This St James’ Day, 25^th July, the roof of the Cathedral Church of St. Mary the Virgin and John the Baptist was raised in songs of praise to mark the 40^th anniversary of the Ordination of Dean Arfon Williams. It was a wonderful service of celebration, testimony and exuberant song to celebrate a God who, through his Holy Spirit, is doing a great work in our lives. The hymns and readings were all chosen to reflect something about Dean Arfon’s journey of faith. From the opening Hymn of Praise – Praise to the holiest in the Height by Cardinal John Henry Newman to the closing hymn – Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah  by  William Williams we heard the story of a God who reaches into the brokenness of the world and the foundation shaking moments of life with his undeserved and inescapable love.

Dean Nigel Crossey, who is also celebrating the 40^th year since ordination, read from Isaiah 53:1-12 and 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 was read in Welsh by Canon Edward Yendall and in English by Canon Arthur Barrett. Preaching from these passages, the Right Revd. Dr Ferran Glenfield, Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, reminded us of the wonderful words of Isaiah 53 v5 ‘But he was pierced for our transgressions,     he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,     and by his wounds we are healed. He said that in his writings Isaiah paints a comprehensive picture of the sin and wrongdoing at the heart of the human condition. Our transgression – the breaking of boundaries established by God, our iniquity – the flaws within the human spirit which make us wayward, enmity – people at war with God, each other and conflicted within themselves and disease. However, in Isaiah 53 we read about a wounded healer, a servant of the living God, bringing atonement, redemption and the reversal of the human plight. By his wounds we have been healed. Ultimately this prophesy finds its fulfilment in the cross of Christ, in Jesus’ self-giving sacrifice to redeem humanity. In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself  and entrusting us with a message of reconciliation.

Following the service prayers were led by Revd. Albert Dawson, Revd. Adam Norris and Revd. John Addy and closing prayers and blessings were said by Bishop Ken Clarke, Bishop Ferran Glenfield and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Elphin, The Most Revd. Dr. Bishop Kevin Doran.

It was a  truly uplifting occasion and we wish Dean Arfon and his wife, Trudi well in retirement. The service was begun with the collect for St James’ Day and in praying these words we honour Dean Arfon and his ministry in our Diocese:

Merciful God,
whose holy apostle Saint James,
leaving his father and all that he had,
was obedient to the calling of your Son Jesus Christ
and followed him even to death:
help us, forsaking the false attractions of the world,
to be ready at all times to answer your call without delay;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

At a reception on Monday evening last week (17th June), the RCB Library marked the installation of the Bartlett Collection (being the library of the late Canon Professor John Bartlett) in the former College of Education Chapel which is now part of the Church of Ireland campus at Rathmines.  Many of John’s former students and colleagues from the Church of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin were in attendance along with two of his three daughters – Penny and Helen with grandchildren – and his widow, Olivia.

The Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Revd John McDowell, received the collection on behalf of the Representative Church Body and along with the Librarian and Archivist Dr Susan Hood and Mrs Bartlett paid warm tributes to Professor Bartlett, who was Principal of the Church of Ireland Theological College from 1989 to 2001.

Professor Bartlett played a significant role in the theological life of both Trinity College Dublin and the wider Church of Ireland for over six decades.  During his lifetime he amassed an important collection of over 4,000 volumes, covering themes on all aspects of theology, especially Old Testament studies, as well as archaeology, classics, literature, philosophy, travel, local and general history, cartography and maps.

Before he died in 2022, he generously arranged for the collection to be gifted to the RCB.

“In many ways, we in the Church of Ireland owe John a debt we can never repay,” Archbishop McDowell remarked, “for the work that he did in the Theological College, at the time in which he did it.”  On his literary depth, the Primate found that “when he asked you what you had been reading, it was very rare that what you had been reading hadn’t already [been read by John] and [he] was able to have a discussion with you about it.”

His scholarship and clarity of writing went together.  He always had Greek and Hebrew testaments in his stall in the college chapel, for following the lectionary, while the archaeological findings of his early career had “an enormous impact on how he understood the Hebrew Scriptures” as a human text that involved the people of the time.

Dr Hood recalled Professor Bartlett’s meeting with Library staff to discuss the legacy of his books and acknowledged the help of RCB Chief Officer David Ritchie in accommodating them in the former chapel building.  The Library additionally holds the archive of his personal papers, including sermons, a significant set of maps, research notes and related material.

In one scrapbook of his excavations in Jerusalem in 1962, John reflected how this particular journey “would have a profound effect on his subsequent career – revealing the origins of his interest in Holy Land studies, but also his understanding of the land and the peoples of Palestine,” Dr Hood noted.  “And in his later life, having discovered the stones of that place, he would become a champion for protecting the ‘living stones’ – the descendants of the earliest Christians and others living in what is today’s Holy Land.”

In 1931, the Library’s founding benefactor Rosamond Stephen donated some 5,000 books to the RCB without knowing what the Library would become: a collection of over 70,000 printed books together with the Church’s ever-growing archives.  “The size of John’s gift almost matches that initial bequest,” Dr Hood added, “so what has been achieved in this space by creating the Bartlett Collection might be symbolic of what one day might evolve collectively here in this place for the different administrative and educative strands of the Church.”

The building has been fitted with bespoke book shelving to house the collection designed by timber craftsman Shane Duffley, while its potential for other events was demonstrated by the exhibit of the extensive published works by John Bartlett on display, alongside original materials documenting his archaeological expeditions in Israel/Palestine during the early 1960s.

Mrs Bartlett thanked the Library staff “for the enormous amount of work that bringing this evening about has taken.”  She had also witnessed her late husband’s “love of Palestine and the Palestinian people”, recalling how he had memorably met one of his co-workers many years afterwards.

“Solidly-researched scholarship meant so much to John,” she added.  “He was very much known abroad, both for his knowledge of biblical archaeology and Old Testament scholarship”, and often stunned by the warmth of greeting when people met him for the first time and remembered his writing many years after those books were published.  Moments of academic discovery, not to mention publishing the Gospels in Iambic pentameter, brought out his great sense of humour.

“John never trumpeted his achievements,” Mrs Bartlett said in conclusion: “He lived life following the words in Micah chapter 6 verse 8: ‘… What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.’”

Archbishop John McDowell speaks at the launch of the Bartlett Collection.

Professor John Bartlett. Credit: Canon Dr Ginnie Kennerley.

Speakers at the launch of the Bartlett Collection (from left): Dr Susan Hood, Librarian & Archivist at the RCB Library; Mrs Olivia Bartlett; and Archbishop John McDowell, Primate of All Ireland.

Professor Bartlett’s published works on display.

A scrapbook with scenes from the 1962 expedition to the Holy Land.

Last Sunday afternoon, 23rd June, a large congregation gathered in St. Feithlimidh’s Cathedral Kilmore for a joyous celebration of the ordination of Revd. Faith Sithole as Deacon and Revd. Sam Peilow as Presbyter by Rt. Revd. Ferran Glenfield, the Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh.

Revd. Sam Peilow is currently serving as Curate to the Bishop in the Killeshandra Group of Parishes (Killeshandra, Killegar and Derrylane.). He grew up in Derry and spent a number of years working as a Software Engineer before beginning a two-year ministry internship in a city-centre church in Dublin, where he met his wife, Georgina. Georgina is from Donegal and they have two daughters.

Revd. Faith Sithole is originally from Zimbabwe and grew up in the Methodist Church where her family served in different areas within the church and the community. She is ordained for Local Ministry in the Virginia Group of Parishes (Billis, Killinkere, Lurgan (Virginia) and Munterconnaught). Speaking of her journey to ordained ministry, Revd. Faith said ‘The journey has been extremely busy, challenging, exciting and amazing at the same time, I have seen God’s providence and guidance throughout and I remain a pilgrim on a pilgrimage’.

The Ven. David Huss (Archdeacon of Derry and Raphoe) gave the address at the service of Ordination. Preaching from Romans 12 he urged the congregation to think of ourselves with sober judgement – to let the Gospel renew our thoughts and minds and change the way we think about ourselves. He reminded us to see ourselves as loved, to think of ourselves as saved by God and adopted as His children and remember that we are sent by God to serve.

After the ordination there was a wonderful tea in the Cathedral hall and a chance to enjoy the sunshine of a glorious summer’s evening. We pray for every blessing on Revd. Faith and Revd. Sam as they continue their ministry in our Diocese.

The Venerable David Hus, Revd. Faith Sithole, Bishop Ferran Glenfield, Revd. Sam Peilow, Dean Nigel Crossey.

Revd. Faith and her family

Revd Sam and his family