The future of the church is in our hands

This week's  Independent News & Media Irish regional newspapers' column.

Michael Commane

I had the privilege of attending an academic conferring ceremony in Dublin last Saturday week. It had a sense of history to it as it was one of the first conferring ceremonies of the new Technological University of Dublin. 

The Dublin Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Blanchardstown and the Institute of Technology Tallaght have been amalgamated into the new university with a current student population of 28,500. 

The origins of the new university go back to 1887 when the Technical College in Dublin’s Kevin Street was set up by novelist and songwriter Arnold Graves.

The conferring ceremony that I attended was at the Priory Institute Tallaght. The degrees offered by The Priory Institute are accredited by TU Dublin.

Its deputy president, Dr Mary Meany presented the parchments. Twelve students were awarded MAs in Biblical Studies, 14 received BAs in theology and a further six students obtained certificates and diplomas in scripture and theology.

What they all had in common was that they are mature students. They are all out working in their own particular jobs. Indeed, some maybe retired.

Theology concerns itself with the study of the divine. It deals with revelation, teases out issues about God. Christian theology attempts at exploring what we mean when we say that Jesus Christ is God.

Scripture is the study of the Bible, both Old and New Testament. It means looking at the different books of the Bible in as forensic a way as possible. People of faith believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God.

The study of Canon Law gives the student a picture of the laws, legal principles and regulations of the church. Canon Law was the first modern western legal system.

The Priory Institute was set up in 2001 and it provides degrees, diplomas and certificates in theology and philosophy.

The Priory Institute offers a mix of onsite and online learning. Attendance at semester launch-days is required. Each module has two study days and two tutorial days, which students must attend either in person at St Mary’s Priory in Tallaght, or online. Ongoing support is available from coordinators. 

Also, in-depth help and advice is on-hand from specialist academic tutors.

The Priory Institute is an ideal road for anyone to take who wants to upgrade their skills and knowledge when it comes to an understanding of faith, church, scripture, history of religion.

It gives people an opportunity to learn something about their faith, their religion.

It is often striking how little we actually know about our faith and the two millennium-long Christian tradition.

Only recently when former president Mary McAleese was in the news, the media referred to her as a theologian. Ms McAleese is not a theologian; she is a canon lawyer.

In my job as a hospital chaplain I regularly read/pray the Psalms with patients and visitors and for so many of them it is their first time to appreciate these wonderful prayers.

Is there ever a discussion or study about what it means to say that Christ is present in the Eucharist? What does presence in this context mean?

It was lovely to see former government minister and MEP Gay Mitchell being awarded a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies. I also spotted at the conferring former secretary general to the government Dermot McCarthy, who is now a deacon, ministering in Westland Row church.

The future of the church is in the hands of the people, where it belongs. It makes sense. The church is the people of God.