19.09.2022
‘We are all labourers in God’s Church’ – Ordination of Deacons in Dublin and Glendalough
People flocked from the far reaches of both Dublin and Glendalough to Christ Church Cathedral yesterday (Sunday September 18) to support the Revd Jane Burns and the Revd Scott Evans who were ordained Deacons. The cathedral welcomed a large congregation for the service which was celebrated by Archbishop Michael Jackson.
Jane and Scott were joined by their families, friends and sponsors as well as a great number of their new clerical colleagues. The service was sung by the Cathedral Choir and the preacher was the Archdeacon of Dublin, the Ven David Pierpoint.
Jane has been a lifelong parishioner of the Athy Union and in a special announcement before the service, Dean Dermot Dunne brought greetings from the retired Rector of Athy, Canon Olive Donohoe, who was unable to attend the service. She previously worked with the Representative Church Body, an insurance company and with Christian Aid. Jane is married to Dermot and they have three children, Jamie, Ellen and Kate. She will serve as Deacon Intern this year with Taney Parish.
Scott grew up in Bangladesh and later in Greystones. He has been involved with Holy Trinity, Rathmines, for the last number of years. He began his ministry in youth ministry and worked with Scripture Union before taking the role as Diocesan Youth Officer in Cashel and Ossory. For the last seven years he has been the Church of Ireland chaplain in UCD. Scott is married to Christina and they have one son, Daniel. He will serve as Deacon Intern in Kilternan Parish this year.
Opening the service, Archbishop Jackson welcomed the congregation to celebrate a “day of tremendous significance in the lives of two individuals”. He thanked all who had come for giving the sense of a full church and thanked the Archdeacon of Glendalough for leading the pre–ordination retreat and the Archdeacon of Dublin for preaching. He also thanked the Dean, the director of music, the choir and all at the cathedral for bringing the service together.
In his sermon, Archdeacon Pierpoint said that all Christians needed spiritual nourishment to sustain them throughout their lives and all needed advice on how to go further in their Christian living. He added that St Peter said that we are all like living stones being built into a spiritual house with Christ as the living cornerstone.
“We are all to be a holy people offering spiritual sacrifices just as Jesus did and still does,” the Archdeacon stated. “Your destiny is not simply to be saved so as to go to heaven. We all have work to do. Some will say ‘Well I am not called to ordination’. Yes, being a deacon is a special calling and not everyone is called to this task. As time goes on and the diaconate leads to priesthood, you must have abilities in public speaking and counselling, and training in keeping records and finances and visiting the sick and attending lots and lots of meetings. No, not everyone is called to ordination but every Christian person is called to be a priest.”
He explained that every Christian person is called to offer spiritual sacrifices – making time to pray each day, doing regular in depth Bible study and spending time with God in silence. Every Christian is intended to be dedicated to God, looking after God’s business where he or she is, he added.
“We all are labourers in a family business. We are the living stones, sometimes rejected but always being built up into a spiritual house. This is where Jane and Scott find themselves today. Two very different people with different experiences of life and ministry, with different gifts as St Paul said, offering themselves for ordination. Now they take on new roles as ordained people in God’s church,” Archdeacon Pierpoint said.
