07.06.2024
Busy Day Rounds Off Middle East Clergy’s Visit to Dublin and Glendalough
An action packed final full day in Ireland saw the Archbishop and clergy of the Diocese of Jerusalem spend time in both Glendalough and Dublin on Wednesday May 29. Transported by Clark Brydon in the St Patrick’s Cathedral bus, the visitors and their Dublin and Glendalough counterparts started out in Greystones, before returning to Dublin for Evensong in St Patrick’s and a final dinner together joined by Archbishop Dermot Farrell and other friends and at which Minister Neal Richmond spoke at the beginning. Both the Archbishop of Dublin and Archbishop Hosam Naoum met with officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs before going to Christ Church Cathedral where they prayed together for peace.
First stop in Greystones was St Patrick’s National School where principal Rachel Harper outlined the ‘It Takes a Village’ campaign with involves all eight primary schools in the area with support from the local secondary schools, working together for the benefit of the mental health of the children. The initiative is a response to the increasing levels of anxiety seen in primary school children in the area. She stressed the importance of all the schools working together towards a common goal.
Rachel outlined the Smartphone Voluntary Code which has attracted attention worldwide. Parents who sign up to the code, which began in Delgany National School before being taken up in Greystones, agree not to get smartphones for their children until they start secondary school. She explained that they felt a lot of children’s anxiety came from social media which they accessed from their smartphones.
“We saw that in primary school some children were getting smartphones from the age of nine,” she commented. “Delgany National School already had a code in place and we thought that if all eight schools in the area rolled this out then all the children in the area would be doing it together.” She said it was a strong statement from all the schools and while there was a bit of persuading at first, it landed well and got parents talking. “We’re not telling parents they have to do this. It is a voluntary code. We are asking parents to consider waiting until secondary school before they buy a phone for their children,” she added.
Two students from 6th Class spoke enthusiastically in support of the voluntary code. They said that many children their age were addicted to their phones and it was a better choice to get away from their screens and focus on enjoying life. Pupils of 3rd Class treated the visitors to a song about the environment ‘SOS from the Kids’.
Archbishop Michael Jackson thanked Rachel and all involved in the It Takes a Village initiative for working together on something that has attracted international attention.
The group then proceeded around the corner to Coolnagreina which is a facility run by Tiglin, the charity which supports people to overcome addiction. Currently the facility is home to a range of people including more than 20 Ukrainian families. While there, Archbishop Jackson blessed and turned the sod on a new all weather play area which will help provide much needed recreational facilities all year round for children from Ukraine. Representatives from Protestant Aid were present to present the cheque for the project, the proceeds of a diocesan appeal.
The visit was an opportunity to demonstrate the universal language of sport as the clergy from the Diocese of Jerusalem and children from Ukraine along with some Dublin and Glendalough clergy and the school principal joined in an impromptu game of football.
Rachel Harper, who is on the board of Tiglin, explained that Coolnagreine was to be run as a rehab centre but when the war in Ukraine broke out accommodation was offered to Ukrainian families. She said they the centre provided a warm, welcoming safe space for them. She said the money raised would be used on the play area to bring joy, happiness and laughter to the children.
Susan Phillips of the Tiglin Foundation spoke of the work of Tiglin in caring for people who are “imprisoned by addiction”.
Archbishop Hosam said that they were praying for the people of Ukraine and presented a cross with the Lord’s Prayer in Arabic engraved on it to Rachel.
After lunch in a local restaurant owned by a Syrian Christian woman, Archbishop Jackson and Archbishop Hosam along with Canon Don Binder and Canon Paul Arbuthnot went to the Department of Foreign Affairs. They met Director of Affairs for the Middle East and North Africa, Luke Feeney and briefed him on the dire situation facing Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza, and the plight of Christians throughout the Holy Land. It was the day after Ireland’s fomal recognition of the State of Palestine and Archbishop Naoum and Canon Binder thanked Mr Feeney for Ireland’s recognition and said it was the best possible means of restarting the peace process, with the hope that it would lead to a two–state solution.
From there they travelled the short distance to Christ Church Cathedral where Archbishop Naoum and Canon Binder were given a tour by Dean Dermot Dunne before both Archbishops knelt together to pray for peace. They then joined the rest of the clergy in St Patrick’s Cathedral where they were welcomed by Dean William Morton for Evensong.
Before the farewell dinner, Minister Neal Richmond said that he had learned much about the joint clergy retreat in Jordan last year from his Rector in Kilternan, the Revd Rob Clements, and that it had given them much food for thought. He said these discussions were picked up the previous morning in light of Ireland’s recognition of the Palestinian State. He said they were delighted along with Spain and Norway to welcome Palestine in the fellowship of nations around the world like 142 other nations have done so far.
“It was a very historic moment. It was a very powerful moment. But we were very aware it was a moment done against the most awful and tragic backdrop. Our thoughts and prayers remain constantly with the people of Gaza and with the people of Rafah particularly in the last couple of days as well as the people of Israel and wider Jerusalem and into Jordan who are scarred by what has been a vicious number of months in a very troubling history,” he said. He also talked about the visit to St Patrick’s NS and referenced the voluntary ban on smartphones which his children’s school, along with six others, has taken up.
