Rev Andrew Sweeney

Vicar of Cogges and South Leigh

Address:

Rev Andrew Sweeney
Cogges Priory, Church Lane, Witney, OX28 3LA
Tel: 01993 702155
Email: vicar@coggesparish.com

Andrew Sweeney was instituted as Vicar of Cogges and South Leigh at an Induction service on Tuesday 12th March 2002.

SABBATICAL (June to August 2007)

The Diocese of Oxford provides the opportunity for clergy to have a time of refreshment and renewal after ten years of ministry -- this is called a Sabbatical. It is also a time to reflect on and gain new insights and perspectives into ministry. To make the experience worthwhile the sabbatical lasts three months and has three elements:

• A project
• A holiday
• A retreat

-- not just a holiday as some might think!

My project was to enable me to gain insights into the care of the terminally ill and develop a greater understanding of palliative care in the context of a therapeutic community. In June I spent three weeks working at St. Christopher's Hospice in London and Sobell House in Oxford.

In August I attended the Global Leadership Summit at Willowcreek in Chicago with a group from the Diocese and also a week with the Iona Community in the Western Isles of Scotland.

Biographical note

Before moving to Cogges, Andrew wrote about himself and his family for the Cogges monthly newsletter:

I grew up in Bangor, Northern Ireland and moved to England in 1989, on a secondment with Axa Assurances, supposedly for three years, but we were still in Oxon ten years later! I was ordained in 1996, after completing my training at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford. I served my first curacy in Bladon cum Woodstock where we spent three very happy years and where Joseph was born in 1997.

Cathy taught music and the arts at Oxford High School from 1989 to 1997, leaving to be a full-time mum, but doing some piano teaching, leading a children's choir and various musical things in Church!

In the summer of '99 I was appointed Curate of St. Patrick's Church, Coleraine, the largest Parish in Ireland. Somewhat surprised to find myself called back to Northern Ireland. God had everything in hand. In November '99, Benedict was born and eight weeks later Cathy was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, cancer of the lymphatic system. How right it was to be back home, surrounded by Cathy's family who moved in to help us, and where Cathy received wonderful medical care.

As Cathy recovered in the past year, we began to seek the Lord's will for our future, realising that we had been brought to Coleraine for a very obvious reason. How amazing that the Lord should lead us back to Oxfordshire, a place we regard very much as our spiritual home. It feels so right to be coming to Cogges where we spent a very happy summer placement whilst at Wycliffe.

The past two years have been the most difficult of our lives to date, but we can thankfully say that we have learnt more about God's purpose, power and provision than we could ever have imagined. What a wonderful God we have who really does provide for our every need. We're so excited to follow His direction for this next stage of our journey. How could we want to be anywhere else?