CoI archbishop full of gratitude as he takes up new role

Church of Ireland bishop John McDowell moved unceremoniously this week to Armagh from Clogher diocese in his new role as all-Ireland primate and archbishop of Armagh.
By The Newsroom
Published 1st May 2020, 11:48 BST
The Right Reverend John McDowell, Bishop of Clogher, Church of Ireland. Undated pic sent in on Oct 6 2015 by Peter Cheney, CoI Assistant Press Officer, CoI House, 61-67 Donegall Street, Belfast BT1 2QH to illustrate opinion piece E: peter.cheney@rcbdub.orgThe Right Reverend John McDowell, Bishop of Clogher, Church of Ireland. Undated pic sent in on Oct 6 2015 by Peter Cheney, CoI Assistant Press Officer, CoI House, 61-67 Donegall Street, Belfast BT1 2QH to illustrate opinion piece E: peter.cheney@rcbdub.org
The Right Reverend John McDowell, Bishop of Clogher, Church of Ireland. Undated pic sent in on Oct 6 2015 by Peter Cheney, CoI Assistant Press Officer, CoI House, 61-67 Donegall Street, Belfast BT1 2QH to illustrate opinion piece E: [email protected]

An installation service in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh has been postponed until the churches at least re-open, but Archbishop McDowell in now in situ in Armagh.

The archbishop said: “I must express gratitude to God for calling me to ordained church ministry and for the knowledge that His love and forgiveness are always moving ahead of me. Gratitude to my fellow bishops for their encouragement and support. Thankfulness to the hundreds of people from every corner of Ireland who have written, emailed, messaged or in some other way communicated their congratulations, good wishes and assurance of their prayers.

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“Along with goodwill goes a strong sense of unworthiness and dependence. I am conscious too of the long line of very distinguished predecessors who have held the office of primate, and whose scholarship, dedication and spirituality have been an inspiration to me, most especially my predecessor, Rev Dr Richard Clarke.”

Archbishop McDowell, 61, is an East Belfast man, he spent nine years as bishop of Clogher and nine years as rector of St Mark’s Church on the Holywood Road, Belfast.

Related topics:ArmaghIreland