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News

Amalgamation of four parishes announced in Clogher Diocese

 

A new parish grouping has been announced in Clogher Diocese.

The amalgamation of Derryvullen South and Garvary with Tempo and Clabby has been approved by Diocesan Council and ratified by the Representative Church Body Executive.

The Revd Canon Maurice Armstrong, Rector of Tempo and Clabby, is also to be Rector of Derryvullen South and Garvary, having been nominated at a Board of Nomination on Thursday.

Canon Armstrong will oversee a team of ordained and lay ministry in the new group.

A date for his institution will be announced in due course.

The Bishop of Clogher, the Right Revd Dr. Ian Ellis offered his best wishes to Canon Armstrong and the new group of parishes as they embark together on a new era of ministry in the four parishes of Derryvullen South, Clabby, Garvary and Tempo.

Bishop Ellis said: “I am very pleased with the appointment of Canon Maurice Armstrong as Rector of Derryvullen South and Garvary and welcome him as incumbent of the newly amalgamated four-parish group comprising Derryvullen South, Clabby, Garvary and Tempo. Canon Maurice is well known to us in Clogher Diocese where he has been rector of his current group for the past 21 years. His experience, pastoral care and organisational skills will be soon recognised by his new parishioners, and I wish him God’s blessing as he begins this new chapter of his ministry’.

Canon Armstrong, looking forward to taking charge of the new group said; “I am looking forward to the new and fresh challenges of being Rector of this new grouping of Parishes and getting to know the Parishioners of Derryvullen South and Garvary. As a family we are looking forward to moving into a comfortable new Rectory in Derryvullen South Parish.
Please pray for us as we prepare to move house and for the future and as we move out of Covid, as we rebuilt church life and adapt to the challenges and changes that the amalgamation brings. As the writer to the Hebrews writes ‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.’

Canon Armstrong grew up on the family farm at Drumrush near Kesh and attended Drumkeeran Parish Church where he was involved in youth organisations.
Following his education, he graduated in 1984 from the University of Ulster, Jordanstown with BA (Hons) in history and Politics and after studying at the Church of Ireland Theological College, Dublin he was ordained in 1987 serving his curacy in St. Mark’s Parish, Portadown. He was Rector of Sixmilecross and Carrickmore followed by Rector of St. Matthew’s, Richhill before being appointed Rector of Tempo and Clabby parishes in 2001.

Canon Armstrong has been involved in diocesan work, having served as a member of Diocesan Council, Diocesan Synod and General Synod and also as Diocesan Nominator.

He served as Rural Dean of Clogher for 16 years and was also Executive Chairman of the Diocesan Ministry of Healing until retiring from this responsibility in 2021.