Victor Griffin facts for kids
Victor Gilbert Benjamin Griffin (often called Dean Griffin) was an important Church of Ireland (which is a type of Anglican church) priest. He was also a theologian (someone who studies religion) and an author. He was known for his modern and open ideas in Ireland.
Victor Griffin was born on May 24, 1924, in Carnew, a town in County Wicklow. He went to school at Kilkenny College. Later, he studied at Trinity College, Dublin. He was a very bright student there. He won many special awards for his studies in philosophy. He kept a strong connection with Trinity College throughout his life and work in Dublin.
He was married to Daphne. She passed away on January 16, 1998. They had twin sons, Timothy and Kevin. Timothy passed away on June 5, 2012. Kevin is married, and Victor Griffin had five grandchildren.
His Work in the Church
Victor Griffin became a priest in 1948. He first worked as a Curate (a junior priest) in two churches in Derry. In 1957, he became the rector (the main priest) of Christ Church in Derry. He stayed there until 1969.
From 1962 to 1968, he held a special role called prebendary in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. Then, in 1969, he became the Dean of the cathedral. He held this important position until 1991. Many people thought he was one of the greatest Deans of the 20th century.
Dean Griffin's time in Dublin was known for being very welcoming and open to everyone. He worked hard to bring different groups of people together. He was one of the first public figures to see how much Irish society was changing. He supported many important causes, including:
- He strongly supported the fight against apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of unfair separation based on race.
- He supported and campaigned for politicians like Mary Robinson and David Norris (politician).
- He spoke out against certain laws he felt were unfair or limited people's freedoms.
- He worked to protect old parts of Dublin and help make the inner city a better place to live.
Books He Wrote
Victor Griffin wrote several books during his life. Some of his books include:
- Anglican and Irish: What We Believe (1976)
- Mark of Protest (1993)
- Enough Religion to Make Us Hate (2002)
- A short catechism of basic Church teaching (2007)
Later Life
Victor Griffin lived in Limavady, Northern Ireland, after he retired. He passed away there on January 11, 2017.
