“I first met Archbishop Noel on a visit to a little tin church that was one of a number of such buildings that had been built in the Belfast shipyard and exported all over the world. This particular building had been used as a place of worship in the Church of Ireland and later by the Roman Catholic church.
“We had some thoughts that day as to how the church might someday become a centre of prayer, possibly in the Titanic quarter, and a place that every denomination might use.
“This didn’t materialise, but it was good to get to know Archbishop Noel and witness the deep respect that he had for all traditions in our province.
“He attended my consecration as Bishop in 2020 and we shared other happy occasions in his time as Bishop of Down and Connor.
“I would like to assure Noel’s brother John and sister Mary of my sympathy and prayers at this time of personal loss and grief for them and assure the parishioners of Down and Connor, who remember him fondly, of the sympathy and prayers of the Church of Ireland people of Down and Dromore.”