Patrick Comerford
I am only in the parish for what people around here might say is only a wet day, but already one of my photographs has made the front cover of this month’s [February 2017] edition of Newslink, the magazine of the United Dioceses of Limerick, Killaloe and Ardfert.
This monthly magazine is edited by Joc Sanders, and the deadline for the February 2017 edition passed on the very day I was being introduced to my new parish [20 January 2017], so I did not even manage to even write my own notes in my first month in the parish.
My first service in these parishes was in Castletown Church, near Pallaskenry, and after I had blogged about my adventures getting there on my first Sunday morning, Joc decided to use my photograph of the church on the front cover of Newslink this month.
Meanwhile, the parish notes for the Rathkeale & Kilnaughtin Group of Parishes on page 27 in the February Newslink, which became available yesterday, month include the following closing paragraph:
Welcome
A Service of Welcome for Revd Canon Patrick Comerford as Priest-in-Charge took place in Holy Trinity, Rathkeale, on Friday 20th January last (see report on page 21). The preacher was the Most Rev Dr John Neill and was very well attended. Refreshments were held in Cappagh Community Centre where the tables were laden with plenty of tempting treats prepared by the parishioners. We look forward to having Patrick and his wife Barbara living in the Rectory and to his ministry among us.
The report referred to includes this half-page news feature and photograph on page 21:
Service of welcome in Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale
The parishioners of Rathkeale and Kilnaughtin heartily welcomed Canon Patrick Comerford as their new priest-in-charge at a service in Holy Trinity Church, Rathkeale. The service was conducted by Bishop Kenneth Kearon, and the preacher was the Most Revd Dr John Neill retired Archbishop of Dublin and Glendalough. The hymns for the occasion were specially chosen by the new priest-in-charge and the church was filled with joyful singing. Patrick’s appointment to this part-time ministry is a great encouragement to a widely dispersed congregation, from Tarbert/ Listowel to the borders of Adare parish. He will be sharing his ministry in Rathkeale with a part-time role as director of education throughout the diocese.
Editor: The Newslink team extends a warm welcome to Canon Patrick in his ministry among us, and to his wife Barbara.
Patrick will through his teaching and supervision responsibilities within CITI for both residential and non-residential programmes in a part-time capacity over the remainder of this academic year and will leave CITI in the spring of 2017 to commence as Director of Education and Training in the United Dioceses in April.
Bishop John Neill reflected in his sermon on the changing role of ministry: new patterns must emerge, and one size does not fit all. Ordained priests have a vital role to play, both as enablers – discerning the gifts of others, rather than doing everything themselves, and as icons – drawing people into the mystery of faith and encounter with the divine. Patrick, as a man of the Gospel, brings to his ministry wide and unusual gifts, among them profound knowledge of the Church of Ireland, Anglicanism, journalism, the Orthodox tradition, and Islam, as well as concern for the poor, marginalised and suffering.
We look forward to welcoming Patrick to the pages of Newslink in due course, and heartily recommend a visit to his prize winning blog at www.patrickcomerford.com
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