The Rector Writes

Dear Friends

The big day is here at last! On September 11th, we will open the Clonsilla Parish Centre. It will be the culmination of more than five years of planning, hard work and struggle. As I write this, we are putting together the final touches – painting, electrics and tiling. We are also taking the opportunity to carry out some work on the tower and to repaint the church interior. The total expenditure on the project and associated works will be around €400,000. Your invitation to the official opening of the Clonsilla Parish Centre is later in this issue. Please do come, especially if you haven’t been to Clonsilla before.

A huge thank you must go to all those who have contributed in any way to the success of the project, and especially to the Steering Group members who have worked extremely hard over a long period of time to bring the project to a successful conclusion. September 11th will be a day to rejoice.

Turning to other news: recently, in Castleknock Parish Centre, we hosted a conference entitled “Towards a new religious model of global peace”. Organised by the local Interfaith Round Table, it was a fascinating day. The Interfaith Round Table began life as a radio programme on Phoenix FM and has now organised a number of events in the area, such as a Tsunami Commemoration and a memorial to Pope John Paul II. At the conference, representatives of the major Christian denominations, members of Islam, Bahai, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish faiths and others discussed how the different world religions could work together to promote peace. The keynote speaker was the chair of the Committee for Vatican-Islamic relations, who had come especially from Saudi Arabia to be present. All agreed that it was a very significant day, not just for Dublin 15 but also for Ireland as a whole. The driving force behind the day was Sheikh Dr. Shaheed Satardien, the highest ranking Islamic cleric in Ireland and a resident of Blanchardstown. Although he is South African by birth, Dr. Shaheed’s grandmother was from Tipperary. He is actively promoting interfaith dialogue and tolerance in Ireland. In the face of so many negative stereotypes of Islam at the moment, it is excellent to see someone of such high rank furthering the cause of peace and tolerance.

See you all in Clonsilla on September 11th ...

Yours in Christ

Andrew

Back to top