Irish Times Notes
Church of Ireland Notes from ‘The Irish Times’
Care of Archives and Church Plate
The care and custody of parish records and church plate are important responsibilities of the local churches.
Typically a parish church will have registers of baptisms, marriages and burials, vestry minute books, registers of vestry members, account books and preachers’ books, which record the services and the numbers attending. Additionally there may be architectural drawings, graveyard registers, records of parish organizations and a growing body of paperwork relating to safeguarding matters and the requirements of the Charity Regulator.
These records are generated in the course of the parish’s life and it is vital that they are accurately kept and carefully stored so that the parish can be effectively and efficiently administered. However, over time these records can achieve an extra significance as they are often sources for local history and genealogy containing, as they do, unique information on people and places.
So too with church plate. Usually a parish will have a paten, chalice and flagon, and sometimes multiples of these to cater for large congregations. Also there may be candlesticks, crosses, book stands and verges. These pieces of silver are often presentations to the parish and frequently carry elaborate inscriptions relating the circumstances of the presentation and details of the donor. Often this information supplements that which is recorded in the parish archives.
The care and custody of archives and plate can be a burdensome responsibility for some, especially smaller, parishes and so the RCB Library has recently produced leaflets to advise and assist parishes. They may be obtained in hard copy from the Library or viewed at this link on the Church of Ireland website.
On Tuesday evening the Archbishop of Dublin will institute the Revd Scott Evans as incumbent St. Matthias, Killiney–Ballybrack. A former Diocesan Youth Officer for Cashel, Ferns & Ossory, he was appointed chaplain to UCD in 2016 and was ordained in 2023 following which he served as Deacon Intern in Kilternan parish and, more recently, as Curate Assistant in the parish of Rathmines with Harold’s Cross.
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Published in the Friday edition of The Irish Times