Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
New Dean of Kildare
The Revd Isobel Jackson has been appointed as Incumbent of the Kildare & Newbridge group of parishes, and Dean of St Brigid’s cathedral, Kildare. She is currently Rector of the Templebreedy group of parishes in the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne & Ross, where she has served since 2010.
Born in Sligo, she grew up in Rathmoylon, Co. Meath. She worked for the Methodist Church Home Missions in Tallaght, Dublin, before moving with her family as Mission Partners to Uganda supported by the Church Mission Society Ireland in 1998. She was ordained in 2004, in the Diocese of Ruwenzori, Western Uganda.
In 2005 she returned to Ireland where she was Childrens Ministry Officer in the the Diocese of Cashel & Ossory and assistant priest in the Lismore group of parishes. In 2010 she was appointed Rector of the Templebreedy group of parishes, where she also served as chaplain to the Diocesan Mothers’ Union.
Bishop Pat Storey said, “We look forward to welcoming Isobel. She brings great experience, both within the Church of Ireland as well as within the wider Anglican Church. We look forward to her ministry, and that of the Kildare and Newbridge Group of parishes.”
Ms Kelley Bermingham has been appointed as Pioneer Evangelist in the Centre of Mission, at St Brigid’s cathedral, Kildare, in the dioceses of Meath & Kildare. The St Brigid’s Cathedral Centre of Mission is in partnership with Church Army. It is being led by the Revd Philip McKinley, ordained for the parish group of Dunboyne & Rathmoylon, from where he is seconded part–time to lead this initiative. There is more information on the Centre of Mission at this link.
Tomorrow (Sunday) in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, the series of Lenten sermons at the 11am Sung Eucharist on the theme of repentance and reconciliation continues with a sermon from Dr Catherine Wilcox. Creative Writing Programme Leader in the University of Manchester, she is well known for her series of humorous books about the Church of England.
On Monday the 65th Church of Ireland Annual Theological Lecture at Queen’s will be held at 6.30pm in the Drama Theatre of Stranmillis University College. The speaker will be Professor Trevor Cooling, Professor Emeritus of Christian Education at Canterbury Christ Church University. His career that has taken him from working as a secondary school teacher to lecturing in theology, and serving as a diocesan adviser and as CEO of a Christian education charity. Free tickets are available from www.thehubbelfast.org or directly via Eventbrite.
On Tuesday the lunchtime lectures on the theme of music continue in Christ Church cathedral, Dublin, at 1.10pm. Canon Paul Arbuthnot, Vicar of St Ann’s, Dublin, will speak on ‘The Vicars Choral of the Dublin Cathedrals in the 19th Century’.
The St Flannan’s cathedral, Killaloe, Lenten series, ‘Mundatum Talks’ based on St John’s Gospel 13 v.14 will continue on Tuesday evening at 7.30pm.The speaker will be Bernard Lynch, an ‘out’ gay Irish born Roman Catholic priest who has worked for the rights of LGBTQIA+ people for almost fifty years. He founded the first AIDS ministry in New York and was drafted onto the Mayor of New York’s Task Force on AIDS.
On Friday at 6pm there will be a service of Choral Compline in Sandford parish church, Ranelagh. All are welcome to come to this beautiful meditative service, which provides a welcome respite from the busy Friday rush–hour. In St Macartin’s cathedral, Enniskillen, the Archbishop of Armagh will be the preacher at a 400th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service.
Published in the Saturday edition of The Irish Times