19.02.2024
Historic St Matthew’s Irishtown Restored for Whole Community
The beautiful and historic St Matthew’s Church in Irishtown was at the centre of celebrations yesterday (Sunday February 18) as the church was rededicated and reconsecrated after extensive renovation work.
Archbishop Michael Jackson officiated at the rededication which was attended by a large congregation of parishioners, representatives of the wider community and friends of the parish. People involved in the refurbishment work were joined by a large number of ecumenical guests and clergy from nearby parishes.
St Matthew’s closed on May 7 2023 and services took place in the general purpose room of St Matthew’s National School. They were also generously accommodated by the nearby Star of the Sea Parish. A huge range of work was carried out in the intervening months including rewiring, upgrading the plumbing and heating, restoring plasterwork and the stained glass windows. The interior has been repainted and the pews striped back to their original colour so that the inside of the church now looks bright and warm.
The Archbishop was met at the entrance of the church by the church warden who presented him with a petition for rededication. Clergy then processed up the aisle saying the 24th Psalm by alternate verse with the congregation. The Archbishop then led the congregation in prayer to reconsecrate the church praying that it would continue to be a place of prayer and thanksgiving, worship and preaching, for celebration of the Holy Sacraments and a place of blessing for all who meet there.
In his sermon, the Archbishop expressed his gratitude for the substantial and painstaking work of restoration and refurbishment and for the forethought of the Rector, the energy of the Select Vestry and the generosity of parishioners and the community of Irishtown, Ringsend and Sandymount.
“Forethought is essential in the life of the church because without it we lapse into retrospect and sentimentality, yesterday becomes good enough for today and then becomes good enough for tomorrow. This is not what Jesus Christ is telling us in today’s Gospel [Luke 13: 31–35]. Energy is similarly essential because, within our parochial systems, it translates ideas into events; expressed more simply, things are enabled to happen; and tomorrow can, in this way, become something of today,” he said.
He observed that in the Gospel reading Simeon and Anna grasped that the infant Jesus was ushering in a new age and a new way of life and said that they were guides in a church that all too easily could find its tyres stuck in its own mud.
Archbishop Jackson said that the opportunity afforded by the refurbishment of St Matthew’s was as much a celebration of tomorrow as the completion of the work itself. He paid tribute to the current rector’s predecessors for the work they have done and recognised Canon Leonard Ruddock’s pivotal work and strategic inspiration for the project.
“Irishtown has changed and Irishtown will continue to change. And change brings not only new needs but new perspectives and new people. The church building and the area in front of it and around it are now a versatile and attractive space in which parochial and community life can express themselves, in which the church can bring the Gospel itself in its lived entirety to share the love of God with any who care to cross this threshold and experience the worship and the welcome of this place,” he said.
You can read the Archbishop’s sermon in full here.
Canon Ruddock said the refurbishment project had been a team effort and commended the parishioners, select vestry and the professionals who all played their parts. “We don’t just want a wonderful Church. This building is more than a building, it has been a place of worship since 1704,” he commented. He thanked the Star of the Sea Church and the school principal and board of management for facilitating them in the holding of services.
“None of what we have done would be possible without the backing and financial support of St Mary’s, Donnybrook. We have built on those who went before. St Matthew’s is here for all of us and all of you. It is accessible to everyone and is very much part of the community. There is meeting space in the church and hotdesking upstairs and the columbarium in the churchyard is available to everyone in the wider community. St Matthew’s continues to be a place of prayer and the message of the hope of Jesus Christ continues to be preached and lived out here,” he commented.
The project was coordinated for the parish by Nicky Bell. She recalled that two years previously the Rector came to her with an idea and that set the ball rolling on the project. She said the restoration would not have been possible without a wonderful team of professionals. She outlined the work that had been carried out, much of it unseen now that it was completed. “It was sometimes highly stressful but it was a privilege to be involved and I thank this wonderful community and congregation for your patience and enthusiasm. St Matthew’s is open. Please use it and enjoy it. It’s for you,” she said.
