Albert ordained for Church of Ireland

ALBERT DAWSON, well-known in Sligo where he and his wife Anne ran a property management company and a tourism company, was recently ordained a priest for local ministry in the Manorhamilton Group of Parishes.

Rev Dawson was ordained by Bishop Ferran Glenfield at a service in St George’s, Carrick-on-Shannon. He has felt the calling to ordained ministry for many years. After he married Anne they lived in Dublin, where he is from, before moving to Limerick where he became involved in the parish of Kilmallock and Knockainey (now part of the Adare Union).

Albert and Anne moved to a house they had built overlooking Glencar Lake and became involved in the Manorhamilton Group of Parishes.

The parish appointed a part-time clergy person who would not be living in the parish and Bishop Ferran Glenfield asked Albert to help out.

He said that from “that point on I was hooked” and he delved into parish and diocesan life again. It was this experience that led to his ordination to local ministry.

The Manorhamilton Group of Parishes consists of six churches covering North Leitrim and into Co. Donegal. Likewise, the diocese stretches from Cavan to Donegal, Fermanagh to Longford and Roscommon. He is the diocesan representative for Bishops Appeal and sits on the Finance and Glebes Committees, Diocesan Synod and General Synod.

He said he was looking forward to encouraging the parishioners in these challenging times, particularly as we come out of the restrictions, supporting parishioners who have lost loved ones, developing and working with the parishioners in the long term future of the parishes, reaching out to the wider community and working with the local priests and ministers.

Most of all he was looking forward to leading worship which he said “is a great privilege”.

He continues to run his property management and tourism business which was hard hit over the last 18 months but is now beginning to recover.

The Rev Albert Dawson.