27.08.2013
Deacon Intern Year is a Journey of Discovery – the Revd Edna Wakely Looks Back on Her Year in Drumcondra and North Strand
A busy year as a Deacon Intern at Drumcondra and North Strand Parish has led the Revd Edna Wakely on a journey of discovery of herself and her ministry. Edna was ordained a Deacon last September and has been totally involved in the life of her placement parish which encompassed two congregations and two schools. She participated in social events, did a hospital internship in the Mater Private, undertook weekly visiting at Dublin Port as well as parish home visiting. She also completed her thesis.
She gave a talk to the Mothers’ Union on her years spent in South Africa, organised Advent talks, co–led confirmation classes and taught Scripture to all the children in three separate classes in Drumcondra National School. Her monthly preparation and preaching has helped with her thesis and received positive feedback from parishioners.
During her Deacon year, Edna has learnt the crucial importance of time management and the need to have one’s diary on hand at all times. She has also seen the benefits of taking a genuine interest in people and loving them just the way they are, being prepared and organised, keeping meticulous records, having good back–up and keeping accurate accounts of visits.
“It is important to remember that we all have to change, show flexibility and adaptability and grow. I didn’t experience any criticism, but I hope I would have the grace to respond positively to criticism and reflect on it,” Edna says. “I have had important practice in handling the unpredictable. I have also learnt to move easily and effortlessly from one ministerial task to another. I have experienced the need to have the wisdom to sort out the important things from the relatively trivial.”
“I discovered how amazingly relevant the Old Testament is for the 21st century, with its broken, fragmented society, its lack of easy answers, dealing with racism, the treatment and status of women, multiple interpretations of texts, treatment of the poor and marginalized, the priority of community, and justice and righteousness issues. Our pluralist society has much in common with that of Ancient Israel. The Old Testament is an excellent resource for pastoral ministry, and for preaching and teaching. It has much to say about suffering, giving us the resources of lament poetry in dealing with suffering and there is endless scope for preaching from the Hebrew Scriptures. The robust and buoyant faith of the Ancient Israelites is very infectious, compelling and inspirational,” she adds.
Edna says meeting with her trainer has helped make integrating theology and practice automatic, seamless and an indissolubly linked exercise. “During my Deacon–Intern year I have become more self–aware, especially in connection with my preaching and my research skills. I am also very conscious of what a very lonely task ministry is. I would hope to balance self–care without compromising the pastoral commitment. It is necessary to acknowledge personal human frailty, the need to let off steam and the enormity of the burden of ministry, while at the same time appreciating the enormous privilege of ministry,” she explains.
Her personal priorities include compassionate pastoral care, preaching and teaching, service, enabling the People of God, leadership, encouragement and servanthood. She says her sense of vocation has deepened, strengthened, matured and been affirmed.
“My Intern Deacon’s year has taught me to be versatile, mature and hopefully have lots of common sense. I have learnt to have confidence in my own value system, to recognize my vulnerabilities in the pastoral encounter particularly. Above all I hope I have learnt to be myself,” Edna concludes.
Pictured is the Revd Edna Wakely, with her daughters Joanna and Jenny on the day of her Ordination as Deacon in Christ Church Cathedral.