Michelle Keogh retired as an SNA at the school after 18 years during which, school principal Rachel Gavin said, she has been a source of support, kindness, encouragement and care for countless children. “She has helped pupils overcome challenges, discover their strengths and reach their potential. She has enriched the lives of every child she has worked with and has been a valued colleague and friend to us all,” she stated.

Ms Gavin said they were also celebrating the school ethos and welcomed the patron, Archbishop Michael Jackson, to the assembly. “Our new ethos statement captures who we are as a school community and the values that we strive to live each day,” she commented. She said Michelle had embodied these values during her 18 years at the school.

Pupils put together a range of performances to highlight the values outlined in the ethos statement which speaks of nurturing, kindness, courage and ensuring that every child belongs. They connected those values to Michelle’s time in the school. Sixth class masters of ceremony Beth and Ethan made sure the show ran smoothly.

Michelle, who was joined at the assembly by her family, said she was grateful for her 18 years with the school. She paid particular tribute to her kids in the NEST and said they would always be in her heart.  

Archbishop Michael Jackson helped to raise the flags that KOTG NS has been awarded recently – the Active Flag, the Green Flag, the ADHD Flag and the Bi Cinnealta Flag. He commended the work on the school’s ethos statement and the achievement in being awarded the flags.

“Both the performance that you put on this morning and the flags that we are raising give colour to ethos. But what gives life to ethos is the people and to be able to cluster this around what Michelle has done with this school over 18 years really shows me that ethos is about the way we live, the way we care for one another, the way we look out for one another and the way we flourish,” he stated.

The Director of CITI, Canon Dr Maurice Elliott, gave a very warm welcome to the group over coffee, and explained some of the changes that had taken place over the years, both to the building and to the type and structures of training. It was then to a photo call in the chapel after which Archbishop Michael celebrated a most meaningful Eucharist. Taking the readings and collect of the day, in his address he drew attention to the fact that ordination never leaves one. It is a commitment that can never be broken, a promise that will be fulfilled and a vision that will be granted. He said that while we may have become and may be hailed as leaders, we remain disciples. Following Jesus is still our calling. It is not in our capacity to do but our willingness to love. Archbishop Michael concluded saying that this is not something that any one of us picks up but it is something that we were taught, and it was here (the Theological College) that we were taught it. “So let us remember and let us rejoice together on this day.”

Following the Communion Service, we adjourned to the dining room for lunch which was generously given to us free of charge. There was an opportunity, with the aid of a number of photographs going back to our college days, to share many memories and talk about former colleagues, thinking especially of those who, for one reason or another, could not be with us. We remembered how, in June 1986, nineteen of us featured in our final class photograph before leaving to be ordained, but now only twelve remain in Ireland, nine of whom are retired. Sadly, three are deceased, while others live in England, Wales, and one in New Zealand. We were kindly given a tour of the updated facilities at CITI by Jane, the Director’s P.A., before leaving again for home, travelling as far north as Holywood, Co Down, and as far south as Bandon, Co Cork. Together, we agreed that it had been a very worthwhile, moving and inspiring day and express sincere thanks to the staff at CITI for their generous welcome and kindness in hosting our 40th Ordination Anniversary Reunion.

Esther will serve as Curate Assistant in Rathmichael and Cennis will serve as Curate Assistant in Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla. Archbishop Michael Jackson presided at the service and thanked the people and Rectors of both parishes who will nurture, welcome and support the newly ordained Deacons.

The sermon was preached by Pastor Florian Von Issendorff, Lead Pastor of St Finian’s Lutheran Church in Dublin. He focused on the reading from Isaiah 6: 8 and said that the word Hineni – meaning ‘here I am’ – appears in the Old Testament many times.

“Again and again God calls people by name to wake them, to guide them, to entrust them with a task and to draw them into his service. Throughout the Bible he calls people into his service and throughout the history of the church he calls many people… and God is still calling today. Esther and Cennis, he is calling you,” he said.

Pastor Florian observed that the path into God’s service, into the ministry of the church, is rarely straight forward, rarely easy and rarely free of long periods of discernment. Ministry is a way of life so very different from the world around: it is not about personal gain or status but about lifting others; not about personal success or how others will see you but about the wellbeing of the community, he commented. Ministry challenges and rewards, gives freedom and imposes limits, “points away from me towards the one who sent me”, he added.

“It is a ministry to which all of us, the entire body of Christ, are called yet only a few are brave enough, and perhaps even a little crazy enough, to devote themselves to it full time,” he stated. “This ministry touches our whole being because it concerns the whole being of so many others. It comes with impossible working hours and no clear job description. It is also a ministry that is never carried out be one person alone. It requires the support of family and friends. It is also a ministry that is deeply intertwined with our faith and our very identity.”

Despite all the challenges he said that Esther and Cennis had answered the call – ‘Hineni’. This, he explained, is a whole hearted commitment, with body and soul. “Here I am – a human being complete with scratches and a few rough edges. I place myself at your service,” he said adding that it is brave and humble at the same time.

Esther and Cennis’s ordinations marked the end of a long journey and the beginning of a new chapter and Pastor Florian promised, from personal experience, that God will not forget their response and will provide all they need for their ministry.

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In Dublin last week we heard that members of immigrant communities are frightened by the growth of racist rhetoric in Irish society and they feel fear in their hearts. Some people speak of avoiding walking the streets of our capital city for fear of confrontation.

As people of faith and parish communities we are part of the fabric of our country. We form part of the social contract which sets the tone for how society speaks and behaves. We must stand up – not just in solidarity with – but in recognition of the fact that there is no ‘them’ and ‘us’, there is only ‘we’. We are all human and we are all children of God. We can celebrate our unique identities and cultures but we occupy our communities together.

People who now call Ireland their home, who live amongst us and contribute to our society are not just to be welcomed, they belong here. Ensuring that somebody belongs means giving up some of our space to ensure there is space for everyone to thrive. This Sanctuary Sunday I urge all parish communities to consider whether you have inadvertently trapped people in a state of perpetual welcome or whether people feel that they genuinely belong in your community. And make no mistake, welcome is extremely important, but there must be a next step.

Fittingly, the theme of Sanctuary Sunday this year is ‘Challenging Hostility with Hospitality’. I urge you to pray with me this Sanctuary Sunday in the words of the Collect by Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (see below). And then I urge you to consider what small actions you can take as individuals and parishes to ensure that the voice of God is heard in our communities to diffuse hostility and create hospitality.

+Michael

Dublin and Glendalough

Collect for Refugee Week and Sanctuary Sunday

Migrant God, free from borders, your presence spans all creation.

You take sanctuary in us, in you is our eternal sanctuary.

We behold you in community with those uprooted from their homes by war, poverty, persecution and extreme weather, especially those who make their way to these shores on small boats.

Be the shelter of their lives.

Bless their courage and resilience in seeking freedom and sanctuary.

Bring us to build cultures of welcome, hospitality and sanctuary for all;

Community where there is conflict;

Compassion where there is cruelty;

Humanity where there is hatred;

Hospitality where there is hostility;

And so, to practice and proclaim hope.

In the Name of Christ.

Amen

The Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, who chaired the Electoral College, said: “I am delighted that the electoral college of Cork, Cloyne and Ross has elected the Venerable Andrew Orr. I look forward to working with Bishop–elect Orr and wish him everything that is best in a blessed and joyous ministry”.

The Bishop–elect said: “I am delighted on honoured to have received the votes of the electoral college today. I am looking forward to walking together with the wonderful team of clergy and lay people in Cork, Cloyne and Ross and under God’s guidance to journey together into the wonderful future that is ahead of us”.

Following confirmation of the election by the House of Bishops, the Bishop–elect will be consecrated as a bishop on a date to be determined.

Archdeacon Andrew Orr

The Ven Andrew Orr is Archdeacon of Cork, Cloyne and Ross.

Ordained deacon in 1992 and priest in 1993, he has held a variety of parish roles across Ireland, including incumbencies in Castlecomer, Castleknock, and Tullow, and previously served as Archdeacon of Ossory and Leighlin.

In his current ministry he is also Chaplain to Midleton College, Priest–in–Charge of Youghal Union, and an Honorary Canon of St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork.

Beyond parish life, he is actively involved in church and environmental work, formerly chairing Eco–Congregation Ireland and representing the Church of Ireland in international environmental networks. 

Becky Heaslip of CORE St Catherine’s, Andrea Black of Holy Trinity Rathmines; Beatrice Somers of the Christ Church Cathedral Group, Joanne Kenny of Coolock, Nyaradzo Mutangirwa of Athy, Kris McCaffrey of Clontarf and Paddy Halligan of Timolin, Castledermot and Killeagh were commissioned as Diocesan Lay Readers by Archbishop Michael Jackson.

The Archbishop also commissioned John Alexander of Zion Parish as a Parish Reader.

Family and friends of the lay readers were joined by their Rectors and many members of their parish families to fill Christ Church Cathedral for a joyful and uplifting service.

The sermon was preached by Canon Prof Anne Lodge, one of the joint Wardens of Readers for Dublin and Glendalough. She noted that after the service each of the candidates would leave the cathedral “commissioned and licensed to serve – like a sort of religious 007”.

The new lay readers were following a long line of people who, like Matthew the tax collector, heard Jesus say ‘follow me’ and got up and did just that, she said. Matthew’s life was profoundly changed by answering Jesus’s call and his story showed that a discipleship response is unlikely to lead a dull life, the preacher added.

Canon Lodge told the readers that in wearing their robes, they are making a clear statement that they are not just quietly following Jesus, they are openly declaring their faith and committing to share that faith with others.

“In today’s Ireland, you are being rather counter–cultural,” she said adding: “When the risen Jesus brought his disciples out of Jerusalem just before his ascension, he gave them the great commission. They had followed him, and now he was sending them forth to preach the Gospel of God’s love and to share the good news of Jesus’s deep, extraordinary and loving gift of himself. Today, you are being authorised to follow in their footsteps – to go from here, back to your own parishes and, in the case of the Diocesan Lay Readers, to serve right across our United Dioceses, sharing that same Gospel and good news.”

Canon Lodge advised that serving in Christian ministry has its challenges and saying yes to Jesus’s call was not a guaranteed easy path. However, she said that she had never regretted making that public commitment to follow Jesus. She noted that they were joined at the service by Diocesan Lay Reader, Edward Lewis of Rathmines Parish, who has served as a lay reader for 60 years and attests that he has found only joy in his service.

“My prayer for each one of you – Andrea, Beatrice, Becky, Joanne, Kris, Nya, Paddy and John – is that you find the joy in service that I and Edward, and so many others here to support you today have found. My prayer for you is that, in standing up today, very formally to say yes to Jesus’s call to ‘follow me’, you discern that he goes before you always, through the joys and the sorrows; the highs and the lows; the mundanity and the excitement. He will be there with you, and before you, no matter where this ministry takes you,” she concluded.

Each of the newly commissioned lay readers has written about their journey to being commissioned. They will be featured on the diocesan website over the coming weeks.

In recognition of the struggles communities are facing throughout the country when it comes to addiction and access to professional services for recovery, the Very Revd William Morton, Dean of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin said: 

“We humbly extend a round of funds this year targeting people in need of recovery services in support of those who struggle with alcohol and drugs addiction. We are acutely aware, and indeed witness daily, the impact of addiction in society, particularly the most vulnerable people among us. We are grateful to the thousands of people who have visited our National Cathedral, and in an act of faith, light a candle and donate to our fund to support people in need. We are entrusted with the task of distributing the accumulated fund which in 2025 reached more than €60,000. That’s a lot of prayers and good will towards others. We thank God for their generosity and pray for His blessing upon all who have contributed to the fund.”

Applications are online at the following link:  Charitable and Community Fund Application Form 2026 – Fill out form

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin is at the heart of the city with a long history of worship, social justice, and compassion at the core of its daily operations. The cathedral welcomes people from near and far to worship, visit, volunteer, participate, and support others through its work.  

As a result, a fund is accumulated through the generosity of pilgrims’ donations which goes towards this Community and Charitable Fund. These funds are accumulated from the donations to the candle stands where people often pray, think of others and donate to support ‘People in Need’.  

The overarching theme this year is Recovery from Addiction (Alcohol and Drugs). In this round of grants, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral will allocate five organisations a sum of €10,000, one allocation of €5,000 and the remainder will be split into €500 sums.  

Due to financial reporting obligations, organisations are required to be registered charities, and to be fully compliant with the charity regulator – fully registered, returns compliant etc. Closing date is 5.30pm Friday 19th June 2026. No late applications will be accepted.

Members of the cathedral chapter and board, community and friends were joined by Cllr David Coffey, representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin, and Evensong, sung by the Cathedral Choir, was followed by a celebratory reception.  

The clerestory windows on the cathedral’s south side were in a perilous condition. As with almost all the stained glass windows in Christ Church, they date from the 1871–78 restoration by George Edmond Street. Their refurbishment is the beginning of an ambitious restoration programme leading up to Christ Church’s millennium in 2028.

The Street designed windows were made by James Bell from his stained glass workshop at 98 Russell Street in London. They feature the heraldic arms of the dioceses of the Church of Ireland (25 of them at that time) among others.

Introducing the service, Archbishop Michael Jackson noted that in “a new and special way the light from outside the cathedral will shine through that beautiful and coloured glass into the life that happens within the cathedral”.

The sermon was preached by Canon Dr Adrian Empey who said the history of the clerestory windows were a reflection of the forces that were transforming Europe in the 12th Century.

He gave an insight into the oftentimes bitterly contested world of Christian art, including stained glass, in churches. The iconoclastic controversies that raged through the Byzantine Empire in the eighth and ninth centuries resulted in the “wholesale destruction” of centuries of Christian art, he said. He compared this to today’s culture wars, offering the example of the “de–Trumping” of the Kennedy Cultural Centre in Washington.

He highlighted the connections between people such as the French abbot Suger and his reconstruction of the Basilica of Saint–Denis, pioneering the Gothic architecture style, and the explosion of stained glass art, both of which occurred contemporaneously with the reconstruction of Christ Church Cathedral by the Anglo Normans.

These developments took place in the context of dramatic change in Feudal Europe and can be said to be in response to them, he explained. “So much was going on in the 12th century – the emerging universities, the impact of reform on the church, the vitality of urban life and trade and much else in what amounted to the laying of the foundations of modern Europe and Western civilisation. So, in a very real sense, the clerestory windows are a reflection of the forces that were transforming Europe at that time,” he concluded.

Speaking after the service, Dean Dermot Dunne said during his 18 years in the cathedral he often sat in trepidation if there was a wind howling outside “because you never knew if a pane, or even a whole window, was going to blow in on top of us”. Their restoration, which had once been cost prohibitive, had been enabled by increased tourist activity in Dublin, the development of good governance at the cathedral, the appointment of the current CEO and the work of the dedicated board. He paid tribute to Dublin City Council, whose Historic Structures Grant contributed to the work.

Cllr David Coffey outlined the careful restoration of the windows and their stone surroundings, which he said Dublin City Council is proud to support. “Christ Church Cathedral is central to Dublin’s civic and cultural life and has been for centuries. It has marked time with its bells and inspired Dublin’s citizens through its outstanding choirs… It remains a spiritual and community hub and stands proudly at the top of Dame Street, an oasis of calm in this bustling city. As we approach the cathedral’s millennium we are delighted to be a partner in preserving its legacy,” he stated.

Archbishop Michael Jackson observed that most people would never see the intricacy of the work that had been carried out on the clerestory windows. He described Christ Church as being “the mother church of the dioceses, as well as in many ways the affectionate mother of the city of Dublin”. He congratulated all of those who had shown the greatest of care and craft in their work and thanked all involved in raising funds for their generosity and cooperation. He said this is only the slip road to addressing an “almost unimaginable figure” which, if broken down into bite sized pieces, becomes attainable.  

“Your generosity is essential if the cathedral is to continue to be a place of heritage, a place of worship, and a place of dynamic response, outreach and invitation. That combination of response, outreach and invitation give a new opportunity for belonging,” he said encouraging everyone to become part of the tapestry of the continuing restoration of Christ Church Cathedral.

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Billy was joined by his wife Mara and their two daughters as well as family and friends and well wishers from Kilkenny where he served as Bishop’s Vicar and Curate Assistant in St Canice’s Cathedral and Kilkenny Union of Parishes. The wider parish community was represented by members of the local Catholic parish and local public representatives.

The preacher was the Dean of Ossory, the Very Revd Stephen Farrell, who began by quoting from St Kevin and the Blackbird by Seamus Heaney. He highlighted another story of St Kevin who moved to Glendalough as a hermit, to pray for the world while being slightly set apart from it. However, he observed, “there is nothing like the search for isolation to make the world beat a path to your door” and after seven years of communing with nature would–be disciples arrived along with students and scholars. Kevin sought advice from Saint Columba, Saint Comgall and St Canice of Kilkenny before returning to Glendalough to establish a community. He went from living in isolation to a life of prayer, community, teaching and care, Dean Farrell said.

“I am delighted to say that your incoming Incumbent, whilst he has not consulted Saint Canice, has spent two very happy and fruitful years in Canice’s House in Kilkenny, and there he has shown himself to be a man of prayer, a man who loves community, a man who can teach the faith and perhaps, above all, a man with a gra for pastoral care and a true pastoral heart.  He moves here to be with you in that same Spirit that informed Saint Kevin.  Potentially with a few nerves, a little trepidation, but with eagerness to answer the call of God, to build up the body of Christ and to grow the community here,” he commented.

Dean Farrell outlined Billy’s rich life experience from his early years in Clondalkin, ministry in Tallaght, to time working in youth services in Dublin, hospice and prison chaplaincy. “He has followed the call of God into some of the most difficult and enriching corners of our society, seeking to meet the people of God where they are and serving each according to their need,” he stated adding that he brings this experience with him to Rathdrum and Derralossary with Glenealy and it will inform his ministry and form part of the rich tapestry of parish life.

Acknowledging the parish’s rich history he urged both the new Rector and parishioners to engage in good and open communication and to encourage and support one another. He suggested that they enter this new relationship, “this solemn commitment to one another” in the same frame of mind as bride and groom in the spirit of partnership.

Dean Farrell described Billy as having a deep spirituality which underpins his priesthood. He seeks to follow Christ and become more like him and is fearless. He is also a pastor through and through. “That was clear to the parish in Kilkenny as soon as he arrived. He will help you to walk the mile and bear the load. In hospital visiting, home visits, bereavement care, Billy will come alongside you be a Christ–like presence in your joys and your sorrows,” he stated.

He concluded by reminding parishioners that each member of the community had been gifted by the Holy Spirit for discipleship and the priesthood of all believers. “Tonight is a celebration of the life of this parish and a moment for everyone to become enthused by the way in which this parish can be good news for the communities it serves. Today is a new beginning, as together you forge ahead to create new opportunities to proclaim the Gospel,” he said.

Billy addressed the congregation after the service and began by saying that it was by the grace of God, who had been with him at each step of his journey, that he had been blessed in all that he had done and received.

He said his institution in Rathdrum brought great joy but acknowledged that it was touched with some sadness as he said farewell to the people of Kilkenny Union who had supported him over the past two years. “We have come to the point where we are to separate on our pilgrimage and I now continue on the pilgrim way with the people of Rathdrum and Derralossary with Glenealy,” he commented.

He thanked Dean Farrell for his support and encouragement and the people of Rathdrum who had made himself, Mara and their daughters so welcome.

Round towers had played a large part in his journey through life, he said. Adding that he felt blessed to be working in a parish with Glendalough at its centre. “I grew up in Clondalkin and could see the Round Tower from my bedroom window. I moved to Ballycoolan, Laois and attended mass each Sunday in Timahoe with the Round Tower at its centre. My curacy for two years was in St Canice’s Cathedral with its Round Tower. Now Glendalough, so deeply rooted in Christian spirituality and to where St Kevin travelled, is at the centre of my parish with its monastic city and Round Tower. Round towers seem to be very much attached to my journey,” he said. It was in Glendalough that he spent much time in prayer discerning his vocation to the priesthood, he added.

He thanked his wife Mara for her support and said he felt very much at home in Rathdrum for he had hiked and walked the hills around the area and even went out with Mara on one of their first dates to Avondale and Glendalough. 

[All photographs by Tony Monaghan] 

This morning the Archbishop stated: