10 November 2015

Four new priests and two deacons
ordained in Christ Church Cathedral

The Revd Nigel Pierpoint and the Revd Ross Styles in the Chapter House prior to their ordination as deacons

Canon Patrick Comerford

The September ordination season in the Church of Ireland reached its conclusion this year with the ordination of two new deacons and four new priests in Christ Church Cathedral.

The Revd Nigel Pierpoint and the Revd Ross Styles were ordained deacon in the cathedral on Sunday 20 September. Nigel, who lives in Killiney, is now serving as a deacon intern in Taney Parish while he completes his dissertation over the coming year. Ross, who had long associations with Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, is spending two years in Greystones while he works on his dissertation.

The Rector of Greystones, the Revd David Mungavin, was the preacher at the ordination of the two new deacons.

Both have close family connections with Christ Church Cathedral: Nigel is a brother of Archdeacon David Pierpoint, while Ross is a grandson of Canon Norman Styles (1927-1987) of Donoughmore, who was a canon of the cathedral until he died in 1987.

On the following Sunday, 27 September, four priests were ordained in the cathedral by Archbishop Michael Jackson.

The Revd Alan Breen is to serve as a curate in Saint Patrick’s Parish, Greystones. The Revd Cathy Hallissey is the new curate in Taney. The Revd Ruth O’Kelly has been appointed curate in Rathfarnham Parish. The fourth new priest, the Revd Abigail Sines, becomes the new curate in the Christ Church Cathedral Group of Parishes.

The preacher at the ordination of priests was Canon David Moynan, Rector of Kilternan, where Cathy had spent her year as a deacon intern.

But if this was hello to two new deacons and four new priests, the ordinations were a time to say farewell to two canons of the cathedral.

This was David’s last Sunday in Christ Church Cathedral as Prebendary of Saint Michael’s. He had been a canon of Christ Church since 1998, but at the end of September he resigned as Rector of Kilternan and stepped down from the cathedral chapter. He has since moved to New Zealand.

It was also Canon Peter Campion’s last Sunday in the cathedral as Precentor. He has been appointed Precentor of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in succession to Canon Robert Reed, who died earlier this year. Peter was installed in Saint Patrick’s the following Sunday.

Both David and Peter are former curates in Taney Parish, where Cathy and Nigel are going to serve in this new stage of their ministries.

Two days after her ordination, on the Feast Day of Saint Michael and All Angels, the Revd Abby Sines was introduced to the cathedral group of parishes by Archdeacon Pierpoint when she presided for the first time at a celebration of the Eucharist in All Saints’ Church, Grangegorman. The preacher at the Choral Eucharist that evening was the Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, the Very Revd Dermot Dunne, and reader Helen Gorman also took part.

Together on their last Sunday in the Cathedral as Chapter members … Canon Peter Campion and Canon David Moynan

L-R The Revd Alan Breen, the Revd Cathy Hallisey, the Revd Ruth O’Kelly and the Revd Abigail Sines with the Archbishop and the Revd Stephen Farrell (Diocesan Registrar) making their declaration prior to their ordination as priests.

Celebrating her first Eucharist in All Saints’ Church, Grangegorman, the Revd Abigail Sines (third from left) with Dean Dermot Dunne, Helen Gorman and Archdeacon David Pierpoint

This full-page report and these photographs are published in the Autumn 2015 (Vol 33, No 2) edition of Friends’ News, Christ Church Cathedral

Photographs: Patrick Comerford (2015)

In addition, these two photographs from the ordination of priests on 27 September 2015 have been published in the November 2015 edition of the Church Review (Diocese of Dublin and Glendalough):