The Bishop of Cork, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, is delighted to announce that he has appointed the Reverend Paul Robinson, Rector of the United Benefice of Halsall, Lydiate and Downholland in the Diocese of Liverpool, Church of England, to be the new Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of Saint Anne’s, Shandon, and also Chaplain to Saint Luke’s Home in Cork.

Bishop Colton said:

I was aware for some time that the Reverend Paul Robinson was testing a vocation to come to work in the Church of Ireland and am delighted that he has accepted my appointment to Saint Anne’s Shandon, and to Saint Luke’s Home.  Both are important parts of our ministry in this Diocese in general and in the City of Cork in particular.  In several years, Saint Luke’s Home will be celebrating its 150th anniversary of caring for older people and people with dementia in this region.  Saint Anne’s Shandon, with its famous bells, is a worldwide icon for Cork people and visitors to Cork.  It will be celebrating 300 years between 2022 and 2026.  Paul is an experienced priest and will be a great asset in this Diocese.

The Reverend Paul Robinson was born and brought up in Manchester and after a short time working in Liverpool as a local government officer rehousing homeless families, he trained for the ministry at St Stephen’s House Oxford, returning to Liverpool to be ordained in 1997. During his training he spent some time at St Columba’s Hospice in Edinburgh as part of his formation. He spent his curacy at St Thomas the Martyr Upholland near Wigan after which, in 2001, he was appointed as Vicar of Lydiate, a large suburban parish in the Diocese of Liverpool. In 2007 Paul was appointed as Rector of the United Benefice of Halsall, Lydiate and Downholland in the same diocese leading a large team of assistant clergy and licensed layworkers. He has extensive experience working in church schools, both on governing bodies and taking a lead in the formation of children’s Christian education through worship and teaching; he has contributed to a number of Youth Pilgrimages run at Walsingham in Norfolk and continues to sit as a member of The Board of Education in the Diocese of Liverpool.

His move to the Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross comes as something of a fulfilment, as Paul began to discern a few years ago, the possibility of a ministry in The Church of Ireland. Feeling that God has been ‘pulling at his sleeve’ Paul writes:

I am utterly delighted to have been appointed to this exciting role as I face the challenge of becoming the Priest in Charge of St Anne’s Shandon and Chaplain at St Luke’s Home, Mahon. I feel humbled that Bishop Paul has encouraged me to take up this wonderful opportunity. I am greatly looking forward to working with the good people of St Anne’s in promoting the Gospel in the context of such a vibrant city centre and helping to journey with the communities at St Luke’s Home, residents and staff, in maintaining it as a place of welcome, care and hospitality.

The Bishop hopes to introduce Paul to the Parish and Chaplaincy and to licence him on Sunday, 19th January 2o2o at 4 p.m. in Saint Anne’s Church, Shandon.

The Reverend Paul Robinson