A CEREMONY was held in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, last Tuesday night to mark the retirement of Archbishop John Neill, who leaves office at the end of this month.
Warm tribute was paid to him in a sermon by the Dean of Christ Church, Dermot Dunne, who described the archbishop as “someone I really believe to be a great man”.
He was “a brilliant bishop’’, “deeply spiritual”, yet “not afraid to speak out in a measured way” when required.
After the service Archdeacon of Glendalough Ricky Rountree said it was not often someone in the role had such organisational and pastoral abilities and which, “assisted by his wife Betty, helped make a good archbishop, a great one”.
Responding, Archbishop Neill thanked many people but concluded by thanking “one very special person, my wife Betty”. Mrs Neill was at the service against doctor’s advice.
In attendance were the Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr Gerry Breen, the Chief Justice John Murray, Government secretary Dermot McCarthy, the Church of Ireland primate Archbishop Alan Harper, all Church of Ireland bishops, some retired bishops including the former archbishop of Dublin Walton Empey, the Catholic Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin Eamonn Walsh, and Fr Godfrey O’Donnell of the Romanian Orthodox Church.
SIC: IT/IE
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