a local shop, cafe, school or business, to volunteering with a Tidy Towns clean–up, donating blood, or stewarding at a St Patrick’s Day parade. Lived with intention, this is a ministry of outreach and connection in our local communities, and becomes our vocation when we follow it in God’s name.

If you feel a wish to serve God but have no idea how, or feel inadequate or worried about personal, financial, time or family constraints, then this time of listening and exploration is for you. Come as you are, with your doubts and your questions, and rest in God’s love for you. Discerning God’s call to us takes time, prayer, reflection, patience and attentiveness to his words. Any call of God is ultimately relational, and begins with Him and flows from Him. When God calls us, He speaks our name with love, and He invites us to respond to Him in perfect freedom.

You may feel a call to ordained or lay ministry and want to set aside time to listen to God’s voice, turn towards His face and rest in His promises. We’re looking forward to welcoming you there.

Lydia has been Ministry Leader with the Church’s Ministry of Healing: Ireland since 2022. She holds a Masters in Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies and a Higher Diploma in Education. She is a qualified Forest School Leader, which focuses on engaging people in nature and all the benefits that brings. Lydia has trained with Kintsugi Hope, a charity based in the UK striving to make a difference to people’s mental wellbeing, as well as in deep listening and in grief awareness. She has facilitated part of the Mothers’ Union Changing the Story initiative, which aims to equip the Church to change the story of domestic abuse and gender–based violence in Ireland, and in which CMH:I is a partner.

Aughrim in County Wicklow was badly affected. Local rivers burst their banks and floodwater flowed into streets and did thousands of euros worth of damage to properties, electrical appliances and furniture.

Naturally, people were distraught at this natural disaster.

The call went out for help and the Church of Ireland Representative Church Body awarded €2,800 to provide some relief to victims.

In this video, Canon Suzanne Harris from Aughrim talks about what unfolded, but first, David Ritchie, RCB Chief Officer, gives Ray Hayden some background to the Flood Relief Grant.

Dani O’Brien of Crinken Church in Dublin spoke about their new coffee pod, Connected Coffee, which they operate with volunteers and TUS workers in the church grounds which is located in the midst of a rapidly growing residential area. She said that simple acts of kindness can open hearts to Christ and their ministry is never just about the coffee. She advised participants that love starts with God, small acts matter, and to fill every day with small acts of grace.

Archdeacon Katharine Poulton, who was Bishop’s Curate of St George and St Thomas’s in Dublin from 2000 to 2010, recalled the small congregation in the city centre church when she was appointed. However, the “faithful remnant” opened the doors of the church and people came in and they were welcomed. The Discovery Gospel Choir was formed and became a beacon of light and a visit by Archbishop Desmond Tutu put the church on the map. A lot of people who were working through the asylum system integrated themselves by becoming involved in the parish. She observed that the congregation was not sustained as people found their feet and moved on but today there is another faithful remnant of highly motivated Christians seeking to build the church once more.

Cherith Hanily of Rathmichael Parish in Dublin talked about the highly successful trails that she has coordinated. The aim of running the trails is to introduce Jesus to the community and build trust and engagement with families. They are fun activities with a Christian message and include the distribution of Christian literature. They serve to introduce people to their local church, build school connections, and act as a gateway for visitors to become involved in the church community, she explained.

Dean Diane Matchett spoke about her ministry in Tuam and said that growth is not always about the numbers but about belief. She said it was important to try but also to be prepared to fail and to let go of things. “We should be invested wherever God wants us to be,” she commented. She spoke of the ancient stone circles of Cong, one of which is located in the garden of the Deanery and which is visited by people from all over the world. She said these stones have presented the opportunity for amazing conversations about faith.

The Revd William Jeffrey of the Diocese of Clogher highlighted his rural ministry in the parish of Lisbellaw with Coolbuck and urged people to “get out of the pews and into the community”. He has become involved in many local organisations to build integration between the local church and schools, sports clubs and organisations. “Growth in the relationship with the community is an ongoing task. Church and community working together so we have a community that loves and values the ministry of the church,” he said.

The Revd Karen Salmon spoke about church growth in Magherally and Annaclone where she is involved in planting a new church community through country gospel music. She has adopted an invitational approach and highlighted the importance of prayer in Jesus’s name to support every aspect of ministry. She says there has been growth in numbers and giving through this outreach and encouraged participants to use soft entry points as an essential way of building the church.

Natalie Trainor, a pioneer in training with the Church of Ireland’s Pioneer Ministry movement, spoke about the Grove Church in Newry. “We didn’t start with the building, we began with Scripture,” she said adding: “It is not about fast growth, it is about rooted growth, a community rooted in God’s truth, growing together in grace and reaching out in love.”

Ross Barrett is a pioneer leading Cook, Serve, Pray, Repeat in the Lismore Union of Parishes in County Waterford. A chef by training, Ross had worked in Cambodia and Kenya before joining the pioneer team in the Church of Ireland. He outlined his ministry which sees him stepping out of the pews and into the streets and housing estates where hope runs thin, setting up his cooking pot, serving hot meals and bringing community together. “People are hungry in this country. We bring our holy hot pot and show up where people are… They ask why we are doing this and we say ‘because there is a God who hasn’t forgotten about you’,” he explained.

Seminars

Throughout the afternoon conference participants joined a selection of seminars. Captain George Newell, Tanya Olhausen and John Quinn of Alpha led on Growth Through Evangelism. Dr Keith Gardiner and the Revd Jan Stevenson spoke about Growth Through Stewardship. Glynis Matchett, Lydia Monds and Paula Wright shared about Growth Through Prayer. A session on Worship and Church Music was led by Archdeacon Peter Thompson, James Turner and Jude Frame. The Revd Ian Horner and Jeremy Steward spoke about Leading in Your Context. A session on Community Engagement was led by Hilary McClay and the Revd Philip McKinley. The Revd Emma Gibson and the Revd Graham Hare led a session called The Bible. Read, Mark, Learn. Buildings: not a burden but a resource for mission and church growth was led by Dean Paul Draper, Stephen and Jane Leighton and Ian Walshe. Archdeacon Jim Cheshire and the Revd Scott Evans led a session on Communication: In the Church and Community.

You can read more about the conference, including Canon Alistair Graham’s keynote address here. 

This fresh interest in the Christian faith has come as a surprise to many, Canon Graham admitted. People had become resigned to the decline of the church as they knew it and the waning of its influence. However, young adults in particular, value the church’s role in creating community and enabling people to encounter God.

Over two inspiring and encouraging Saturdays (April 18 in the Stormont Hotel in Belfast and April 25 in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dublin), more than 200 people gathered to hear stories of hope of how parishes throughout the Church of Ireland are responding to the call to share God’s word in different ways. Through stories of coffee and cooking to sport and ancient stones, one thread was highlighted – the importance of connecting with people where they are and of being the church outside the walls.

Both gatherings were hosted by Bishop David McClay, chair of the Commission on Ministry. He declared that decline is not inevitable. After an afternoon of engaging seminars, participants were commissioned to go out and continue to respond to God’s call.

In a special moment, singer, songwriter and Eurovision winner, Dana, movingly brought each day to a close with her hymn to St Patrick ‘Light the Fire’. She said it had been a privilege to share in both wonderful days and she had been touched by the opening prayers when participants sang out God’s praise. She said the Holy Spirit is moving in powerful ways and said the only way forward is together.

Canon Graham’s address, entitled ‘Growing God’s Church – Rooted in His Word, Responding to His Call’, began by highlighting the starting point for Christians. “As Christians we know our God reigns and Jesus is king. As disciples of Jesus we help in the building of Jesus’s kingdom by lavishly spreading the Good News and living our lives in the way God intended His world to be – a place of beauty and delight,” he said.

As with earlier generations, the secular and human world faces challenges and presents opportunities for spreading the Gospel. Geopolitical changes are causing turmoil and the international order has been wounded and ignored. Globalisation is under pressure with the rise of national protectionism and isolationism and international institutions are acting in uncertainty. Many parts of the globe are experiencing war and violent conflict, social media pervades many aspects of life, violence against women is a major problem, and climate change is impacting many. There are changes to ‘emerging adulthood’ with 18 to 29 year olds taking longer to find permanent jobs and personal relationships, and struggling to answer the question ‘who am I?’ Migration has come into focus. Social capital needs to be strengthened.

Against this stark backdrop, Canon Graham cited opinion that a new breed of secular thinkers is considering the value of Christianity and its social and community wellbeing benefits. “Those considering and enquiring about faith are both asking big questions around the meaning of life and Christian truth and seeking a community where they feel they truly belong. This fresh interest in the Christian faith has come as a surprise to many. They had become resigned to the fact that the Church as they knew it was declining and its influence waning,” he commented.

A number of recent reports in Ireland and elsewhere have shown that a cohort of young adults are actively seeking a life of faith, and attending church, in the search for meaning in their lives and membership of a community. Canon Graham highlighted the Praxis Report in 2024 which found that 99% of those interviewed saw the importance of creating community and 96% saw the importance of strengthening faith and enabling people to encounter God as essential activities in the Church. Almost 66% aged between 22 and 26 years had a good experience of church, 58% read their Bible daily and 63% prayed every day.

He also pointed to the increase in sales of bibles as a global trend of renewed engagement with Scripture driven by social uncertainty and personal spiritual exploration. There has also been an increase in people participating in Alpha courses. Youth workers in the Church of Ireland are encouraged by what they are seeing, he said, with over 6,000 young people being part in parish youth ministry and 3,200 young people and their leaders attended Summer Madness. Ireland remains one of the most religious countries in Europe, the Turning Tide report shows, revealing that 51% of Irish adults pray weekly and 27% of young adults praying weekly. The Church of Ireland National Director of Vocations noted recently that there is an increase in the numbers called to ministry. Every diocese in the Church of Ireland has initiatives creatively connecting with people, he added.

In responding to the call, Canon Graham said that God takes the long view and so should we. God has clearly annunciated His will in Scripture. “Spending energy appeasing and persuading earthly institutions and structures and ologies and isms doesn’t work. Through the Cross, Jesus disarmed these powers. The only thing that works and matters is accepting God’s will from heaven,” he explained.

We are called to be faith–bearers, he stated, and as such we are called to prioritise God and Jesus, prioritise the place of the Bible, ensure our churches are centres of grace where welcome and biblical hospitality are evident, be true worshippers, and embrace the Great Commission and make disciples of all nations.

“So, with new signs of hope all around to encourage us, rooted in God’s word and responding to God’s call, let us together grow His church.  In the words of the hymn by Graham Kenedrick, let us work to see again the beauty of God’s love replacing the brokenness of humanity and the hope of Christ replacing the world’s despair,” he concluded.

You can read Canon Graham’s address in full here.

You can read the stories of hope from around the Church here. 

The venue will be the Slieve Donard Hotel which was opened in 1898 by the Belfast and County Down Railway to bring tourists to the growing resort town nestling below the Mourne Mountains.

The ‘new castle’ was built in 1588 just south of the River Shimna, replacing a previous fortification, and was replaced around 1830 by a hotel – the Annesley Arms.  The building subsequently became the town’s public library and now houses its leisure centre and tourist information centre.

The Honorary Secretaries of the General Synod: the Revd Canon Malcolm Kingston, the Revd Canon Gillian Wharton, Mr Ken Gibson and Ms Hazel Corrigan.

The Church of Ireland parish church is St John’s.  Members and visitors are asked to note, however, that the General Synod Service of Holy Communion will be held in the venue at 12noon on the first day.  The preacher will be The Most Revd Pat Storey, Bishop of Meath and Kildare.

Schedule

This will be the third meeting of the 52nd General Synod of the Church of Ireland and the meeting hours are scheduled to proceed as follows:

·         First day – 12noon to 1pm & 2pm to 6.30pm

·         Second day – 10am to 1pm & 2pm to 6.30pm

·         Third day – 10am to 4.30pm

The Presidential Address will be delivered by Archbishop John McDowell shortly after the start of business. A short presentation will be made by the Working Group to Review Clergy Tenure on Thursday afternoon to outline the background to its work before the bills resulting from this work are brought before the Synod members for consideration.

The Council for Mission and the Bishops’ Appeal for World Aid and Development warmly invite all members of the General Synod to a mission lunch in the venue on Friday immediately following the morning session.  The guest speaker will be Tearfund’s Middle East Regional Director, Safa Hijazeen.

The Diocese of Down and Dromore will make a presentation to General Synod about its ministries on Friday afternoon.

Bills

General Synod’s main purpose, in its role as the Church of Ireland’s governing body, is to consider proposals for legislation (bills) which seek to amend the Constitution.

This year, members will consider bills to remove references to ‘deacons serving in an internship’ from the Chapters I and XIV – as ordinands are no longer ordained before serving their internship – and and to amend Chapter XVI, in relation to safeguarding, to remove mention of the names of the previous safeguarding policies and reword so this chapter does not refer to the names of specific safeguarding policies going forward and, therefore, cannot be out of date in this regard.

Three bills arising from the work of the Working Group to Review Clergy Tenure will be proposed, covering the clergy disciplinary process (in Chapter XIII), situations of ill–health (in Chapter IV), and pastoral breakdown (in Chapters IV and VI).

Reports

Over the course of the three days, members will receive and discuss reports from the following committees:

·         Standing Committee

·         Representative Body

·         Board of Education

·         Church of Ireland Youth Department

·         Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue

·         Commission on Ministry

·         Council for Mission

·         Church of Ireland–Methodist Covenant Council

·         Liturgical Advisory Committee

·         Marriage Council

·         Pioneer Ministry Governing Council

The results of the 2025 Church of Ireland Census will be presented in the Standing Committee report.  The Consultative Group on Disability has circulated a survey for deaf members of congregations to all clergy, and plans to launch and distribute a further all–island survey across as many aspects of accessibility as possible.  The Central Communications Board has worked with RTÉ to help deliver a new model for the broadcasting of TV services from parishes, which complements the current practice for BBC services on radio.

The Representative Church Body’s report will highlight the completion of work on the future funding of chaplaincies and curacies, and work in progress on its property strategy (including the development of a new campus incorporating the Church of Ireland Theological Institute, RCB Library, and RCB offices in Dublin), committee governance and succession planning, and empowering clergy to consider post–ordination training, peer support, and mentoring. The Executive Committee’s objective is to support the mission and ministry of the Church of Ireland, with the vision to be well–structured and resourced to support its current and future needs and ambitions.

The Commission for Christian Unity and Dialogue’s report includes a report by the Revd Chris Mac Bruithin on ‘Russian world’ ideology which has been identified as a concern by the Conference of European Churches and is used to attempt to give theological justification to the continuing invasion of Ukraine.  Mr Mac Bruithin relays the thanks of delegates from Ukraine to the Church of Ireland for welcoming refugees and continuing to pray for the country.

The Council for Mission highlights five Mission Matters podcasts which include interviews and discussions with Chris Wright of Langham Partnership, Luke Hawkins from CIYD on Summer Madness, bishops from Sudan and South Sudan, and Julie McKinley and Rhiannon McAleer on the Quiet Revival.

The Liturgical Advisory Committee reports on its Take a Minute pastoral prayer cards, the production of resources for Racial Justice Sunday, and the recruitment of a full team of Diocesan Liturgical Officers, with the view to updating clergy and lay readers with recently published content through a series of roadshows.

The Wedding Venues Working Group, set up following the debate on increased discretion for conducting weddings outside church buildings at General Synod, has received reports from differing perspectives on the issue.  The working group has consulted with other Christian denominations regarding their practice; it has noted that any change to existing practice must safeguard the centrality and significance of consecrated worship spaces, and respect the conscience, integrity and office of local clergy.

As General Synod approaches, readers can find out more information – including the full Book of Reports, motions, bills and forms for proposing items of business – on the General Synod website at www.churchofireland.org/synod

The Honorary Secretaries of the General Synod are the Revd Canon Gillian Wharton, the Revd Canon Malcolm Kingston, Ms Hazel Corrigan, and Mr Ken Gibson.

Please send your entries, along with a completed entry form to: pressoffice@rcbcoi.org

Or to:

Synod Department, Church House, Church Avenue, Rathmines D06 CF67.

Closing date: 1st May 2026

The entry form can be downloaded here. 

The RCB, www.rcb.ireland.anglican.org, is the principal trustee body for the Church of Ireland. It holds a substantial portfolio of funds and properties in trust on behalf of the RCB and on behalf of parishes, dioceses and other trust funds of the Church of Ireland throughout the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

·       General reception duties.

·       Answering and redirecting phone calls and answering general queries.

·       Maintenance of booking system for meeting rooms.

·       Arranging courier deliveries and collections.

·       Scanning and distributing post.

·       Uploading information to the Church of Ireland website.

·       Providing administrative support to other departments.

·       Proof reading documents.

·       Such other tasks as may be assigned from time to time by line manager.

Education, experience and competencies

Education & training

Essential

·       Leaving certificate or equivalent.

Desirable

·       Qualification in office administration, customer service or other relevant discipline.

Experience

Essential

·       At least 3 years’ experience working in a busy office environment.

Desirable

·       Experience of working in a role covering the main duties and responsibilities of this position.

Knowledge & skills

Essential

·       Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Other

Essential

·       Willing to work flexibly.

·        Excellent verbal communication skills.

·       Able to work in Ireland.

The RCB reserves the right to amend these criteria for the purposes of shortlisting.  Any amendments to the criteria will be applied equally to all candidates.

Terms and Conditions of Appointment:

Appointment: This is a permanent position.

Hours of work:  Part–time, 5 full days per fortnight.

Location:  Based in Church House, Rathmines, Dublin.

Applications

To apply please send your CV to recruit@rcbcoi.org by 4th May 2026.