Church of Ireland retired clergy enjoy reunion at Dundalk

Wednesday November 13th 2024

The retired clergy met at Dundalk Grammar School.

Report by Canon Jim Campbell

Dundalk Grammar School was the venue for a recent joint meeting of members of the Retired Clergy Association (Northern Ireland) and their retired colleagues from the Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough.

The school, about halfway between Belfast and Dublin and a few minutes’ walk from the railway station, proved an ideal location, especially as the reunion was in the middle of the pupils’ half-term break.

Light refreshments provided the 35 members present to exchange greetings, mingle together and catch up on personal happenings since the last reunion.

Following a service of Holy Communion, celebrated by Canon Paul Houston, chairman of the Southern Association, a delicious lunch was provided, through the generosity of the Dublin and Glendalough hosts.

The afternoon session was led by the Rev Dr Kieran O’Mahony, a former Ecumenical Canon of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, and a former lecturer at the Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy.

Dr O’Mahony proved to be an excellent communicator and listening to what he had to say on Galatians 3: 16-21 was both fascinating and illuminating. He dealt with five overlapping ‘stories’ embedded below the surface in the text: the story of ancient Israel and its relationship with God; the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection; the story of Paul’s conversion experience; the story of the mission to the Galatians; and the story of the intruders from Jerusalem.

The understandings produced by this ‘drilling down’ to see what lay behind St Paul’s thinking as he wrote the text of the Galatians passage gave us new insights and much to reflect on in Pauline theology.

Mutual thanks were exchanged between Canon Houston and Canon Jim Campbell, chairman of the Retired Clergy Association (NI). All agreed that the day had been a great success, thanks to the fellowship among members, the hard work of the caterers and the school itself, the generous hospitality on offer and Dr O’Mahony’s inspiring talk.

Canon Campbell said that he, the RCA (NI) committee and members looked forward to welcoming the Dublin and Glendalough retired clergy northwards in the not-too-distant future.