• 17 November 2022

Revd Pat Kerr is introduced in Castlewellan & Kilcoo

Bishop David has welcomed Revd Pat Kerr to the diocese as Minister in Charge of the Parish of Castlewellan and Kilcoo. Pat was introduced at a service in St Paul’s Castlewellan on Wednesday 16 November. The preacher was Revd David Williams, rector of St Mary’s Church, Princes Risborough and the Area Dean, Bishop Darren McCartney, led the service.  

A large congregation came along to welcome Pat and his family and there was a sense of great excitement for the future of the parishes. 

Pat said:

“I am excited to be welcomed to the Parish of Castlewellan and Bryansford along with my wife, Jenni, and two children. When Jenni and I first explored a calling back to Ireland, one of the visits we had was to Castlewellan and Bryansford and we felt a real sense of peace and excitement about coming to minister in this parish. We look forward to discerning what God is calling us to be as a church family and enabling the church to explore how each of us are called to bring the Gospel and serve those in our community.

“A verse that was shared with us from a parishioner in our last church was Psalm 90:17 which reads, ‘May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.’

“As we come here this is our prayer; that His work will be done in this place through the work of His Spirit leading and guiding us.”

About Pat 

“I was born and raised in west Belfast, where I was brought to church as child. My faith was fostered by my parents and as a teenager through camps and a weekly youth group my faith deepened as I explored what it means to have a personal relationship with God for myself. God then took me on an exciting journey which has me in the place I am today.

“I first began in church ministry after I received a degree in Youth and Community Studies at the University of Ulster in Jordanstown. I worked in youth ministry for 15 years before being called to ordained ministry. For the past 13 years I have lived in England; 8 of which I was the youth ministry leader at a vibrant New Wine church in Bletchley, Milton Keynes. This experience allowed me to grow and develop in outreach ministry and fresh expressions of church both to the young people I worked with and their families. This stirred up a sense of calling to ordained ministry with a passion for reaching out to those in the community needing God’s love and doing church differently.

“I am excited to bring this passion back to Ireland and explore what God is calling us as a family to do here. For fun as a family, we like to go on adventures, see new places, play games, enjoy food and eat plenty of ice–cream! We look forward to getting to know everyone in the coming months!”