The Rev. Gillian Wharton, Chaplain at Rathdown School in Glenageary, County Dublin, is the Church of Ireland Chaplain to the Special Olympics. A feature of the 2003 Games is the innovation of an ecumenical Pastoral Care Team to provide support to the athletes, coaches, family, friends and volunteers. The Team will provide direct support as well as links to the various denominations and faiths of all involved in the Games. The Team Manager is Fr. Alan Hilliard.

When Gillian originally volunteered in 2002 to help at the Games, she was assigned to Safety at Trinity College Dublin. But when a Pastoral Care Team was being set up, Alan Hilliard, who worked with Gillian in their respective parishes in the Lucan area, recruited her to the Team. Gillian was appointed as the Church of Ireland Chaplain to the 2003 Games by Archbishop Neill. The Team has undergone intensive training over the past months and is looking forward to "sharing the feeling" at the Games.

The local parish is seen as the most key provider of liturgical support to the Games and delegations are being informed of the times and places of worship in the various denominations and faiths, adjacent to the accommodation venues. Liturgical resources are available for those who wish to incorporate the Games into their worship on Sunday 22nd June and Sunday 29th June 2003 - contact the Rev. Gillian Wharton at email:Gillian Wharton or tel: +353-1-2149858. These resources are available here on the Church of Ireland Website and the diocesan website at http://www.dublin.anglican.org.

Gillian comments: 'This is a multi-faith event. The local community in the host towns may need to know how to facilitate the faith needs of the visiting delegation. We hope to develop a spirit that values diversity and is open to being enriched by the interaction of these visitors to the local community.

'In your parish, you can "share the feeling" by welcoming participants to your services, by inviting them to coffee after service (or arranging to have coffee after church even if you do not normally do so), by going to the accommodation venue to welcome them, leaving information there about your parish and the times of other acts of worship according to the various traditions in your area, by attending the competitions as a spectator and supporter, etc. etc.'

The 2003 Games will showcase the athletic skills, courage and dignity of 7,000 athletes with a learning disability from around the world and the motto of the Games lives on for us all as we walk the path of Christian truth:

Let me win but if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt.