Press Releases20 Apr 12

The Rt Revd Trevor Williams Pays Tribute to the Revd Dr Ray Davey

On the occasion of a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of the Revd Dr Ray Davey to be held in Fisherwick Presbyterian Church, Belfast on Friday 20th April, The Rt Revd Trevor Williams, Bishop of Limerick and former leader of the Corrymeela Community from 1993 to 2003, pays the following tribute:

Ray Davey influenced for good the lives of thousands of individuals and I am grateful to be among them. Ray always put people and relationships first; a principle grounded in his Christian Faith. He never settled for things as they are, but always was open to new possibilities. His experience as a prisoner of war and the horrors he witnessed had a profound impact upon him. When he returned to Northern Ireland, reflecting on the human cost of conflict, he committed himself to the pursuit of peace.

His path of peacemaking led to founding the Corrymeela Community, an ecumenical Christian community, committed to living out the possibility of reconciliation. That vision was shared with tens of thousands who took part in Corrymeela’s programmes during the years of the Troubles, when communities became increasingly segregated on religious grounds through fear.

He inspired many to explore new ways of being Church. His vision was for a Church beyond the boundaries of division, and the separation of sacred and secular. He believed that individuals and groups could learn from and be enriched through their diversity as they sought to follow in the footsteps of Jesus the peacemaker. Corrymeela continues to live out of that vision, finding new ways to express it in practical action.

One of Ray’s great contributions was in creating a space where individuals and groups through working together could implement new possibilities even when many were saying there is nothing that can be done. Through his practical Christian faith, his compassion and concern, and his belief in the potential for good in each person he met, Ray had a profound influence on the lives of countless individuals, and played no small part in what has been able to be achieved in the pursuit of peace in Northern Ireland and many other places besides.
ENDS