Author: Paul McFadden

The Rector of St Augustine’s Church, Rev Nigel Cairns, has been appointed Dean of Derry and Rector of the new parish grouping of Templemore & St Augustine’s, a merger which brings together two of Londonderry’s best-known city-centre churches.

News of the appointments was shared with the congregations of St Columb’s Cathedral and St Augustine’s at Sunday morning services. It is expected that a Service of Installation will be held in early summer at which the Dean-elect will formally succeed Very Rev Raymond Stewart who retired at the end of last year.
 
Rev Cairns’ appointment as Rector was made following a Board of Nomination meeting, while his appointment as the new Dean was made by the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Andrew Forster. 
 
The Dean-elect, who was born and reared in Londonderry, says he and his wife, Alison, are looking forward to this exciting new chapter in their lives. “As a son of the city, I feel both humbled and blessed to be appointed Dean of Derry and Rector of Templemore, which now encompasses St Columb’s and St Augustine’s.  
 
“For a whole host of reasons both of these churches, and the people, are very close to the hearts of my wife, Alison, and I. We are looking forward, under God, to being part of the Christian witness and ministry within The Walls and I would encourage the parishioners of both churches to prayerfully support and embrace this exciting new beginning as we build and grow together.
 
“I would like to thank Alison, our children Megan and Matthew, Bishop Andrew, the congregations and my fellow clergy for their encouragement and prayers.”
 
The Dean-elect grew up in Londonderry’s Waterside and was educated at Lisnagelvin Primary School, Clondermott High School, Foyle College and Stranmillis University College, where he qualified as a primary school teacher. He taught in schools in Limavady, Artigarvan and Omagh before leaving the profession to train for ministry in the Church of Ireland. He was ordained to the Diaconate in September 2016 and priested in September 2017.

Today, Palm Sunday – when Christians remember Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem – was a triumphant day, too, for the volunteers of St Columb’s Cathedral in Londonderry as they were presented with the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, conferred in recognition of their “outstanding contributions to social cohesion, community relations, and tourism within a socially deprived area of Northern Ireland”.

The main presentation – a crystal KAVS award – was made by the Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Londonderry, Ian Crowe MBE CStJ, who is the King’s official representative in the northwest. It was handed over to Mrs Elizabeth Fielding, who received it on behalf of the cathedral’s volunteers. KAVS medals were presented to 10 individual members of the team, including Rev Canon John Merrick, who led this afternoon ‘s Service of Choral Evensong, and who received his medal from the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Andrew Forster.

In his sermon, the Bishop described it as a special day for all in the cathedral community and for many far beyond. “So often,” he said, “volunteers do things under the radar, unseen, without seeking reward. But today, for the volunteers of this wonderful place, we roll out the red carpet and we reward you, if you like – and much better than that, the King himself rewards you – with his Award for Voluntary Service for all that you do.”

Bishop Andrew said he believed that through their efforts, the volunteers in St Columb’s Cathedral sought to demonstrate God’s presence in the community. “I honestly think that at your heart – the volunteer team’s – that’s what you want to show. That this place that we love so much is a place that says God is alive; that says to the community that gather and visit here – to those who come from far, far away to visit this city that we love and who come through the doors of this cathedral – God is alive; to those who live in the city, God is alive. Your volunteering, your love, your vibrancy make that happen. So, bless you for what you do.”

Canon Merrick acknowledged the efforts of those who had served in the cathedral down through the years. “I have spent almost 22 years here serving this community within this parish and this cathedral church,” he said, “and I am very much aware of the work that is done in a voluntary capacity by so many people over so many years, and it’s a great joy to see that that is being recognised this afternoon.

“But I would just like to add a little footnote to that. When I say that I’ve been here for 22 years, that’s a mere blip on the screen in relation to the outreach and worship within this cathedral church over numerous centuries. So, I want us – as we celebrate today the achievements of our volunteers at the present time – to remember all those who served this church so faithfully and loyally in the years past and in the centuries past. In fact, as I say that, I can look down and I can see faces that sat here are no longer with us. So, I want us to remember them because without their service, without their contribution, perhaps there would be nothing here for us to contribute to.”

The NI Representative on the National KAVS Committee, Sandra Adair, MBE, reminded the congregation that the KAVS award was the highest award conferred on groups of volunteers and that it was a lifetime honour. The St Columb’s Cathedral volunteer team was one of 16 recipients from Northern Ireland in the King’s last birthday honours. “St Columb’s Cathedral volunteers were being assessed against other similar organisations from right across the UK,” Ms Adair said, “therefore your volunteers needed to show a level of initiative that was truly exceptional. Your organisation needed to be the best of its kind.”

Longstanding Cathedral volunteer, Elizabeth Fielding, who collected the main award, expressed her own and her colleagues’ gratitude at being recognised by the King. They were, she said, a diverse group of people, fulfilling wide and varied roles, often doing tasks unseen, week after week, each one of them playing a vital part in keeping the church building operational and looking cared for. “We were greatly surprised,” Mrs Fielding said, “and are deeply appreciative of this award from His Majesty the King in recognition of our voluntary service, and we wish King Charles very good health and deep wisdom at this time.”

The distinguished guests at today’s service included the Deputy Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Niree McMorris; the city’s High Sheriff, Mrs Joan Doherty; the Vice Lord Lieutenant, Alan Moore OBE TD DL (who read the citation at today’s service); a number of the city’s Deputy Lieutenants; and the former Dean of Derry, Very Rev Raymond Stewart, who retired recently.

Musical worship was led by The Boy and Girl Choristers and The Lay Clerks of the Cathedral, directed by Louis Fields and accompanied by organist Nicky Morton.

“I thank you dear Jesus for these marvellous parishes,” Rev Janet Broderick prayed in Portnoo, on Friday evening (March 6th, 2026), “all so unique in their worship of you, each community dwelling and yet all of us as one.”

The Rev Broderick was speaking in Inniskeel Parish Church at the Service of Introduction which formally and belatedly welcomed her to the group of five churches which she is now leading as Priest-in-charge.

Members of the congregations that comprise the Ardara, Glencolumbkille, Glenties, Inniskeel and Lettermacaward Group of parishes were in church to see Bishop Andrew Forster present Rev Broderick with the licence permitting her to exercise her ministry in the church.

Bishop Andrew led this evening’s service, at which he was assisted by the Diocesan Registrar, Rev Jonathan Brown (who oversaw the legal aspects of this evening’s proceedings), and the Archdeacon of Raphoe, Ven. David Huss, who preached the sermon. Clergy and Lay Readers from throughout the Diocese of Raphoe were in church to support the recently-appointed Priest-in-charge and they were joined by clergy from other Christian denominations in southwest Donegal.

Welcoming the congregation, representatives of other churches and Rev Janet, Bishop Andrew said he hoped that the evening would be as special for the new minister as it was for everyone gathered in church as part of the family of God. “We are delighted that you are here, Janet. We believe that God has sent you to us and we know that God will bless you as you serve amongst us.”

Bishop Andrew prompted laughter from those in church when he referred to a major event elsewhere which coincided with this evening’s service. “The journey of faith is also a journey of sacrifice,” the Bishop said, “and tonight there’s a sense of sacrifice because in about five minutes time, Ireland will play Wales, and here we are. So, this is down to you, Janet!”

In his sermon, Archdeacon Huss paid tribute to local parishioners for all of their prayer, faith, hard work, good humour and patience during the 12 month vacancy. “Many people stepped up to take on extra work and extra responsibility during this time,” he said. “It’s been a wonderful spirit of hope-filled faithfulness which has really shone through in any of the times that I have come to visit the parishes during the vacancy, and it’s been wonderful to behold.” The preacher also acknowledged the hard work of lay readers, parish readers, retired clergy and those who had travelled sometimes considerable distances to take services in the Group.

“Now,” he told the congregation, “you’re blessed to have your own priest right here among you, not instead of the other workers – because they continue to be vital, and teamwork is going to be an essential thing going forward in this parish setting – but you have a pastor and a guide and someone who will support you and help you in your life with Christ. You are particularly blessed to have a pastor with great experience, with deep discipleship, who has a fresh pair of eyes but also a very longstanding connection with this great part of the world that we love so much, here in southwest Donegal.

“This is a part of the world that has been indelibly touched by Christ for a millennium and a half,” Archdeacon Huss said, “since the days when Conal and Colmcille and others walked these hills and valleys and islands. I don’t know whether that brings a feeling of pressure, from the great legacy that has gone before. I think it brings a great sense of reassurance that the Lord has been working here for one-thousand-five-hundred years, and I think he still has more things he wants to do around these parts. It’s not over yet – far from it!”

This evening’s Scripture readings were shared by Chloe Hanlon and Georgina Millar. After the service, those present – among them a former Rector of the Ardara Group, Rev Canon John Deane – walked the short distance to the parish hall for refreshments and fellowship, and to meet Rev Broderick’s surprise ‘supper guest’ – her pet dog, Moishe.

Parishioners are invited to ‘An Evening with Bishop Given Gaula’ in the Diocesan Centre in Londonderry on Thursday 12th March, during which the Tanzanian church leader will be discussing his work to build God’s Kingdom in East Africa and his special bond with the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe.

For Bishop Given, the event will mark a return to our Diocese with which he’s signed a 5-year partnership agreement involving a shared commitment to prayer, mission, and mutual support. Thursday’s event – in the Diocesan Centre in London Street at 7.30pm – will be an ‘in conversation’ event during which Dr Gaula will be talking to our Diocesan Communications Officer, Paul McFadden.

The new incumbent in the Parishes of Castlerock & Dunboe, Rev Andrew Neill, was instituted on Friday evening, 23rd January 2026, at a service in Christ Church, Castlerock, led by Bishop Andrew Forster and the Rural Dean, Rev Rhys Jones, and attended by many of the new Rector’s clerical colleagues.

Parishioners from his new parish and from his previous parish, Drumachose, turned out in such numbers to support him that a large screen had to be provided in the adjoining hall to accommodate the overspill.

Welcoming the congregation, which included the Lord-Lieutenant of County Londonderry, Mrs Alison Millar, Bishop Andrew described it as a “red letter day” for the parishes, where he often holidays. It was particularly heartening, he said, to see so many members of the Parish of Drumachose there. “I want to thank all the members of the parish, and especially the Rector, for playing their part in Andrew’s formation as a curate, and it’s so good to see so many of you here this evening. And to the parishioners of Christ Church and St Paul’s, I’m sort of almost one of them, but that’s another story – I’m probably the worst attending parishioner.”

Bishop Andrew explained that parts of the service would seem very formal and legalistic as they fulfilled the law of the Church. “On the other hand,” he said, “and in every part of it, this is a service of worship to Almighty God.”

It was also, of course, a significant occasion for the new Rector’s family, and his wife, Claire, and their two children were in Christ Church to support him.

The sermon was preached by Rev Canon Aonghus Mayes who mentored the new incumbent throughout his curacy in Drumachose (Limavady). It would be more than easy, Canon Mayes said, to list Rev Neill’s gifts and talents. “One would say that you have in your rectory a warm, kind, extremely thoughtful man with solid values; someone with an endearing sense of humour and a clear vocation to be among you; and an interest in people just for themselves, exactly as they are. One would point out his ability to relate to people of all ages; that he would work hard; that it’s God’s will that he should be here; that he has the benefit of a steady, loving home background and a family who are supportive. And all of that would be true, but it would miss the main reason why we have gathered here.

“We have come together because Castlerock and Dunboe have a new incumbent, because we believe that it’s God’s will that he should be here, and also to pray for him because we know and understand that his success and failure here depends not upon his own gifts and talents, however good they may be, but upon his dependence on the grace of God alone.

“Taking charge of your first parish is a daunting prospect,” Canon Mayes said. “As curate, one works within given structures: there’s always a rector there – a point of reference, a sounding board for ideas and decisions, a well of experience upon which to draw and, no doubt, on occasions, an example of how not to do things.

“But then, suddenly, you’re on your own. There’s no one to warn you of hidden minefields in the parish (and every parish has them). You don’t know your way around – either geographically or ecclesiastically. It’s all strange, different from the last place, but everyone assumes that you know it all, even before you’ve quite unpacked. But you don’t. And you need time, and you need patience, and most all you need the prayers of your own people, because the sort of clergy that we become depends to a large extent upon our own prayers and upon yours.”

Tonight, the preacher told the congregation, you pray for your new Rector, and also, Canon Mayes hoped, for all who were answerable before God for the example of leadership they gave to the people committed to their charge. “But I hope that you will pray for him [the new incumbent] tomorrow, as well – tomorrow, and its tomorrow, too, for it is those prayers which will not only mould him but they will keep his ministry afloat. And, if he has those regular prayers, then I have absolutely no doubt that your time together will be blessed, as together you go forth into the future. Your souls are in his hands and his is in yours, so pray for each other.”

After Friday evening’s service, the congregation enjoyed refreshments and fellowship in the parish hall, where presentations were made to the Rural Dean, Rev Rhys Jones, and Rev Billy Holmes, to acknowledge their support during the vacancy in Castlerock.

A wintry scene greeted parishioners and friends on their arrival at St Columb’s Cathedral in Londonderry this morning as they bade a fond farewell to the newly-retired Dean of Derry, Very Rev Raymond Stewart, who celebrated his last service as Rector of the Parish of Templemore just three days earlier, on New Year’s Eve. It was a measure of the affection in which the Dean is held that so many people ventured out in such treacherous conditions – driving through snow and ice on a freezing January morning – to express their best wishes to him on his well-earned retirement.

Civic leaders and even a member of the aristocracy rubbed shoulders with parishioners and members of Dean Stewart’s family at today’s 11am Choral Eucharist Service. Among those present were the Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Londonderry, Ian Crowe MBE CStJ; the Deputy Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Alderman Niree McMorris; and His Grace, the Duke of Abercorn, who travelled all the way from Baronscourt, near Newtownstewart, to attend the service.

The service was led by the Pastoral Assistant at St Columb’s, Rev Canon John Merrick, and the sermon was preached by the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Andrew Forster, who drew upon the Gospel reading from Saint Matthew 2:1-12, which recounts the Magi’s visit to the child Jesus. Bishop Andrew said he wanted Dean Raymond to know that the cold outside the church didn’t match the warmth of the affection and gratitude felt by those who had gathered to mark his retirement, and celebrate his long and good ministry.

The reading – which is the Gospel for the Epiphany – was, the Bishop said, a fitting reading for this moment in the life of the Cathedral and Diocese, as they gave thanks for the ministry of Dean Stewart, and marked the completion of one remarkable journey, even as they trusted God for what lay ahead.

“Raymond’s ministry spanned some 46 and a half years,” Bishop Andrew said, “all in the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe, which is quite remarkable. It has been a journey marked by faithfulness rather than fanfare; by steady devotion rather than self-promotion. And in that it reflects something of the Magi themselves: they don’t linger in the story; they do what they’re called to do; they offer what they have; they worship him whom they encounter; and then they return home by another way. The story isn’t about the Magi in the Epiphany. It’s about the one whom they come to worship.

“That is the goal of Christian ministry. It’s not about the minister; it’s not about the priest; it’s not about the preacher. It’s about the one whom they seek to point their congregation towards – to Immanuel, ‘God with us’.”

Bishop Andrew reminded the congregation that Dean Stewart was ordained in St Columb’s Cathedral, 46 years ago, by then Bishop Robin Eames, and since then he had served as Curate in All Saints Clooney; and incumbencies in Dunfanaghy, Castledawson and Tamlaght O’Crilly Upper and Lower. These placed him among communities very different in character and context, yet united by a shared need for faithful, prayerful ministry. In each place, Dean Stewart had brought a deep love for the traditions of the Church of Ireland – not as museum pieces to be preserved but as living gifts to be received with reverence and offered with care.

“He has been, throughout his ministry, a thoughtful liturgist, attentive to detail, sensitive to space and to science, and deeply aware that how we worship shapes who we become. As a preacher, he has never sought to dazzle but to illuminate – to let the light of Scripture fall clearly and honestly on the lives of God’s people – and his preaching has been marked by depth, balance and pastoral wisdom, rooted in prayer and shaped by a deep respect for both text and congregation.

“Above all, Raymond’s ministry has been sustained by prayerfulness and a holiness of life that has been evident to all who have worked with him, worshipped alongside him, or simply observed him quietly going about his calling. Like the star of Epiphany this has not been a light that draws attention to himself but one that points consistently and faithfully to Christ.”

Bishop Andrew expressed personal gratitude to Dean Stewart for the welcome and hospitality he had extended during the eight and a half years of his Deanship. “He has exercised a ministry of guardianship and generosity, and he has held this Cathedral not as a possession but as a trust, a sacred space, where memory and hope meet, where history is honoured and the Gospel proclaimed afresh in each generation.”

The Epistle reading – from Ephesians 3: 1-12 – was read by Ms Jacqui Armstrong. Musical worship was led by the Cathedral Choirs of Boy Choristers, Girl Choristers and Lay Clerks, directed by Nicky Morton and accompanied by organist Louis Fields.

At the end of the service, the Deputy Mayor, the Lord Lieutenant and the Duke of Abercorn paid tribute to the Dean’s decades of ministry and stewardship of the Cathedral. Presentations were made to the Dean and his wife by churchwardens William Lynn and Muriel Hamilton, on behalf of the parishioners; and by one of the girl choristers on behalf of the boys’ and girls’ choirs.

Choir members formed a guard of honour as the Dean left the Cathedral at the end of the service. The congregation made their way in gentle snowfall to the nearby Diocesan Centre where they enjoyed refreshments and fellowship.

The full gallery of photos can be viewed on our Diocesan Facebook page.

It’s part of Advent tradition in many of our homes to put up a crib to commemorate and give thanks for the birth of Jesus – the Incarnation. Many of us will be familiar with what it represents: the child Jesus at the centre of the crib, wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger, watched over by his devoted parents, with the shepherds and the Magi looking on in adoration.

We know precious little about the Magi, or wise men. We don’t know their names or precise occupations – some believe they were kings, some think astrologers – and we can’t even be sure how many of them there were, and yet there they are, woven inextricably into the Nativity story.

Matthew tells us they came from the east, on a quest to find the one who’d been born “king of the Jews”. They were obviously men of deep faith, following a star all the way to Bethlehem. We know they were overjoyed when it stopped over the place where Jesus was. We’re told they “bowed down” and “worshipped” him, and opened the treasures they’d brought with them – gold, frankincense and myrrh – extremely expensive gifts in biblical times. The wise men’s lives must have been changed radically by their encounter with the Christ child. We know they defied Herod afterwards, refusing to betray Jesus’s whereabouts, and returned to their country by another route.

Many of us, nowadays, are on a quest of our own, searching for something different, something deeper, something that will transform our lives for the better. As we contemplate the nativity scene, the answer is there, right in front of our eyes. As with the wise men, it’s to be found in that humble stable where, as John writes, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”.

Christmas is a time of generosity, a time for giving and receiving gifts, and the love and peace of Christ are among the greatest gifts any of us can ever receive. It’s one of the paradoxes of generosity that in giving we receive, so, this Christmas, I invite you to follow in the footsteps of the Magi and step out in faith. By giving our lives to Christ – just as the wise men did two thousand years ago – we are transformed, and our lives, too, are changed immeasurably, irrevocably, and for the better.

The Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Rt Rev Andrew Forster, has told the congregation at a ‘Service of Remembrance and Thanksgiving’ in St Columb’s Cathedral in Londonderry, today, that they should treat peace like a precious family heirloom, so that it isn’t damaged or broken. “Peace,” he said, “is never, ever handed to us as a finished product. It has to be crafted – carefully, tenderly, courageously.”

Shortly before the service, the Bishop joined leaders of the other main local churches at an Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial in the city’s Diamond, where wreaths were laid by civic, political and military representatives, including the Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Londonderry, Ian Crowe MBE DL, and the Deputy Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Alderman Niree McMorris. Worship was led by Rev Canon John Merrick, with readings from the Bishop of Derry, Dr Donal McKeown; the Moderator of Derry & Donegal Presbytery, Rev Stephen Hibbert; Rev Peter Morris from the Methodist Church in the city; and Bishop Andrew Forster.

People were welcomed to the service in the Cathedral by the Dean of Derry, Very Rev Raymond Stewart, who was assisted by Canon Merrick. The congregation included the High Sheriff of the County Borough of Londonderry, Brian Dougherty, members of the City Council, representatives of the Royal British Legion, other civic groups and the Foyle Cadets.

The Sermon was preached by Bishop Forster who described Remembrance Sunday as the most poignant and sombrest of days in the nation’s calendar. “On Remembrance Sunday,” he said, “the past draws near. We remember those who served, those who suffered and those who died in the cause of peace and justice. We remember sacrifice freely given and courage quietly sustained.”

This year, Bishop Andrew said, we commemorated the 80th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day. The city had played a vital role as a naval base during the Second World War. “This city helped thwart Hitler’s aim to starve these islands into submission, and the convoys that sailed from here, – from this place – carried not only fuel and food and equipment, they carried hope; and this city, its ships, its people, played their part in keeping open the arteries of hope throughout these islands, Europe and the world. Hope was kept alive at a remarkable and incredible cost.”

Today, the Bishop said, we, in this city, could feel justly proud of the part that was played here in the defeat of Nazism and all the evil that it sought to usher into the world. But remembrance was not only about looking back, he said, it was also about how we lived now and what we built for the future.

On the 14th May, 1945, the German U-Boat fleet surrendered off Lough Foyle and yet less than 25 years after that, the Bishop said, another conflict much closer to home would shape this city – a conflict that for far too long darkened the light of hope in this place. “The Troubles have left wounds that are still dearly and terribly felt: lives that were broken; families that were scarred; trust that was stretched to breaking point.

“But the story of this city does not end in brokenness,” Bishop Andrew suggested. “The hope of something better helped us choose a different way – a way of bridge-building, a way of healing, a way of loving our neighbour, and even that greatest call of all of the Lord Jesus, to love our enemies. For peace has been worked for in this city. Prayed for. Lived for.

“Peace doesn’t have a set destination. It’s a constant and ongoing journey. It is fuelled by a desire to build something better for generations to come and it always remains something very, very delicate.”

Bishop Andrew compared peace to a precious heirloom that families look after to make sure it doesn’t get cracked or broken. “I think peace is like that. It’s all of our responsibility to care for it. It’s a delicate thing. It’s precious. And all of us, in words and actions, have to carry peace in such a way that we don’t damage it or don’t break it. It is all of our responsibility.

“Peace is never, ever handed to us as a finished product,” the Bishop said. “It has to be crafted – carefully, tenderly, courageously.”

During today’s service, wreaths were laid at the war memorials in the cathedral, and the congregation stood in silence for the playing of The Last Post and the Reveille.

Today’s Scriptural readings were delivered by the Lord-Lieutenant and the Deputy Mayor. The Prayers of the People were led by Simon McGonigle. Musical worship was led by the Cathedral Choir of Boy and Girl Choristers and Lay Clerks, accompanied by organist Louis Fields and directed by Nicky Morton.

The offering was received for the Royal British Legion.

It was an afternoon of fluctuating emotions in the Parish of Ballymore, this afternoon, as the retired former Priest-in-charge of the Parish of Clondevaddock was remembered by family, friends and fellow clergy at her funeral service in St John’s Church. And it was a tribute to the impact the small but ebullient wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother had on those she met in life that there was standing room only – both in the main body of the church and in the gallery – at today’s Service of Thanksgiving for her life.

It was a measure of the respect in which she had been held, and the affection with she is remembered, that clergy and friends from far and wide made the journey on a squally Monday afternoon to join Rev Shiela’s grieving family, led by her husband, Rev Canon Stanley Johnson, and their children, Timothy, Melanie and Wendy.

Rev Shiela was fatally injured in a road accident near Glenties, last Wednesday, in which Canon Stanley was also injured. It was in keeping with the couple’s generosity in life that, during the service, members of the emergency services, passers-by and hospital staff who responded to the accident were thanked by the preacher, Rt Rev Ken Good, at the request of Canon Johnson.

The service was led by the Rector of the Dunfanaghy Group, and long-time family friend, Rev Canon David Skuce, who described it as a privilege to be able to take Shiela’s funeral. “We go back a long time,” he said, adding, “Stanley and I started off in the training college together, along with a number of other clergy who are here this afternoon.”

During the service, the Johnsons’ daughter, Melanie, paid an emotional tribute to her mother. “She touched so many lives,” Melanie said, “it’s hard to know where to begin…three children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren made mum the happiest person ever. She loved her family dearly and she let us all live our lives how we thought best – but she kept us all close and encouraged us all the time.”

Melanie recounted how in work and in her private life her mother did so much for others, even providing a second home for children with disabilities. Her mother’s love for Canon Stanley was “absolutely unwavering and an example to all of us,” Melanie said. Her mother bore all her illnesses, aches and pains, “apart from her loss of hearing”, with great humour. “Her grandchildren called her ‘Transformer’ – because of all the removable bits.” Shiela’s clerical life became “her true calling”, her daughter said. “She was involved in Mothers’ Union for as long as I can remember and contributed to lots of charities – even donating all the money she received from putting pen to paper and writing her own book.”

Retirement brought time to watch tennis, cricket and rugby. “She was a bigger sports fan than dad was and when she was watching rugby there were plenty of texts over and back; and there was always a piece of fudge consumed every time an Irish try was scored.”

Melanie said her mother lived an incredibly full and fun life, and had given them memories that would be talked about for many years to come. “She was incredibly proud of her family and was so excited to be asked to be godmother to Ralph – the newest of her great-grandchildren. She had never been godmother before, so she was absolutely over the moon to be asked, and Ralph’s blanket is now with her in her coffin.”

In his sermon, Bishop Good told the congregation that, “With Shiela there was something about her that was just that little bit different.” Her ministry, he said, and that of Stanley, “her dear husband, was greatly appreciated and highly valued”.

Bishop Good said the Johnsons became a formidable team – devoted to each other and supportive of each other at every stage of their married life. “Stanley has specifically asked that I express how deeply thankful he is to the Lord and to Shiela for [their] partnership of almost 60 years of marriage and the wonderful life and times they have shared together.” The Bishop also thanked, on Canon Johnson’s behalf, the emergency services, passers-by, hospital staff and the local GP for their care for the couple.

Bishop Good said there were four things he wanted to mention about Rev Shiela. Firstly, she knew how to live joyfully. “She has been described rightly as a very jolly woman…small in stature, yes, but with a big heart and a laugh that is memorable. Her laugh was infectious, wholehearted and loud.”

Secondly, Rev Shiela knew how to trust hopefully, despite considerable health difficulties in recent years. “I do believe that her faith in God’s grace and provision enabled her to accept the considerable challenges that she faced, day by day at times, because her confidence and faith and trust was in the Lord.”

Thirdly, the Bishop said, Rev Shiela knew how to serve wholeheartedly. “There were no airs and graces about her even in her ministry. She was down to earth, authentic, without pretence or affectation; she got on with her vocation.”

Lastly, Bishop Good said, Shiela knew how to encourage spiritually. “It is significant,” he said, that she was ordained on the 11th of June “because that is the Feast Day of St Barnabas, the encourager. I don’t think that thought missed her or escaped her mind. She fostered trust in and belief in God in people of all ages, and in people of all denominations and of none. Just as it says in the Ephesians passage (1: 15-21), her hope and her prayer in her ministry was that ‘God would give people the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that they would know him better.’ That’s what she was about, but in a gentle way, not a pushy way, not an offensive way.”

The Prayers of the People in today’s service were led by Fr John Joe Duffy, the priest in the Roman Catholic parishes of Dunfanaghy (Clondehorkey) and Creeslough, and by Rev Shiela’s grandchildren. The Epistle reading was delivered by the Dean of Raphoe, Very Rev Liz Fitzgerald, and the Gospel reading by the Archdeacon of Raphoe, Ven. David Huss. Music was provided by vocalist Brian McKeever accompanied by Jacqui Amstrong on the organ.

Before pronouncing the blessing at the end of the service, Bishop Andrew Forster – who spoke to Rev Shiela a matter of days before the fatal road accident – expressed to the Johnson family the sympathy of all in the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe. Although the wider Diocese were saddened by the tragic circumstances of the loss of Shiela, they felt a deep sense of thankfulness for having known her and experienced her godliness. “Every time I met Shiela, I left her feeling a little bit better. You felt blessed having spent time with her. Her goodness and love made you feel that little bit more positive, all on account of her close walk with God.”

Bishop Good’s Sermon in full:

“As we gather here to reflect and to give thanks for the life and the ministry of Shiela, and to leave her in God’s gracious keeping, we are here Stanley, and Melanie, Timothy and Wendy, to be with you, to support you, to pray with you, to pray for you, and to assure you of our love. 

Like countless others, as Melanie has implied, and like all of you here, I would imagine, I have been a long-standing fan of Shiela Johnson. Now, it’s probably not a good thing – in fact it is definitely not a good thing – for a bishop to admit he has a favourite clergyperson, but for a retired bishop to do that is quite acceptable. 

With Shiela there was something about her that was just that little bit different. Her ministry, and that of Stanley, her dear husband, was greatly appreciated and highly valued, and I respected them and valued them as supportive clergy when I was serving as Bishop. 

And talking of bishops, may I thank this Bishop [Andrew] – the ‘real’ bishop – for his invitation to preach at this service, and to the rector, Canon David Skuce, for his help and wisdom in preparing for today. I know that David has been a long-time, good friend of Shiela and of Stanley and this is a difficult day for you, too, I’m sure.

Last Saturday was All Saints’ Day, when we are reminded of The Communion of Saints – the unity that is in Jesus Christ that binds those living here on earth in faith with those who have died in faith. And as we now face the death of a dearly-loved one – this is an appropriate and encouraging reality, and a reminder which can strengthen our faith, this Communion of Saints and All Saints’ tide. 

Our first reading, which Dean Liz Fitzgerald read from Ephesians 1, is one of the appointed readings in the lectionary for All Saints’ Day, and it’s from that passage that these words in my text come. 

‘I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which God has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people.’ (Ephesians 1:18)

As we reflect and give thanks for Shiela’s life and ministry, I have sensed that God may want to do something important in each of us, today, with ‘the eyes of our heart’. He wants us, as we reflect on Shiela, to be spiritually strengthened by the hope that she has had – the hope that only he can grant – and he wants us to be reminded that death is not the end, but the gateway to a glorious inheritance.

Shiela’s early years were spent in Aughnacloy, where she had three brothers and three sisters – including Kathleen and Teddy. She grew up and went to primary school there, in that village. Her secondary schooling was in Dungannon, after which she went to work in Belfast.

Now, we’ve heard about her first encounter and meeting with the handsome, youthful Stanley Johnson, and how it was orchestrated and how he was reluctant, and how his reluctance softened – thank the Lord it did – and they were married in Aughnacloy on 5th February 1966. This is the 60th year of their marriage, a marvellous achievement.

Stanley and Shiela became a formidable team. The children – two of them – Timothy and Melanie were born in Belfast; and Wendy was born in Tubbercurry, [County Sligo]. This formidable team were devoted to each other and supportive of each other at every stage of their married life, and they made time for one another in an exemplary way, I believe.

Stanley has specifically asked that I express how deeply thankful he is to the Lord and to Shiela for the partnership of almost 60 years of marriage and the wonderful life and times they have shared together. Stanley, we hear your words of thanks.

He wants me to express his thanks to the emergency services who attended to him and to Shiela so professionally and so helpfully. He wants to acknowledge the passers-by who were very caring in recent days. He wants to thank the staff in the hospital, and he wants to thank their family for the remarkable attentiveness and care recently – but over a much longer period, too. And Dr Delap has been mentioned, their local GP, whose care of Shiela and Stanley has been exceptional.

So, as we give thanks for Shiela and reflect on her, I have prayed that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened in order that we ‘may know more of the hope to which he has called us.’

There are four things I want to mention about Shiela. Firstly, Shiela knew how to live joyfully. She has been described rightly as a very jolly woman, and if you look at the front of your Order of Service you will see that there was something very colourful about her – and jolly. Small in stature, yes, but with a big heart and a laugh that is memorable. Her laugh was infectious, wholehearted and loud. She has been described as ‘a bundle of fun’, always smiling never complaining. She was at ease with people, it didn’t matter who they were, she treated people the same. The Bishop [Andrew] has said of her, she had ‘an adventurous spirit and was a friend to many’, and that’s right. Part of her ‘at ease-ness’ was with Christians of all denominations and I want to say how pleased I am, and we are, to see different Churches represented here today and taking part in the service, because inter-Church friendship was part of her DNA. So, outgoing, natural and authentic, Shiela knew how to live joyfully and purposefully.

Secondly, Shiela knew how to trust hopefully. All the jolliness and laughter that I’ve just described was despite what Melanie has mentioned – considerable health difficulties – in recent years, but Shiela somehow seemed to take these considerable setbacks in her stride with minimal complaining (maybe no complaining, only Stanley knows the answer to that). And I do believe that her faith in God’s grace and provision enabled her to accept the considerable challenges that she faced, day by day at times, because her confidence and faith and trust was in the Lord.

You could say it was because the eyes of her heart were enlightened to see a bigger picture of God’s grace and eternity, and how she fitted into it in the bigger picture. She knew that God had called her and she knew that her hope was not only for the present age but the age to come, as that passage said. So, Shiela knew how to trust hopefully.

Thirdly, Shiela knew how to serve wholeheartedly. I said that after secondary school in Dungannon she went to Belfast to work, and Melanie has already mentioned the work that she did caring for deaf and blind children, doing night duty in a nursing home, caring for disabled children in her own home, in their own home – regularly, frequently, long-term. She knitted Aran jumpers, in the meantime; she was a dressmaker of clothes for the family; and, as was said, in Tramore YWCA hostel she was the cook, the cleaner, the bedmaker, the paper worker, the organiser, the manager, the whole lot. She was not afraid of work.

And at that same time, she and Stanley together were actively involved in Waterford Cathedral, and both were getting involved in the ministry of lay reader. Boundless energy is what I saw in Shiela, total commitment, never afraid of hard work, giving of herself wholeheartedly, and when Stanley was selected for training for ordination, during that training Shiela managed home life as mother of, you could say, ‘active’ teenagers. But she coped, she did, she coped with parish life then after Stanley’s ordination in the two parishes in Kilmore, Elphin & Ardagh Diocese where he served, and then in this parish in this Diocese of Raphoe from 2001 where Stanley was the Rector. And then, Shiela herself was ordained on the 11th June 1996 and served first in Urney, then in Boyle, then in Roscommon Parishes – all in the Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh – and then as Priest-in-charge in the Parish of Clondevaddock, here in the Diocese of Raphoe.

There were no airs and graces about her even in her ministry. She was down to earth, authentic, without pretence or affectation; she got on with her vocation. In Mothers’ Union, she was heavily involved over the years and she knew how to serve wholeheartedly, and for that we are thankful.

The fourth thing, and the last one that I want to mention, is that Shiela knew how to encourage spiritually. Now, in case I’m painting too rosy a picture of her, she was described as ‘a thran woman’ on at least one occasion. Just when I arrived at the church I was told by another person – the new Canon [Skuce] by the way, the she almost caused an international incident in Petra on one of their trips because she refused to budge when she was told to by the tour guide, so, she was not a ‘walk-over’, she was not afraid to speak up when necessary, but she also – on the other side – knew how to encourage when encouragement was needed. People loved her down-to-earth way of talking, her way of communicating, her way of encouraging with faith and hope. She kept in touch with all sorts of people and conditions by writing notes, by phone calls, by messages, by words of encouragement.

It is significant, I do believe, that she was ordained on the 11th of June because that is the Feast Day of St Barnabas, the encourager. I don’t think that thought missed her or escaped her mind. She fostered trust in and belief in God in people of all ages, and in people of all denominations and of none. Just as it says in the Ephesians passage, her hope and her prayer in her ministry was that ‘God would give people the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that they would know him better.’ That’s what she was about, but in a gentle way, not a pushy way, not an offensive way.

Clergy in their ministry, including Shiela and Stanley, have the privilege and the challenge of dealing closely with people at major points in their lives, including at times of crisis, of distress, of loss and of disappointment, times when people wonder deep down, ‘Where can I turn to at a time like this?’ 

And Shiela would at those times have sensitively and carefully reassured someone in that situation that there is no other reliable and trustworthy place to turn other than to faith in Jesus Christ. In a sensitive manner, she would, as appropriate, at a good time, share the words of today’s gospel reading from John 14, ‘Do not let your heart be troubled.’ Believe. Trust. Jesus has died; Jesus has risen; Jesus will come again. He is the one – the way and the truth and the life – who will hold you through this tough time.

Shiela knew how to encourage spiritually.

So, for these things and for many, many more, we say, ‘Thank you, Lord’ – for her personality, her friendship, her wisdom, her vocation, her encouragement, her patient trust in Christ.

As I’ve been reflecting and preparing for today, I have to admit to you that the eyes of my heart have been enlightened about something of the grace and mystery and truth and majesty of the hope we have in Christ. Shiela, and her life, have reminded me of these things in a fresh way, and so I say thank you, Lord, and I say thank you, Shiela. I pray that the same may be true for us here, individually and collectively, that your heart – the eyes of your heart – may be enlightened today, now, and as we reflect on her example.    

I conclude with the words of the Collect for All Saints’ Day:

Grant us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living

That we may come to those inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you,

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.