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A dispute between a Church of Ireland minister and the Archbishop of Dublin has been settled at the High Court.
Rev Obinna Ulogwara had sought an injunction preventing Most Rev Dr Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin and Bishop of Glendalough, terminating what the former claims is his employment.
The court heard Rev Ulogwara was a priest of the Church of Ireland and a bishop’s curate who had worked at the Parish of St George and St Thomas in Dublin’s north inner city since 2010. The parish was amalgamated last April with the neighbouring North Strand parish due to lack of funds.
In his action Rev Ulogwara said he had sought assurances from the archbishop about his future after the decision in relation to the parish was taken but claimed he had not received any.
He claimed the absence of assurances left him in a position where he feared he would have been left without a ministry, employment and potentially a place to live.
Settlement reached
The archbishop, represented by Tom Mallon BL, denied the claims and urged the court not to grant the injunction. The injunction application opened before the High Court last May but was adjourned from time to time to allow the parties to see if the matter could be resolved outside court.
On Wednesday, when the matter returned before the court, Marguerite Bolger SC for Rev Ulogwara told Mr Justice Paul Gilligan the matter had been settled and could be struck out. No details of the settlement were revealed.
Mr Justice Gilligan welcomed the settlement and made the strike-out orders.
In his proceedings, Rev Ulogwara, who was also Church of Ireland chaplain to the Mater hospital, Temple Street Children’s Hospital and Mountjoy Prison, had claimed his position in the parish was permanent one.
The archbishop argued that the reverend was not, and never could be considered, an employee of his or the church. It was also argued that Rev Ulogwara was not an incumbent at the now former parish and had no tenure there.