IN
the hallowed atmosphere of Limerick city's oldest building, St Mary's
Cathedral, built in 1168, another piece of ecclesiastical history was
made when the first female Dean of Limerick and Ardfert, Sandra Pragnell
was installed. Describing the ceremony in the medieval cathedral as "a special occasion,"the newly ordained Dean who is from the UK said it was "special for both the Church of Ireland and the wider community of Limerick and Kerry.
A
native of Hampshire, the newly ordained Dean worked in the public
sector in London before entering the ministry in Dublin, where she
studied at Trinity College and All Hallows.
She said her ministry was about people.
"People
count, people need to know that they belong, whether they come to
church, are occasional attenders, whether they are lapsed, whatever -
they still belong to the family of God."
She
said she looked forward to building up a working relationship with the
Catholic Church in Limerick under Diocesan Administrator Fr Tony
Mullins.
"That
has happened in every parish I have been in and I think it is so
important the more we can do together, the more we are doing what Christ
wants us to do."
The
installation ceremony was conducted by the Bishop of Limerick, Rev
Trevor Williams and the congregation included the Catholic administrator
of the Diocese of Limerick, Fr Tony Mullins; the lay leader of the
Methodist Church, Gillian Kingston; retired Church of Ireland Archbishop
of Armagh, Rev Alan Harper and the retired Archbishop of Dublin, Rev
Walton Empey, who ordained Dean Pragnell to the priesthood in Dublin.
Mayor Gerry McLoughlin led a representation of leading civic figures at the installation.