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