13.05.2008
Statement by Archdeacon Dermot Dunne on his appointment as dean of Christ Church
It is an honour and privilege to be invited by his Grace to be Dean of Christ Church Cathedral a place which I have loved from the first time I stepped inside nearly nine years ago. It is a sobering and humbling thought that I should take on a role occupied by many esteemed and notable predecessors. My thoughts are immediately cast back to my two immediate predecessors. The late Dean John Paterson introduced me to this cathedral when he appointed me Dean's Vicar. He had a great knowledge and passion for liturgy which flowed into the celebration of that liturgy. He also had the management skills which ensured that Christ Church was firmly placed on the Dublin tourist trail as a major historical and heritage site. We will always be in his debt for the untiring work he gave for this cathedral.
It is with sadness that I reflect on the work of the late Dean Harman. The sadness is with the passing of one who was in his prime and who had so much more to give. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Dean Harman was pragmatic and practical. He was a person of sound judgement who worked tirelessly for the financial stability of the cathedral while also ensuring the liturgical excellence for which it is renowned.
In my role as Dean I intend to follow in their footsteps.
The cathedral operates on many different levels and I see the task facing me as one of integration.
First and foremost the cathedral is a spiritual foundation where, through its liturgy, it expresses the Christian message in its richness and diversity. Through music and the celebration of ritual we pursue excellence and seek to offer to God the highest praise we can give. The cathedral is a sacred space where we come in touch with God and encounter his transcendence. It will be my responsibility to ensure that that sacred space is maintained and underpins every other activity engaged in by the cathedral.
Christ Church, as the Metropolitan church of the southern province of the Church of Ireland and the mother church of the dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough, needs to reflect this fact in its liturgy and life. In my work as Dean I will promote sound liturgy based on the Book of Common Prayer and a liturgical style that reflects that of the Archbishop while at the same time being a resource for the parishes of the dioceses.
A cathedral is by nature a place of learning, a space where people of all disciplines can partake in the heritage and archive of a foundation nearly one thousand years old. Through lectures, educational programmes and music events the cathedral can contribute to the academic life of the city and beyond. In light of this I will as Dean liaise with church archivists and historians to develop the educational life of the cathedral. It is my intent that Christ Church be a beacon of learning in the city.
Sited at the top of Dame Street, Christ Church is the beating spiritual heart of an ever growing and richly diverse city. Even since I left Christ Church nearly seven years ago, Dublin has gone through a metamorphosis. With the influx of people from Eastern Europe and beyond we have become a multicultural society. My wish is that Christ Church be a place where people feel spiritually at home irrespective of their race, language, colour, gender, sexual orientation and faith expression. I want it to be a place where difference is celebrated and included.
As a priest I am constantly aware of Christ's statement that the Kingdom of God is found among those who are poor and on the margins. I feel it to be a principal responsibility of any church foundation to have an active outreach. To be earthed in the Christian message Christ Church needs to have a social consciousness. I hope that this can be affected by continuing the link with agencies such as the Merchants Quay Project and Alone.
Christ Church, while being a place of pilgrimage for people from around the world, is also a living place of worship. To those who come to visit I use a phrase that John Paterson taught me - 'that they enter the cathedral as visitors but that they leave as pilgrims who have been touched by the transcendence of the place'. Many people come to the cathedral to worship on a regular basis. There are those who take part in the services either by reading, praying the intercessions or by being an acolyte. There are others who prefer to be 'the anonymous Christian'. I believe that those involved in the preparation of the liturgy and those who preach are recognising and welcoming the wide range of people who come to the services.
Music is at the heart of the Cathedral life. Christ Church has a rich and enduring musical heritage. As Dean I intend to work closely with the Director of Music and give my total support to the music tradition in the cathedral.
Behind the scenes there is a large army of volunteers and paid staff who ensure the daily running of the cathedral. There are those who sing in the choir, the bell ringers, those who keep everywhere spick and span, those who volunteer at the welcome desk and in the cathedral shop, the vergers, office staff, flower arrangers and many others. As Dean I will feel a pastoral responsibility to all who enter the cathedral occasionally and regularly or who work or worship or visit and I will endeavour to make their experience in the cathedral a happy and satisfying one.
On a cultural level I recognise that Christ Church cathedral is one of the premier heritage sites in the country. I approach the management of the cathedral with the image of myself being given a precious jewel to be cared for and preserved. I laud and value the cooperation there has been between Dublin City Council, the Office of Public Works, Dublin Castle and others with the cathedral. I intend to develop those relationships so that there is an ongoing dialogue and a cohesive development plan not only for the cathedral but also for the area around it.
I realise that I cannot work alone and will need the help and support of those who care for and develop the cathedral. Part of my decision to accept his Grace's invitation to be Dean of Christ Church was based on the knowledge that I would be helped by a very able Administrator, a strong Board of Management and an active and loyal Friends Committee. Coupled with the direction of his Grace and the support of my clerical colleagues I am much pleased that I will be working with a very able Dean's Vicar with whom I look forward to sharing the day to day pastoral and liturgical life of the Cathedral.
Finally I intend to continue the established links with the other Christian churches in Dublin and will work to strengthen the ecumenical bonds that already exist. I hope that our cooperation and work together will shine as the light of Christ and beam the Christian message in the city of Dublin.
I pray that as I begin the task for which I have been chosen God will bless me in my work, that he will give me health to sustain it and I end with the words of psalm 121 that "He will keep watch over our going out and our coming in from this time forth for evermore. Amen."