New rector of Hillsborough instituted
The Revd Simon Richardson was Instituted as the new rector of St Malachi's, Hillsborough at a service in the parish church on Tuesday evening, 24th June 2008. Bishop Harold Miller conducted the service and the Revd Canon David McClay, rector of Willowfield and Priest-in-charge of Mount Merrion, Belfast, was the preacher.
The vacancy in Hillsborough followed the retirement of the Revd John Dinnen at the end of December 2007. Simon was appointed as curate in Hillsborough in 2006, and prior to that had been an Assistant Curate in Folkestone, Kent.
Among the packed congregation of family, friends, parishioners and other clergy were some folks from Kent, who had travelled over to Hillsborough for the service.
Simon's ‘promotion' from curate to rector of a parish is a rare event in the Church of Ireland - it is commonly believed that this last happened in 1954, when the Revd Ernest Shepherd was made incumbent of St John's in Whitehouse after serving his curacy in the parishes. The Revd Shepherd remained in St John's until his retirement in 1996.