Diocesan News08 Oct 11

Bishop of Tuam, Killala & Achonry’s Presidential Address to the 2011 Diocesan Synod

Members of the Diocesan Synod

It is my pleasure to stand before you as your new Bishop. I do so with a certain amount of trepidation and in all humility as one who will be the first to acknowledge that I have much to learn as I settle into my new role.  I had a very high regard for Bishop Richard, and I know that he was much loved and admired right across these Dioceses and throughout the Church of Ireland. He will be a hard act to follow.  I’m sure he is very much in all our thoughts and prayers at this time. I think it is probably fair to say that his gifts and mine are very different – but that is really for you to determine as you get to know me better in the months ahead.  

I have only begun to get out and about in the Dioceses, but I hope to meet as many of our parishioners as soon as possible. As a family, we have been made feel very welcome by many whom we have met and I take this opportunity to thank you for the kindness we have received. We are well settled into our new home in Claregalway and before too long, I trust there will be opportunities to entertain members of the Dioceses in it.

You have been very well served during the vacancy by Archdeacon Gary Hastings who acted as Archbishop’s Commissary.  During that time, I too have had reason to be grateful to him – anything I have had to ask of the Archdeacon, has been dealt with, with the utmost efficiency and courtesy. Archdeacon, as I said in Galway a couple of weeks ago, we are fortunate to have you as a pivotal part of our Diocesan team. I look forward to working with you and know that in you, I shall have a loyal and wise archdeacon to call upon. Archdeacon, I should like you to come forward to receive a small token of our thanks for all you have done in terms of leadership over the past number of months for these Dioceses.

My congratulations to Archdeacon Alan Synnott on his appointment since the last Diocesan Synod as Archdeacon of Killala and Achonry.  He too has been of much assistance over recent months as has the Dean, whose organisation of last Sunday’s Enthronement Service was second to none…and again ‘thank you Mr Dean’.  My thanks also to all of you who attended…. and, if you missed out, fear not – there is another one in Killala tomorrow fortnight, again at 4pm. I wish to record and acknowledge also the work of our Diocesan Secretary, Mrs Heather Sherlock. Everything she does is carried out with the utmost efficiency and in a very pleasant manner – so thank you Heather.

We are, of course, indebted to all those who give voluntarily of their time and talents to the life and work of these Dioceses.  You will know better than I, who they all are…..but I think particularly at this Synod of our Diocesan Council, its committees, and, as we come to the end of a triennium, of all who serve on our behalf by representing us at central–church level.  At the risk of offending others, I want, in this connection, to single out Mr Ben Bradish, for I am already aware of just how much he does on our behalf and on how much we depend upon his expertise.

The term ‘Safeguarding Trust’ is one that is familiar to us all……and Safeguarding Trust is the theme of this address to Synod.

The past few months have proved to be a dramatic time for these Dioceses.  It began with the announcement that Bishop Richard would step down at the end of January.  Then came word that the House of Bishops would be seeking a moratorium until May of next year, before the calling of an Episcopal Electoral College. They wanted time for the episcopal needs here to be re–examined.  Hence, as the Constitution dictates, a special meeting of the General Synod was called for 5th March in Christ Church Cathedral.  The Bishops’ announcement had provoked outrage from many people. This was primarily expressed through the pages of the Church of Ireland Gazette: ‘Tuam is being treated unfairly and a vacancy is not the time to begin such a process’ was the gist of what was being said. A view that subsequently prevailed as, almost unanimously, the General Synod voted against the Bishops’ proposal.  That decision was in no small way influenced by the members of our Dioceses who spoke in a passionate way of the needs of the Dioceses and the clear desire for an episcopal leader, not in more than a year’s time, but as a matter of some urgency. Hence, the Archbishop summoned an Episcopal College for the end of March. It met in Armagh but failed to make an election and so, rather ironically, the appointment lapsed to the House of Bishops who on the 13th of April elected me.

I mention all of this because the process demonstrated two things –

First, that the structure and episcopal needs of Tuam, Killala and Achonry (TKA), and of all dioceses in the Church of Ireland require  re–examination. Questions such as the role of the bishop in a small diocese must be addressed.  In that sense, the Bishops were right; they were not suggesting anything new or unexpected and in recent months, with General Synod’s support, steps have been taken by the Standing Committee to have such a look at the episcopal needs of all the dioceses – and Archdeacon Hastings is a member of the initial Working Group which will formulate terms of reference for this ‘examination of the issues of episcopacy, with a wide review north and south, focusing particularly on mission’. Thus they are presently consulting and gathering appropriate information from the dioceses as well as identifying matters of a theological nature before reporting back to the Standing Committee in January.
 
However, none of this is to suggest that changes or restructuring will inevitably result. Simply, that the Church is doing what it needs to do, and I believe, that we in TKA, must play our full part in the process.  We have nothing to fear from it and must hope that from it will emerge a clear vision and direction for the way ahead. What we must not do, is fall into the trap of thinking that this is in any way a threat. It is not.  To take part in such a process is surely the only way to safeguard the trust that has been bestowed upon us.  As the one who has subsequently emerged as the episcopal leader, I pledge myself to achieve for TKA the very best possible solution for these Dioceses.

So let us go forward with heads held high – no one in the Church of Ireland, and not least the Bishops, are under any illusion that the people of Tuam, although small in number, intend to be a force in the Church for many years to come.

Secondly, the events of the past year have shown what can be achieved when people feel passionately about their heritage and the maintenance of it. The passion of those who spoke from these Dioceses at the special Synod was evident for all to see. Sadly it is sometimes true that it is only when backs are up against the wall that true passion emerges.  My hope, as your new Bishop, is that we can kindle that passion and use it as a positive force for growth.  I agreed to undertake the role of bishop in the belief that the people here were not only adamant that they be given episcopal leadership, but that they were willing to play their part in enabling these Dioceses to move forward. Quite what that means, I am not yet sure, but I firmly believe the way ahead will emerge. So my challenge and plea, and in a sense I am repeating what I said in the Cathedral on Sunday, is that together we will each play our part in taking our Dioceses forward. Only then, can we hope to safeguard the trust that is ours.

Communication is, and will continue to be, another vital element of this structure and it takes place in so many ways. Websites and magazines are particularly important in a diocese like ours. But, if we are to attract new members, then we need to look at all forms of communication – for instance, we need to ensure that our churches are attractive and comfortable places in which to worship. I have always believed, as a matter of principle, that we should give God’s house the same care we bestow upon our own homes. Thus, as Bishop, I will be urging my clergy and their select vestries to attend to their buildings. Bricks and mortar matter as does the image conveyed by well maintained churches, rectories and churchyards.  

So safeguarding trust in terms of structures and buildings, but also of mission and of the Anglican tradition. If our structures are allowed to decline further, then the mission of the Church may be endangered too and the Anglican way of life we espouse could be lost to this part of the Island – and certainly, this is not to imply that mission and ministry are always dependent upon structures and buildings – clearly they are not. Hence, we need constantly to review our wider diocesan strategy if we are to ensure that all possibilities are being exploited.  To this end, shortly, I will be asking each of you to consider the changes you feel need to be made. I will also invite you to share ideas of what your vision is as we move forward, not just for getting us through the next few years but for the longer term.

Safeguarding Trust is generally associated with our obligation to care for children and vulnerable adults.  But before I come to them, I want to remind the laity of the needs of your clergy. We all have a trust to care for them. It is not everyone who wants to come to the West to exercise their ministry – the numerical scarcity, coupled with the large distances involved and the isolation that this can imply, quite honestly puts some clergy off.  So look after you rector or non–stipendiary clergy – their task isn’t an easy one. In this connection, I’m concerned that some of the clergy are having major difficulties in getting cover in order to enable them to enjoy the time off to which they are entitled.  We are short in these Dioceses of retired clergy and of non–stipendiaries – and indeed of lay readers. So I pay tribute to those who are playing vital roles particularly in enabling full–time clergy to get a break. I am hopeful too, that others in the coming years, will consider a vocation to the full–time or non–stipendiary ministry or to lay readership.

I don’t need to remind you of the importance of our care for our youngest members – and might I say that I’m looking forward to hearing from our Diocesan Youth Worker, Mr Steve Brickenden. I’m told he is doing an excellent job. In the past year, further shocking revelations have come to light in our sister church where misguided men have preyed on children and young people. As a result, lives have been scarred. The message must be loud and clear that we will not tolerate any exploitation of our weakest and most vulnerable members. This is a trust that we neglect at our peril and as Bishop, I will accept nothing less than the highest possible standards.  I am delighted to learn that Canon Doris Clements has been charged with responsibility for the training of clergy and parish panels. The rules are clear and the relevant booklets with the necessary guidelines readily available. And I remind you, that what is true for our children and young people is also the case for the elderly…. as Bishop Richard made abundantly clear at last year’s Diocesan Synod.

Over the past month, the issue of gay clergy, and specifically of one who has recently entered into a civil partnership, has hit the headlines. It has been the media in Northern Ireland that has been particularly vocal in this, but that should not lead us to interpret the issues around this as a north/ south divide.  While many in these Dioceses will have celebrated the particular civil partnership, many others will, no doubt, have been deeply concerned by the implications for the Church.

Earlier this week, I spent the best part of two days with my fellow bishops, discussing these issues. There is no doubt that recent changes in equality legislation and in the legalising of civil partnerships in both jurisdictions means that the situation is more complicated than ever. Together as a Church, we need to find a way forward, for at the heart of this are serious moral and pastoral questions that must be addressed. The process will not be easy; safeguarding trust never is, and in this instance, the issues are complex and divisive.

However, I am pleased to inform Synod, that as bishops, we are suggesting a process of study, reflection and prayer that will involve a major conference in the Spring of next year. A press statement was issued on Wednesday and a pastoral letter, which is already on the Church of Ireland website, will be sent to the clergy next week. I ask my colleagues to use this in whatever way is appropriate in your parishes. I also request the prayers of all members of our Dioceses as together, with the whole church, in a considered and informed way we seek God’s will for the way ahead.

At different points in our history, safeguarding trust will have meant having little or nothing to do with those of other Christian denominations.  As a child growing up in different Dublin rectories, I remember the agonising my father went through as he contemplated the possibility of inviting priests from the Roman Catholic tradition to take part in Holy Week and other services. Thankfully, times have changed for the better and there is much interaction between the various denominations. I am an advocate of all things ecumenical, but I understand this as being carried out as those who are at all times true to themselves. Respect, tolerance and understanding does not necessarily imply compromise and giving way.  So, be proud of your Church of Ireland roots and beliefs. Enjoy and partake in ecumenical activity but always as those who remain true to yourselves.

Safeguarding trust implies that we devote ourselves to the poor and to all who are in greatest need.  Each of us will have opportunities to care for others who are sick or injured or impoverished.  But sadly there are many others in our society whose needs are no less real but are not so obvious. Suicide among the young, mental illnesses, debt, marriage or other relationship difficulties – these have affected many of us at times in our lives and we may know from first hand experience the hell they have put us through. Safeguarding the trust to love our neighbour as ourselves demands that we are alert to all of these pitfalls in the lives of others.  Suicide rates don’t tell the full story but they can say something of a society that is so pre–occupied with itself that it fails to notice.  

Members of Synod, I have outlined in this address what I believe safeguarding trust, in its widest context, means for us as a united Dioceses. In conclusion, allow me to state that it has nothing to do with those who believe that our aim, indeed our mission is simply to survive another generation and hope for the best after that. I did not accept this position to oversee steady decline in these Dioceses. I am firmly of the belief that there are possibilities for growth and new life.  In order to achieve this, we will have to be imaginative and courageous, acknowledging that one size will not fit all. Innovation and practical common sense will be required. We will have to work as a team where all will be required to make sacrifices of one kind or another, for the common good. I believe the clergy and laity here can be that team and that the future is bright.

So, I come among you as your episcopal leader at an exciting but  challenging time both in terms of the wider picture and that at diocesan level. Economically, morally and practically these are difficult days. I pray that ‘with the help of God’, together we may be found faithful to our calling and be given the integrity to safeguard the trust that is ours, in the Church we love, in this beautiful part of Ireland.

    +Patrick