Last night the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Walton Empey, introduced the Rev Kevin Moroney as priest of St John's Church, Sandymount.
Mr Moroney is a priest of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America who came to Ireland in the autumn to be chaplain-tutor in the Theological College.
He was educated at Valley Forge Christian College and the General Theological Seminary, New York, and before coming to Ireland had been chaplain and teacher in St James's Episcopal School, Maryland.
Mr Moroney is no stranger to this country. As a theological student he served a three-month placement with the Church of Ireland in 1991, working in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, and in Killorglin and Spanish Point, where he had family associations.
Mr Moroney succeeds the Very Rev Maurice Carey, who served in St John's from 1993 until last year, following his retirement from the deanery of Cork, and the former dean of Killaloe, the Very Rev Ernan Perdue, who served during the vacancy.
St John's is one of the few remaining trustee churches in the Church of Ireland. It has no parish area but its appeal is to those who value its style of churchmanship, which is Catholic.
The nomination of a new priest is in the hands of the trustees, who are chaired by the Dean of Ferns, the Very Rev Leslie Forrest, and the successful applicant is licensed and introduced by the Archbishop of Dublin.
Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, and there will be a Sung Eucharist in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, at 5 p.m. at which the Archbishop of Dublin will preside.
This evening the choir of Christ Church Cathedral will join the Palestrina Choir and other vocal and musical performers in the Pro-Cathedral for "2000 Years of Christian Music", a Jubilee 2000 event in aid of the St Vincent de Paul Society.
Tomorrow morning the Archbishop of Dublin will preach in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. By virtue of his office he is Prebendary of Cualaun in the cathedral chapter and in that capacity preaches in the cathedral twice during the year.
On Thursday a new series of lectures begins in Trinity College Dublin. Entitled "East Meets West. Civilisations in Dialogue", the series is a response by the School of Classics and the School of Hebrew, Biblical and Theological Studies to the designation by the United Nations of the year 2001 as the year of Civilisations in Dialogue.
The opening lecture will be given in the Ussher Theatre at 8.00 p.m. by Prof Sean Freyne on "East Meets West; Cultural Encounters in the Ancient Mediterranean and Near East".
The course will continue on Thursday nights until March 6th. Among the other speakers will be Prof Brian McGing (TCD), Dr Lovejoy Alexander (University of Sheffield), Prof Gideon Bohak (Tel Aviv University) and Prof John Collins (Yale University). Admission to the series will cost £30, or £5 for individual lectures. There are concessions for retired or unwaged people, and admission for students is free.
Christ Church Cathedral Music Foundation will present "A Victorian Parlour Evening" in the Music Room of the cathedral on Tuesday, January 16th. This event is in aid of the purchase of the cathedral's recently acquired Bechstein piano and will feature Virginia Kerr, Michael Finlay. Andrew Johnstone, Mark Duley and members of the cathedral choirs. Details may be had by telephoning 01-6712426.
Copies of the Church of Ireland Directory 2001 are available from the Religious Education Resource Centre, Holy Trinity Church, Church Avenue, Rathmines, Dublin 6 (tel & fax 01-4972821) at £8.50 plus £1.80 postage.