News
Revd John McDowell new Bishop of Clogher
Consecration of the Revd John McDowell
as Bishop of Clogher
Consecration
The newly elected Bishop of Clogher, the Rt Revd John McDowell, was
consecrated at an ordination service with Holy Communion in St Macartin’s
Cathedral, Enniskillen on Friday 23rd September 2011. This was a joyful occasion
as we welcome our new bishop and his wife Mary and their daughter
Dorothy into our diocese.
The consecrating bishops were The Most Revd Alan Harper, Archbishop of Armagh;
The Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin, The Rt Revd Harold
Miller, Bishop of Down and Dromore; The Rt Revd Ken Good, Bishop of Derry
and Raphoe; The Rt Revd Trevor Williams, Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe;
The Rt Revd Patrick Rooke, Bishop of Tuam, Killala and Achonry; and a number
of retired bishops including The Rt Revd Lord Robin Eames, The Rt Revd Brian
Hannon, The Rt Revd Dr Sam Poyntz, The Rt Revd Edward Darling, and the Rt
Revd James Mehaffey. Also consecrating were the Rt Revd Suheil Dawani, Bishop
of Jerusalem, and the Rt Revd Ingeborg Midttømme, Bishop of Møre
in the Church of Norway, representing the Porvoo Communion of Churches.
The preacher at the service was Bishop Dawani, who began by emphasising the “warm
and mutually supportive relationship” which existed between the Dicoeses
Referring to Jesus’ words “Feed my sheep”, from St John’s
Gospel 21:15-17 which was read at the service, Bishop Dawani expressed to
the new bishop the hope that those words would “ring in your ears for
the remainder of your ministry as Bishop of this Diocese.”
There were numerous ecumenical guests at the service, including the Revd
Troy Morgan of the Presbyterian Church; the Revd Ian Henderson, President
of the Methodist Church; the Revd Ken Lindsay, President-designate of the
Methodist Church; the Most Revd Dr Liam MacDaid, Roman Catholic Bishop of
Clogher, along with a number of colleagues from their respective denominations.
Among the special guests was the Earl of Erne, the Earl and Countess of Belmore
Viscount and Viscountess Brookeborough, Mrs Arlene Foster MLA, Mr Tom Elliot
MLA, Mrs Heather Humphries TD, together with a number of representatives
of Fermanagh District Council, Monaghan County Council, and Clones Town Council.
The cantor for the service was the Revd Precentor Noel Regan, and the organist
was Mrs Gill Spence, who was assisted by Mrs Angel Nawn. A combined choir
represented a number of parishes in the diocese.
The service concluded with refreshments in the Cathedral Hall, where Mr John
Irvine spoke on behalf of the diocese to welcome the new bishop. Thanks were
extended to the Dean, the Very Revd Kenneth Hall and the Revd Alistair Warke,
along with the diocesan office staff for organising the service.
Transcript of Bishop Dawani’s sermon:
Being here this evening is a great honour and joy for me. Your previous bishop,
now Archbishop Jackson, has been and continues to be a close friend whose
commitment to supporting the Christian presence in the Land of the Holy One
is very much appreciated. I have met so many members of this Diocese through
the pilgrimages he has led that I feel right at home among you. â??My
hope, of course, is that we will be able to continue this warm and mutually
supportive relationship between the Diocese of Clogher and the Diocese of
Jerusalem in the future. I am very thankful to Archbishop Harper for his
invitation to be here with you tonight and to offer a few words on this most
holy and solemn occasion. â??My brother John, you have been chosen
by God to be a servant in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. You have served
your people as a faithful pastor and priest. You have provided good and godly
counsel to your people, your fellow clergy and your bishop. Now, you have
been chosen for a new servant ministry as bishop of the Diocese of Clogher.
This is a joyous occasion for you, your family and the clergy and people
of this Diocese. In addition, it is a joyous occasion and privilege for me
to be with you this evening as we gather to ordain you as a Bishop of the
Church.
The celebration tonight, and for the enthronements, in not just one, but
two cathedrals in the coming days, lift our hearts and awaken our hope for
the future. Each event is full of imagery and ceremony which stirs our souls.
Each service will gather hundreds of faithful people who are hungry for the
good news of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am here to say to you that after the
ceremonies are over; after the best wishes and profound prayers are offered;
after the emotion of the moment has passed, there will come a Monday morning
when the reality of what has been done to you in the name of God will sink
in. â??My hope is that the words of our Lord to Peter ring in your
ears for the remainder of your ministry as Bishop of this Diocese. Jesus
asked Peter three times, ‘Do you love me?’ Peter affirms his
love of Jesus each time by saying, ‘You know that I love you.’ Jesus
then says the words which I hope you will remember, Jesus said, ‘Feed
my sheep.’ You will be called upon in so many ways throughout your
life as a Bishop of the Church.Your calling, first and foremost is certainly
to love God with all of your heart and mind and soul, and your neighbour
as yourself. Building upon that love and commitment to Christ is the calling
to always and in all ways to feed the sheep under your care in the name of
Christ.
They are hungry, these people of yours, they are hungry for your example
of what they see as you walk humbly with God. They are hungry to see how
the light of Christ shines through you. The glory of God, as St Paul writes,
shines in the face of Jesus Christ and you, as an icon of Christ, show that
light in your life. It is the light of Christ which has the power to free
us from the darkness of doubt, anxiety and fear. Your people are hungry for
your message of reassurance, challenge and hope. We cannot escape the truth
that people are watching you. They are watching you in hopeful expectation
of how the Holy Spirit will reveal the power of God in love through your
life as their Bishop. They are watching to learn through your commitment
to Christ about how to bring Christ’s light to their homes, churches,
neighbourhoods and the world. Bishops help feed their sheep when they remind
the sheep that God sent his only Son to save the whole world and not just
this Diocese.
Part of my being here tonight is perhaps a reminder that the light of Christ
shines in the darkest corners of the world to bring hope to people in despair.
St Paul writes words from his own experience which we heard earlier: ‘We
are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to
despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always
carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also
be made visible in our bodies.’ St Paul knows the truth of what he
writes. You, here in Ireland know the truth of these words from your own
experience. My people in my Diocese in Jerusalem and throughout the Middle
East also know this truth in our ministry. The good news of our faith is
found in the power of love which is the resurrection and the life to which
we are called in Christ. Who will proclaim this good news? Who will take
the leadership to remind with power and conviction that death is not the
answer; that God has the last word and God’s word is life eternal for
all who will believe. My brother John, feed our Lord’s sheep.
We thank God that you are not alone in this responsibility. You stand on
the shoulders of earlier bishops whose faith and integrity have provided
a sure foundation and cornerstone for your ministry. We thank God for the
faithful saints of the past throughout the history of Christianity here in
Ireland and from Jerusalem. The importance of supporting and inspiring your
people cannot be exaggerated. However, sometimes the light of Christ brings
light to places which are very dark indeed. There are times when being a
bishop requires making tough decisions. You will find that some of these
decisions make you unpopular with some of your people. This is not a surprise.
There are times when the shepherd must be tough on the wolves that seek to
devour the sheep. After prayer and good counsel with trusted advisors and
our Lord Jesus Christ, take heart in doing what is right in the eyes of God.
The expectations of the people about what makes a ‘bad’ bishop
or a ‘good’ bishop are too often rooted in what makes them happy
as human beings and not what makes them holy as followers of the risen Christ.
While it is true that bishops can feel alone in their responsibilities, return
often to the living water of Christ for refreshment and renewal of your spirit
and your vision of servant leadership which comes from the life of our Lord
himself.
There are times when you may find yourself feeling like a shock absorber
as the demands and expectations which surround you come along like large
bumps in the road. Bishops must, from time to time, absorb the shocking demands
made upon them. The best bishops accept this with patience, compassion and
mercy. God’s people are in need of a healer for their wounds and sometimes
that is yours to provide.
In the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, you have been entrusted with this ministry
of being a bishop with and for your people. Perhaps the greatest gift you
have to offer is your willingness to be among your people as a healer and
reconciler. This ministry is close to my own heart and a priority for me.
The same might be for you here. I know that for us in Jerusalem we believe
that if peace can come to a city which is holy to the three Abrahamic faiths,
peace could be possible for all of God’s creation. The progress made
in Ireland for peace for the future of your children and your children’s
children is an inspiration to us in Jerusalem. When the Irish come to visit
us, I am always encouraged because you understand the destructive power of
division and hatred. You also understand the power of hope coming out of
the hard work of renewing relationships built on mutual respect, tolerance
and understanding.
The light of the risen Christ is seen in the hope of peace among people who
have known conflict. When Jesus tells Peter to ‘feed my sheep’ I
cannot help but believe that the vision of all of God’s children living
in peace with their neighbours is powerful food indeed. My brother, may God
bless you in this new and exciting development in your life. May God bless
your family as they continue to be with you and for you in this journey.
May God bless the clergy and people of the Diocese of Clogher as you continue
to embrace ‘the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness”,
who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’
Amen.
Clogher Cathedral Enthronement
Bishop McDowell will subsequently be enthroned in St Macartan’s Cathedral,
Clogher, the ancient seat of the Bishop of Clogher, at a service of Evensong
on the Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 2nd October 2011 at 4.00pm.
Enniskillen Cathedral Enthronement
The bishop will then be enthroned at a special youth service in St Macartin’s
Cathedral, Enniskillen on the Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, Sunday 16th
October 2011 at 4.00pm.
23/09/2011