27.03.2023
Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla Look Forward to Arrival of new Curate
The Parishes of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla will welcome a new Curate Assistant into their midst this summer. The Revd Natasha Quinn–Thomas will join the parish in June.
Natasha comes to the parish with extensive experience both in lay ministry and as a Curate in Dyffryn Clwyd Mission Area within St Asaph Diocese in Wales. She will undertake the normal role of a Curate in leading worship and pastoral ministry and she will have a particular focus on reaching out to young families and young people.
There is a very strong relationship between the church and that parish school and Natasha’s passion for schools’ ministry will be well utilised as the parish seeks to expand those connections to other schools in the area, Rector of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla, the Revd Colin McConaghie, explains.
“Natasha’s heart for children’s and young family’s ministry will complement our vision for serving our local community,” he says. “Inspired by the Church of Ireland’s developing of pioneer ministry we are seeking to find new ways of being the church and doing church to reach those on the margins of our churches and those in the area with no church connection. Part of our vision as a parish is to become a community hub offering spaces for the community to come together for friendship and fellowship and ultimately to encourage people in their faith. For this to happen we need a team of people both clergy and lay with a heart for bringing the gospel to our communities. We believe Natasha to be the right person called by God to be a part of our ministry team and we are excited about what can happen through the guidance of the Spirit in the coming years.”
He adds: “Personally, I am delighted to have Rev Natasha coming on board as a colleague and while I am very excited about having the opportunity to be a training Rector, I also look forward to what I can learn from Natasha from her own experience and talents. Natasha has an infectious personality and I have no doubt that both the parishioners of our churches and the wider community will welcome her warmly and benefit greatly from her ministry.”
He also thanked Archbishop Michael Jackson for his role in making the appointment possible and for recommending Natasha to the parish. It is five years since the parish last had a Curate.
Natasha reflects that she was called to ordination quite early in life. “I first felt a sense of calling to ordained ministry at the age of seven following a school visit from my local Vicar. This came as a great surprise to my family as the week prior to this revelation I was certain I wanted to a be a zebra keeper and professional ballerina. Thankfully I followed the path to ordination and after working for five years employment in lay ministry roles, I was ordained a priest in 2022,” she says.
For the past two years she has served as a Curate in rural North Wales not far from where she grew up. Previously she served in city contexts.
“Most of my ministry so far has been focussed on children’s, youth and families work. I trained as a nursery nurse as a teen and enjoy being able to transfer my passion for working with young people into my church contexts. I also have a real passion for exploring new ways we can draw new people into our worshipping communities through outreach events and engagement. I fully believe that in demonstrating God’s love to our neighbours, we can reveal more of Christ’s work in the world. Some projects I have worked on include; setting up play groups, leading a dementia café in church, running a night shelter and even co–ordinating a dog show followed by a pet blessing,” she says.
Natasha continues: “I have felt a pull to Ireland for a very long time and when I found myself at a cross roads in my ministry, I decided to take the plunge to explore a move over the Irish sea. To my delight, things have all fallen into place and I am delighted to be continuing my ministry in Dublin. I look forward to working alongside Reverend Colin in the Parish of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla, and hope I will be able to contribute to the already vibrant life of the churches. I am particularly interested in supporting the children and youth ministry across the communities and hope to share in that ministry. Inspired by my own journey to faith, I have a real heart for schools ministry and pray I can help develop the church links to the local.”
Natasha will be moving to Dublin in June with her Golden Labrador, Rufus, and is looking forward to joining the family of the Church of Ireland. She thanks the Archbishop and Colin for their encouragement as she takes the next steps in her ministry.
