21 January 2011

English bishops’ visit to Dublin

The Church of Ireland Gazette in today’s edition [21 January 2011] carried the following photograph and half-page news report on page 5:

Pictured in the snow at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute are (from left): Bishop Timothy Thornton, Bishop John Ford, Archdeacon Roger Bush and Canon Patrick Comerford, Director of Spiritual Formation, the Church of Ireland Theological Institute.

English trio defy snow to
visit theological institute


Two English bishops and an archdeacon recently braved snows and ice defied flight cancellations to visit the Church of Ireland Theological Institute (CITI) in Dublin.

The group comprised the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Revd Timothy Thornton; the Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Revd John Ford; and the Archdeacon of Cornwall, the Ven Roger Bush.

They were invited to the institute after a recent presentation on its academic life developments was given to bishops of the Church of England by the Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Revd Dr Michael Jackson.

Bishop Thornton has been a chaplain and lecturer at the University of Wales (Cardiff) and Principal of the North Thames Ministerial Course. All three clergy are engaged in examining ministerial formation and training in their region and are considering setting up a catechetical institute to meet the needs of a scattered population in south-west England.

The two bishops and the archdeacon met the Director of CITI, the Revd Dr Maurice Elliott and the ordinands; visited the RCB Library; heard from the academic staff about recent developments, including the MTh internships, the delivery of distance learning modules and the development of worship, chapel life and the spirituality programme; and held discussions with Andrew McNeile, Project Coordinator to the House of Bishop, who spoke of how the bishops of the Church of Ireland bishops planned changes to ministerial training.

During their visit to Dublin, Bishop Thornton, Bishop Ford and Archdeacon Bush also visited Christ Church Cathedral, where they were welcomed by the Dean, the Very Revd Dermot Dunne.