Warning: include(header.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/parsonsf/public_html/martin_autobiography/ireland.php on line 2
Warning: include(header.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/parsonsf/public_html/martin_autobiography/ireland.php on line 2
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'header.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/parsonsf/public_html/martin_autobiography/ireland.php on line 2
Warning: include(martin_autobiography/autobiography_index.html) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/parsonsf/public_html/martin_autobiography/ireland.php on line 4
Warning: include(martin_autobiography/autobiography_index.html) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/parsonsf/public_html/martin_autobiography/ireland.php on line 4
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'martin_autobiography/autobiography_index.html' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/parsonsf/public_html/martin_autobiography/ireland.php on line 4
8. Settled in Ireland
My first engagement was a Church of Ireland Youth Conference at a house called St Valerie, near Bray. I was brought in at short notice to take the place of Raymond Scantlebury, at that time with C.M.S. Douglas and Nan Harpur got me to go, and it was a good introduction to the Church of Ireland. In charge was Charles Tyndale, later to become Bishop of Kilmore, and later Derry. He was Moral Re-Armament, but of the better sort, a true man of God. At least two of the curates present became Bishops, St John Pike in Rio Pongas, and Gordon Perdue in Cork. I got the impression that the Church of Ireland needed a touch of evangelical fire. Douglas and Nan were fine, and were on the move from the curacy of Zion Church, Rathgar to C.M.S. work in Ceylon. There was some possibility that we might follow them in the job at Zion, but in the end we just bought their furniture. we paid £40 in all, and some of the things are still in use! We lost much more than that in Warsaw, and have never received any compensation.
There was a great deal of interest in Poland, and I found myself preaching to big congregations all over Dublin. I started in Harold's Cross and St Kevin's, the latter visit being a turning point in my life, for if I had not been there the nominators would not have known about me. From my diary I see that I preached in St Andrew's, Monkstown, Christ Church Cathedral, St George's, the Y.M.C.A., the Irish Church Missions, the Foreign Missions Supply, St Bartholomew's, St Victor's, St Mark's, St Matthew's, Irishtown. Then in the North at Belfast Cathedral, Bloomfield and Lisburn Cathedral all in one day; in Londonderry, St Thomas' and St Mary Magdalene Belfast, Holywood, Ballymacarrott, St Bartholomew's, and a whole Sunday in Lurgan. I read a paper to clerical societies at Stillorgan, Strodbelly and Drogheda, preached at Rathmines and St Peter's Dublin in one day, at Newtownmountkennedy and Newcastle, Dalkey and Donnybrook. And I specially remember a packed church at a youth service in Zion on Advent Sunday when I preached on "Occupy till I come."
Iwas by now getting quite well known in the Church of Ireland, and an approach from the nominators of St Kevin's did not seem strange. I could have taken the Zion curacy, but St Kevin's appealed greatly as being the parish in which many Jews lived. They seemed to want us, and as we needed a home it did not take long to decide to accept. It was a very conservative parish and I doubt if many people wanted to go there. Richard Bird had been there for twenty years and done a great work as a pastor and staunch evangelical teacher. For most of the time he had been a widower, but he had just married again and moved to Delgany.
Dr. Gilbert wrote to say he had put my name forward for a couple of London parishes, one of which was Christ Church, Highbury. But he agreed that St Kevin's seemed just right for me. So we moved into the Rectory, quite roomy considering it was in a terrace, and I was instituted on 15th December by the Archbishop of Dublin whom I had met several times already. Canon Parkinson Hill, Rector of Zion, preached the sermon. Several of the "higher" church clergy came to the service, which was quite a novelty for St kevin's. On my first Sunday, when we had still not finally moved from Foxrock, I preached morning and evening, and Hugh Buchanan, nominator, churchwarden, bank manager and firm friend, commented on "two splendid addresses." One remembers such things.
I soon got into the routine of parish work, and inherited an excellent curate in Leslie Walker. for the most part I worked in the study in the mornings, visited in the afternoons, and had meetings and organisations in the evenings. there were only 550 Church of Ireland members resident in the parish, but fully that number of "accustomed members" living in at least nine other parishes all over Dublin. Visiting was a big part of the work and between us Leslie and I got round the parish and congregation regularly. I spent the whole of Thursday afternoons in the Meath Hospital, and most Saturdays in the Portobello Nursing Home. There were w good many housebound to visit, and quite a lot of poor people to be helped with fuel and food. I worked very hard, but always tried to take Monday off, frequently playing golf and gardening. I see now that I gave too little time to the home.
Sunday services were inspiring, with about 200 morning and evening as a norm. But frequently we advertised special courses of sermons and could get 300 - 500 on some evenings, many of them people who had been to their own parish church in the morning. The link with Trinity College Dublin became very strong, and most of the E. U., and some other ordinands, became regular attenders. Some outstanding servants of God were among these students: Trevor Strong, Alan Cole, Herbert Carson, Stanley Good, Alan Lindsey, to name but a few. Alec Motyer was still a schoolboy, but became a leader in T. C. D. afterwards. [Alec wrote: "Your father's arrival as Rector was one of the 'defining moments' of my life! By grace I had been brought up as a Bible lover but within the Church of Ireland I had never heard the Bible preached. But soon after my conversion in 1940 a small chain of events led me to St Kevin's. Your father's preaching was like switching on a light which I had not known existed! Presently he was joined by S C Strong and in those halcyon days we went to church each Sunday with a joy and enthusiasm we have never quite recaptured."] St Kevin's produced more than its share of future clergy. All this was heady stuff and it would have been easy to get bowled over by it.
The extent to which this did not happen is the measure of the prayer life of the parish. Every Friday evening there was a prayer meeting the like of which I have not known anywhere else. Perhaps only about 20 attended, but there was real prayer, humble, definite, prevailing intercession, and God blessed us. The young people's work consisted of an excellent Sunday School at 10.30, with Bible Classes at the same time, Boys' Brigade and Life Boys, Girls' Brigade (very large) and Christian Endeavour Junior, Intermediate and Senior. This latter was a real training ground for future Christian workers. There were virtually no Church of Ireland children or young people not catered for in the various organisations. The percentage of really converted young people was very high. Other parishes, with their elaborate social activities and dances, could not really understand St Kevin's.
Busy as I was in the parish, I found it difficult to refuse invitations to speak elsewhere. In my four years as Rector I gave 740 sermons and addresses, not including Confirmation Classes, Prayer Meeting talks etc. Over 300 of these were at St Kevin's, which leaves a very large number given elsewhere, actually in about 110 different places. I was not often away for a Sunday, but had many weekday speaking engagements, spoke at Conventions and took some Missions. By no means all the gatherings I spoke at were Church of Ireland. Many of the opportunities I had were of a missionary nature. I seemed to be welcomed at churches of all kinds, and it was thought by some to be a miracle when I, as rector of St Kevin's, was asked to take the Three Hours at St Bartholomew's. Actually I got on very well with Canon Simpson, the rector, as also with Canon Grey of St Stephen's. Both were men of God.
At St Kevin's we considerably developed missionary interest. It was a B.C.M.S. parish, but I tried to widen their concern, and we could fill the hall for a missionary meeting at which half a dozen speakers gave about 10 minutes each on their own special field. We even tried to get our own young people engaging in dialogue with Jewish youth. We once put on a play about Jewish work and went to many Dublin parishes to present it. I remember so many really keen young people. Cyril Harpur, and Eva Behan to whom he was later married, were an outstanding couple. He became prominent in Dublin church circles and it was tragic that he died comparatively young. Jack Hodgins, and Jim and Charlie Pasley are all in the ministry.
Among older people Mr Hodgins senior was quite outstanding. He led the Sunday School, and when he gave up he was followed by Arthur Worrall, a man of sterling character who had played goal in Irish Hockey trials. He died in 1977. A lovely character was Miss Gregg, who taught in Sunday School till she was over 80. And Miss Radcliffe, leader of the Y.W.C.A. Hostel, was a most saintly person. Quite soon after we went to St Kevin's the Bewleys started to attend, and although actually Quakers they proved to be great supporters. Evelyn Bewley ran Crusaders and some of the senior girls used to come to services and Bible studies.
In February 1940 a baby boy was born to us, but with a very badly cleft palate, and he lived only three days. I baptized him Victor in St Stephen's Hospital. Dear Emily was wonderfully brave but there was no disguising our joint heartbreak. Dr. Ninian Faulkner told us he thought it was for the best, and no doubt it was. I shall never forget the kindness of Joe Blackwell, rector of St Luke's, who took the funeral. Leslie Walker was there too, and I put a bunch of snowdrops on little Victor's grave. I wrote in the magazine that God had taken him for some special purpose of His own. I certainly believe it still.
We had various helpers in our home, first Eileen Owen, then Sybil her sister, and later Ottilie Schwartz and Erica Fischer, both Austrian refugees. This was in addition to our maid, Sophie, who came to us after we had had one or two unsuccessful ones [I remember John Drum working in the dark back kitchen for a short while - D.P.] and stayed till we left Ireland, even seeing us in to our first English home. We realise how blessed we were, and it did give Emily the chance to run the excellent Women's Meeting. But her first responsibility was always the children, to whom she gave herself unsparingly. She had a miscarriage in August 1940 when we were on holiday, and Dr Faulkner was again most kind. It was a great joy when our Dorothy (Gift of God) was born on All Saints' Day 1941, and then Robert on July 16th 1943. But that is to anticipate.
We had a very good tennis club connected with the church, but open to all Protestants. I probably went up too often, leaving Emily alone with the children in the evenings, but it was a form of pastoral work with the young people. There was a badminton club which played in the Hall on Saturdays during the winter, but it did not really serve the church. I closed it to make room for a table tennis and social club which really catered for our own young people. We had a big membership and it provided healthy recreation. On bank holidays we used to have rambles, and twice we had a weekend house party in Greystones with about seventy young people attending. These were times of spiritual growth. The briefcase which they gave me in 1943 is still in existence and has been in constant use until quite recently.
While at St Kevin's I took Missions in Kilmore Cathedral, Rathangan and Schull. I also spoke at Conventions at Dun Laoghaire, Greystones, and the great Northern Convention at Portstewart, as well as many gatherings all over the country. The Dublin Y.M.C.A. was a great rallying point for evangelicals. In November 1941 there was a three weeks Mission there, with Lindsay Glegg and Buckhurst Pich as missioners. St Kevin's went wholeheartedly into it, and certainly reaped the benefit. The Sunday after it ended, which was also Advent Sunday, we had the Archbishop to preach in the evening, followed by a service of Holy Communion. There were 150 communicants, and the Archbishop aften referred to the service in later years. It was a fine climax to the Mission. The Y.M.C.A. had Ben Peake as its secretary, and he and I were good friends.
On the day we welcomed the missioners, Saturday November 1st, our dear daughter was born in Hatch Street Nursing Home, Dublin. We called her Dorothy because of its meaning, and Evelyn after her mother and both grandmothers. On my daily visits tto the Nursing Home I used to retail to Emily the titbits of the previous evening's address. They were happy days, and our joy at having a lovely baby daughter knew no bounds. [Charlie Strong remembers: "I first met Emily at St Kevin's Rectory in Dublin cradling Dorothy, with her dark eyes, in her arms."] Like all our children she was continually prayed for, and dedicated to God's service. The knowledge that she is where God wants her to be in the compensation for the long separation which missionary work entails.
The Dublin clergy were all very friendly, even though I started with two disadvantages: as a non - TCD man, and an evangelical. I was invited to most of the Dublin churches, especially for missionary talks, and for Holy Week services. A number of clergy got together for golf on Monday mornings, at first at the Castle, Rathfarnham, but latterly at the Island, Malahide. We went over in a rowing boat, and after a round on that beautiful, natural, seaside links we had lunch of egg and bacon, bread and jam, and coffee. It was good. Once a year we played on some "neutral" course for the Crozier Cup, presented by a former Archdeacon of Dublin who was then Bishop of Tuam. In 1942, I think it was, I tied for first place with Dick Dowse, rector of St Peter's, and we agreed to keep the cup for 6 months each. I was playing well to my handicap, and but for an out-of-bounds drive at the 18th I should have won outright with a net 71. The course was Greystones, and Cecil Proctor, rector of Harold's Cross, was my opponent, marking my card.
Holidays from St Kevin's were happy times. In 1940, when David was 3½ , we did a locum at Delgany, with its lovely old rectory and garden. Emily had to stay in bed part of the time, but was able to enjoy some of the holiday, and we got to the C.S.S.M. at Greystones occasionally. Sophie came with us, which was a great help. Sunday was a heavy day with three services in Delgany and an afternoon service at Windgates school house which involved an uphill cycle ride to get there. The mornings at Delgany were crowded, a large number of visitors walking up from Greystones to swell the ordinary congregations. The subjects I took, both morning and evening, were thoroughly evangelistic.
In 1941 we went for the month of July to Glendalough and stayed in Cousin Gladys' house, Lake Cottage. It could have been a good holiday but for David's illness. He got pneumonia, and we phoned Dr. Steen who sent a nurse down to look after him. On the whole I think Glendalough a good place to visit, but not to stay too long. We had of course no car in those days. In August of that year I went to part of our Boys' Brigade camp at Balbriggan, which we shared with the Grangegorman company. Two with whom I shared a tent are now Bishops, John Armstrong (Cashel) and Richard Hanson (formerly Clogher).
Our holiday in 1942 was at Greystones. Mrs Bewley asked us to look after a rented house in which about half a dozen girls from her V.P.S. Camp would be sleeping. It was of course a very kind way of giving us a lovely holiday. I see I spoke thirteen times, mainly at the C.S.S.M. David was of an age to enjoy the services. Dorothy was a much admired baby of 10 months. From August 1942 to the same time in the following year was an eventful time. I visited Bangor Convention, Londonderry Convention, a Mission in Schull, Holy Week addresses at St Ann's in the lunch hour and at Rathfarnham in the evening, with the Three Hours at Bray on Good Friday, a visit to England to see my mother in May, the Portstewart Convention, and dozens of addresses outside the parish as well as the regular ministry at St Kevin's. I was young in those days, but I was working at pressure beyond my capacity.
The result was that in the autumn of 1942 I developed the symptoms of a duodenal ulcer. We did not have a normal summer holiday because we were expecting Robert in July, though Robert's oft-repeated statement that I took one look at him and got an ulcer is not strictly true. He was born on July 16th, a delicate baby weighing only 5 ¼ lbs! No one would believe it now. Emily took him out to Foxrock when they left Hatch Street, and I went out as I was able. I remember cycling out from Dublin for the baptism with Trevor Strong who was a godfather. From Foxrock I went several times to speak at the C.S.S.M. at Greystones, and was also looking after the Sundays at St Kevin's as Charlie Strong was leading the C.S.S.M. So to get some break I went off with my bicycle in September, going by train to Gort where I stayed a few days with Canon and Mrs Hipwell, ex-C.M.S. missionaries in China. On the Sunday I preached at Gort, Ardraghan and New Quay, a taste of preaching to tiny congregations to which I should become accustomed later.
This holiday was marred by illness, and cycling was about the worst thing for it. Galway, Moam Cross, Westport, Ballina were all lovely places to stay, but I was feeling wretched and decided to do the rest by public transport. I spent a weekend at Bundoran, where again I preached, a night at Derry with friends who had put me up when I went there to speak at the Convention, and on to Bangor where I was due to speak again at the Missionary Convention. People were very kind, and I struggled on that autumn until the middle of October. I lost a lot of weight and I think people suspected I had cancer. After inconclusive x-rays I had a second opinion and was sent immediately into the Meath Hospital. I stayed there only a fortnight, and then went to Foxrock where Granny Wynne and her faithful maid gave me milk foods and medicines every two hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the next two months. They really worked hard, but never made me feel I was a nuisance.
Other changes were afoot. in the summer I had been pressed by the Hibernian Church Missionary Society to consider becoming General Secretary in succession to Walter Wyatt. I said I could not leave St Kevin's, where a Mission was arranged for the autumn, to be led by Richard Coates. But H.C.M.S. came back with a definite offer. I consulted the Archbishop, and went to see Aunt Irene whose strong B.C.M.S. views I respected. I decided to refuse, and wrote to H.C.M.S., the Archbishop and Aunt Irene, leaving the letters on my desk for posting in the morning. That evening I happened to see a Dublin rector, R.E. Weir, a man whose judgement I would not have rated above the average. I told him what I had done, and he urged me to think again. He stressed that it was a key position, and that the way I had got over Robert's birth only a day or two before (when Emily's life was spared by the mercy of God and the skill of Ninian Faulkner) made it likely that my decision was not a valid one.
I resolved to pray again, and asked God for a clear sign. Next morning I had a letter from the C.M.S. Home Secretary whom I had met at a Missionary School in Greystones in the previous May. He more or less assumed that I would accept, and told me that, when he told Max Warren about it, Max had shown spontaneous delight. This seemed to be the guidance I needed. But I put one more test. I wrote to say I could not leave St Kevin's till the end of the year, and that my acceptance was conditional on my being allowed to begin on January 1st. In the event I was out of action for three months anyhow. H.C.M.S. accepted my proviso, and I told St Kevin's congregation of my impending departure, probably I think on August 1st. I had been to the Warrenpoint Convention for one day just before I made the decision, and Mr William Miller, the very godly secretary of the Christian Workers' Union, had strongly urged me to accept.
I had gone to St Kevin's regarding myself as a C.M.J. missionary on furlough, ready to go back at fairly short notice. As the war dragged on the situation was completely changed. When I joined the C.M.S. there were people who thought I had deserted C.M.J., but C.M.J. had not shown any desire to retain my services. Some of the B.C.M.S. supporters in Dublin were surprised at my going to C.M.S., but I am very glad I did. I think many people believed that my illness would prevent my doing the C.M.S. job, with all the travelling involved. Indeed two of the St Kevin's nominators came out to Foxrock to try to persuade me to stay on. I am sure I was right to persevere, and in the next five years I was to experience much blessing in ministering to an even wider circle than before.
Owing to my illness I had no farewell services, though we were brought back later for a meeting in the hall when we were presented with a glass-fronted cabinet and some beautiful leather cases. by that time we knew that John Robb was to succeed me at St Kevin's, and he certainly was the right man to carry on the traditions. We loved our four years there, the people, the church life, the interdenominational fellowship through the Week of Prayer, and our little home on the South Circular Road. No doubt many mistakes were made through youth and inexperience, but I think some of my best work may have been done in those years. I certainly did the parish a great service by getting Charlie Strong to come over as curate. We did not have very long together, but he was well established by the time he had to manage without me. He saw the interregnum through, and had John Robb well settled in, before he left to resurrect the C.U.M. in Bermondsey. The parish recognised him for the saint he was.
[Charlie Strong writes: "The Rectory was a very welcoming home to a curate living in digs! It was good to be able to keep in touch in later years when I was in Bermondsey at the C.U.M. and Martin and Emily were in Blackheath. They were the best of friends to us and we thank God for every remembrance of them."
The Most Reverend Donald Caird said, at a service of praise and thanksgiving for the life of Elizabeth Charlotte (Betty) Corrigan, 24th April 1997: "Betty Maude and her sister Daisy attended St Kevin's Church on South Circular Road, Dublin. It was a church which really had quite a short life, in comparison with many other churches in Dublin; it probably was in service for about 95 years: But it had an influence far beyond its years of service. The strong evangelical message that it presented through the message of very powerful preachers - Richard Bird, Martin Parsons, John C Robb - established a faith that was more than nominal, that was robust and personal..."]
Next chapter
Warning: include(footer.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/parsonsf/public_html/martin_autobiography/ireland.php on line 70
Warning: include(footer.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/parsonsf/public_html/martin_autobiography/ireland.php on line 70
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'footer.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/parsonsf/public_html/martin_autobiography/ireland.php on line 70