12.12.2016
Canon from Jerusalem Receives Warm Welcome in Glendalough
St Kevin’s Church in Hollywood was full last week for a midweek service of Morning Prayer. Clergy from all over Glendalough joined parishioners of Blessington Union of Parishes and from the surrounding areas for the service to welcome visitors from the Diocese of Jerusalem.
St Kevin’s is an ancient pilgrim church where pilgrims on their way to Glendalough could receive a blessing. Recently the church was one of the starting points for the Camino de Glendalough and pilgrims who undertook the full camino along St Kevin’s Way again received a blessing. The Rector, the Revd Leonard Ruddock, said they were delighted to revive the tradition.
Speaking during the service, Chaplain to the Archbishop of Jerusalem, Canon David Longe, said their visit to Dublin & Glendalough under the Jerusalem Link partnership, had been an incredible learning experience. He said he hoped people would make a return visit to the Diocese of Jerusalem to see the work of the Living Stones, as Christians in the Land of the Holy One often describe themselves. He said they are descended from the Christians of Pentecost and their extraordinary stories, which he had heard in his 15 months as Chaplain, had filled him with faith.
Archbishop Michael Jackson spoke of the Jerusalem Link and their hope that the friendship between the to dioceses would continue to deepen. He urged those present to bring refugees into their conversations and said that many refugees who come into this country will be from Archbishop Suheil Dawani’s diocese. He described the situation for refugees in Lebanon in the Diocese of Jerusalem, some of whom are new refugees but others have been refugees since 1948.
He highlighted the Dublin & Glendalough diocesan appeal which is raising funds for an accommodation project being undertaken by the Irish Refugee Council.
Many of the clergy and some members of the diocesan Council for Mission accompanied Canon Longe on a visit to the Monastic City of Glendalough where Archdeacon Ricky Rountree and the Revd Brian O’Reilly led a brief tour.
Photo caption: Canon David Longe and Archbishop Michael Jackson with clergy and members of the council for mission in Glendalough.