360 Miscellany

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Photo above – The Revd Sean Hanily with his wife Cherith and their son.

Clerical appointments

Rathmichael Parish

The Revd Sean Hanily has been appointed as the new Rector of Rathmichael Parish in the Diocese of Dublin. The announcement was made in the parishes this morning (Sunday September 27). He will begin his ministry in Rathmichael in November.

The Revd Sean Hanily grew up in Roscommon and studied music at Trinity College Dublin, where he was also a choral scholar in the Chapel Choir. After leaving TCD he worked at St Patrick’s Cathedral for a number of years before beginning his training for ordination in 2015. He served his deacon year in Rathfarnham Parish and has been curate of Drumragh with Mountfield (Omagh) in the Diocese of Derry since 2018.

He is married to Cherith and they have a one–year old son, Marcus. Sean enjoys music, reading and being outdoors.

Speaking on his appointment to Rathmichael Parish, Sean said: “Cherith, Marcus and myself are very much looking forward to our arrival in Rathmichael Parish. It’s a part of the world we know well, and we look forward to serving God’s people there. I would ask for the prayers of our future parishioners in the next few weeks as we prepare to move from Omagh. The people of Rathmichael are in our prayers and we look forward to meeting them all soon”.

Mallow Union

The appointment has been announced of the Venerable Meurig Williams, who currently is serving as Archdeacon of France and Monaco, Commissary and Chaplain to the Bishop in Europe, to be the new Incumbent of Mallow Union of Parishes.

Meurig Williams was born in Bangor, North Wales, where his father was a Baptist minister and grew up in a Welsh-speaking home. After studying modern languages at the University of Aberystwyth, including a year in Bordeaux, he was a teacher in a secondary school near Cardiff for four years.

He returned to the University of Wales to study theology and trained for ordination at Westcott House, Cambridge. He was ordained in Bangor Cathedral in 1992 and served a curacy in the port town of Holyhead.

He subsequently served as Incumbent of Pwllheli, a market town in rural North-West Wales; and then became an Incumbent in Cardiff. He returned to Bangor as Archdeacon in 2005. In 2011 he moved to become Commissary to the Bishop in Europe – a role which he combined with being Archdeacon of North-West Europe (serving Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) before his current appointment as Archdeacon of France in 2016.

He currently has oversight of 83 congregations across France, many of which serve scattered, rural populations.

Bishop Curry – Need for safe spaces in times of conflict

The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has stated, “The events in Louisville remind us of the need for safe spaces in times of conflict. Churches, synagogues, and mosques are houses of prayer, worship, and faith. Sacred spaces are safe places where the way of love and nonviolence, the way of peace, the way of justice, and the way of reconciliation can be affirmed and practiced. In deeply conflicted situations, these spaces can play a vital role in preventing escalation into upward spirals of violence. Respecting these spaces as safe places demonstrates a commitment to finding nonviolent solutions. This can help to broker peace and change that can move a community forward, in the direction of genuine justice and eventual reconciliation.

“We must ever remember Breonna Taylor, and continue to pray for her family, loved ones, and all the people of the Louisville community. We must likewise pray for America, that our divisions may cease and that we will work together to be a nation where there is liberty and justice for all. Lastly, may we all commit ourselves anew to the living the words of the prophet Micah who said, “what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”

Cork drive in harvest

On Sunday 20th September, Moviddy Union of Parishes in the Diocese of Cork held a united ‘Drive-in’ Harvest in Peter Hynes’ field opposite St Mark’s Church, Kilbonane in the village of Aherla, County Cork.

The weather was perfect and there was a great turnout. The guest preacher was the Reverend Martin O’Kelly, rector of Kingscourt Union, Cavan. The priest-in-charge of Moviddy Union is the Reverend David Bowles, who is also Assistant Church of Ireland Chaplain at Cork University Hospital.

Music was provided by Colin Nicholls on keyboard and his grandchildren, Alison on the flute and Shane on the guitar (Photo above).

Archbishop of Canterbury preaches from Washington National Cathedral

Marking the 113th birthday of Washington National Cathedral on Sunday last (Sept. 27), the guest preacher was the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

The leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion said the struggles in the U.S., his native Britain or any other country cannot obscure our citizenship in God’s Kingdom:

“We cannot surround our love with barbed wire so that only those with the password can be its recipients. We are God’s people. It is God who chooses, not us.”

The service is online at cathedral.org, [ Youtube.com/wncathedral ]or on Facebook Live

New partnership between Diocese of Jerusalem and the Diocese of Pennsylvania

Archbishop Suheil of Jerusalem was pleased to announce his signing of a Companion Relationship Covenant between the Diocese of Jerusalem and the Diocese of Pennsylvania, led by Bishop Daniel G P Gutiérrez.

Bishop Daniel was an honoured guest at the Jerusalem Diocesan Council (Majma) last November, and he also serves as a board member of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. More recently, he was elected as Chairman of the Compass Rose Society, which has also enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with the Diocese of Jerusalem.

Within the Covenant, the two dioceses agreed to pray and support each other, sponsor mutual visits of clergy, laity and youth within each other’s dioceses, establish links between diocesan schools, and provide for pilgrimage and sabbatical opportunities for members of the two dioceses.

Archbishop Suheil is especially grateful for the Diocese of Pennsylvania’s financial support of many of his diocese’s charitable institutions, including the Jerusalem Princess Basma Centre, the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf, Al Ahli and St. Luke’s Hospitals, and the recent relief effort of All Saints, Beirut. This year the Diocese of Pennsylvania will also be hosting the American side of the Christmas simulcast held jointly between Anglicans and Lutherans at the Christmas Church in Bethlehem.

The Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough also has an established partnership relationship with Jerusalem.

Irish Emergency Alliance

“Some refugees think that if an ambulance takes a patient away that they won’t ever return.” Misinformation about Coronavirus is a big challenge in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

With your support, we can help reach more with info they need to keep safe: [ https://tinyurl.com/y4mf3uu8 ]

Pointers to prayer

Pray for wise restraint and the observation of necessary restrictions across society, enabling attempts to avoid spreading the virus as more time is spent indoors and there is greater risk of the spread of infection during winter months.

Pray for Yemeni hospitals and health workers. War, malnutrition and now the pandemic have created a ‘perfect storm’ putting huge pressure on the Yemeni healthcare system.

Lord, we’re so grateful for everything that makes us feel secure – for homes, people who love us, and purpose in life. We pray for those who don’t have the same reassurances, that God will give them a measure of peace in their circumstances. MU