Diocesan News
The Revd Canon Stephen Neill Is Instituted As Rector Of Celbridge And Straffan With Newcastle–Lyons
L–R: Archdeacon Ricky Rountree, Bishop Paul Colton, the Canon Stephen Neill and Archbishop Michael Jackson.
Celbridge and Straffan with Newcastle–Lyons began a new chapter last night (Thursday 12 February) as parishioners welcomed their new Rector. The Revd Canon Stephen Neill was instituted as Incumbent by the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson in Christ Church, Celbridge.
Members of all three churches turned out in force to ensure a warm welcome for Mr Neill, his wife Nicola and their son Aaron. They were joined by many former parishioners from the Cloughjordan and Borrisokane Group. Many clergy from Dublin and Glendalough were in attendance along with Archbishop John Neill, former Archbishop of Dublin and his wife Betty, Stephen’s parents.
The sermon was preached by the Bishop of Cork, the Rt Revd Dr Paul Colton, who told the parishioners that they had “got a good one”. Drawing on the words of the Gospel (John 4: 31–38) “But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting”, he said their new Rector was faithful in ministry and had his eyes open and was not afraid to say what he saw and respond to it.
The Bishop observed that the area around Celbridge had experienced a population explosion in recent years. What had once been a sleepy village on the border of Dublin and Kildare had grown by 50 percent between the years 1986 and 2002. He said all of this bewildering change had brought a change in affiliation to church and an explosion in spirituality, although not necessarily in the traditional ways adding “look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting”.
Photo 2: Canon Stephen Neill with the church wardens from each of the parish churches.
Diocesan Communications Officer, Dublin & Glendalough
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Lynn Glanville
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