The congregation of St John’s gave a warm welcome to their new Chaplain, the Revd Canon Robert Jones, on February 20th at a special service. Fr Robert was introduced by the Most Reverend Michael Jackson, Archbishop of Dublin, who expressed his pleasure in welcoming the new Chaplain to a church that occupied a special place in the life of the Church of Ireland. The sermon was given by the Very Revd Roderick Smyth, formerly Dean of Killaloe, who drew parallels between the new season of Spring and a new season beginning in St John’s which also affirmed a continuing ministry that had witnessed a long list of distinguished people who had served in Sandymount.
Fr Robert was appointed following the recent retirement of Fr Paul Barlow. He served most recently in the Kiltegan Group of Parishes in the Dioceses of Cashel, Ferns and Ossory. A Carlow man by birth, he trained for the ministry at Chichester Theological College and Trinity College Dublin. He was ordained in 1980 and was curate of Seapatrick Parish, Banbridge, and Bangor Abbey before being appointed rector of Rathfriland and Ballyward in Co Down. He later moved from the diocese of Down and Dromore to the diocese of Connor where he served in the parish of Finaghy and the parish of Cairncastle with All Saints Craigy Hill. In 1998, Fr Robert moved to Athlone and the diocese of Meath and Kildare and, four years later, was appointed Dean of Clonmacnoise and rector of the Trim Cathedral group of parishes. He returned to Connor diocese in 2012 when he became rector of Malone parish, Belfast.
Dean Smyth, in his address, commended Fr Robert to the congregation, emphasising his particular gifts as liturgist, theologian, preacher, administrator, and as a caring and hard-working pastor with a sense of humour and he encouraged the people of St John’s to be kind to their new priest and trust him. He highlighted the uniqueness of St John’s, being, as it is, one of the very few Anglican Catholic churches in Ireland with a significant emphasis on liturgy and worship performed in order to maintain the beauty of holiness.
The service was followed by a reception at which members and friends greeted their new Chaplain. Fr Robert presided at his first Sung Eucharist at St John’s on Ash Wednesday, with the imposition of ashes.