Press Releases
Archbishop McDowell:Anglican Pilgrimage to Derry–Londonderry
Anglican leaders from all over the world took part in a day–long Pilgrimage to Derry–Londonderry at the half–way point of their historic week–long Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) gathering in Northern Ireland.
Archbishops, Bishops, clergy and laity started their tour in Ebrington Square before walking the Peace Bridge from the Waterside to the Cityside. From there, they visited the Guildhall where they were formally welcomed by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Grace Uí Niallais and the City of Londonderry Lord Lieutenant Ian Crowe MBE.
Following lunch in the Guildhall, the 140 guests walked the city’s famous walls and visited St Augustine’s Church – ‘the wee church on the Walls’ – where they met and heard from Richard Moore, founder of Children in Crossfire, who was blinded when he was hit by a rubber bullet by a soldier during the ‘Troubles.’
The afternoon was rounded off with a Service of reflection and prayer in St Columb’s Cathedral.
Afterwards, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, who is also President of the Anglican Consultative Council, said: “It was a profound significance walking with members right across the Anglican community across the peace bridge and then along the walls and to reflect on what Derry can teach us about peace and reconciliation, but also praying for Derry/Londonderry in its continued aspiration to seek for peace and reconciliation.
“…. I think it has been a time for us to deepen our fellowship and understanding of each other. It’s been a time for us to pray together and also time in which we’ve, I think, been enriched by the spirituality of Northern Ireland and the Anglican church here. And I think it is also in that environment that we’ve been able to have encouraging conversations and challenging conversations, but there is a real sense of our understanding to hope that we have been called to Christ.
“I think we have a real sense of being family as the Anglican communion and the reality is that we come from different cultures, different languages, different continents, but we know that under Christ we are held together. In a unity that is a gift of God, by grace and through faith.”
That was a sentiment echoed by the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, the Most Reverend John McDowell.
He emphasised the significance of Richard Moore’s message of forgiveness and reconciliation, adding: “It’s such a profound thing that he says, yet says it so simply, and he’s a person of very deep faith but doesn’t mention that, but it’s very obviously the originand the context of all that he says, and it meant a lot to people here who have been living in situations of conflict, sometimes even longer than the troubles and like all of us struggle to find ways through it.
“And what Richard does is he shows people, in that very low key way, that this can be done. We can do it, apart from all the political superstructures and whatnot.”
He said the message of hope and reconciliation had reached the ears of visitors. He continued: “It was genuinely picked up that this is a place that’s determined to fulfil that hope that many other places haven’t, really. And it is down to hard work. It’s down to the work that’s done by people like churches and businesses and civic society, people not necessarily at a political level, but just at that community level, where a priest gets embedded and dug in.”
Archbishop John said the Service in St Columb’s Cathedral was “an active reconciliation and a very warm end and feeling for the day.”
As for the day–long Pilgrimage itself, Archbishop John declared it “an outstanding success. Absolutely. You know, a great day out!”
The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, the Rt Reverend Andrew Forster, paid tribute to the teams of local volunteers who made the day a resounding success.
Bishop Forster said: “We feel absolutely blessed to have had an incredible representation of the family of God right across the world in the city. I’ve lost count of the countries represented here. And I have to say, my heart’s just full to bursting. It’s been just wonderful, and a real deep sense of fellowship and a desire from the delegates to learn something about us, which is really humbling.”
He continued: For so long, the city was a byword for division but, in effect, we’ve written a better present and a better future. And Derry–Londonderry is a place that, although we have that sense of different identities, we do try to put it together.
“Now, that’s not easy all the time, and at times, that can be fraught and difficult, but there’s an immense sense of goodwill in this community, all across it, and churches from different parts of the community.”
One of the visitors was the Archbishop of Jerusalem, the Most Reverend Hosam Naoum who is also Vice–Chair of the ACC and a leading voice on peace and reconciliation in the Holy Land.
Archbishop Hosan said: “I was absolutely overwhelmed by the wonderful welcome that we have received by the people of Derry and by the Bishop, the clergy and the volunteers and everyone else. It was really heartwarming and for me, just to see the immense love and welcome of the people here, just made my heart so filled with joy.
“I think I was particularly touched by the witness of Richard’s story at St. Augustine’s Church that was a very moving experience for me and to see the witness. I could resonate a little bit with some of the stories back home of both Palestinians and Israelis who shared their pain and sorrow, but at the same time, they still have so much space within their heart for love for forgiveness and for reconciliation. And I think we need more of these voices.
“We are really grateful as Anglican Communion and as ACC for the welcome and hospitality of Archbishop John and all those under his care, and also just to kind of be in a place that has a long history, you know, both of evangelism and of conflict, but also to see that the people here are determined to witness, to the precious thing that brings us together, as people of different backgrounds, different affiliations … Even though we are different, but at the bottom, at the core of our being as human beings, and certainly as Anglicans, we belong to the one family and we need to celebrate that. It’s been a real honour and a privilege.”
Ends