Several Athlone-area clerical changes in latest Diocesan reshuffle
A number of personnel changes to parishes in and around Athlone were included in the latest round of clerical appointments issued today (Wednesday) by the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois.
They include the return to St Mary's Parish, Athlone, of Fr Charlie Healy, who spent six years in the parish before departing a decade ago. He has been serving as parish priest in Carrickedmond and Abbeyshrule, in Longford, and is coming back to Athlone as a curate.
Fr Joe McGrath, who is currently based in Mount Temple, will be moving to Mullahoran in Cavan, where he has been appointed as parish administrator.
In West Offaly, Fr Tom Cox, who previously served in Ferbane and Athlone and is currently the parish administrator for Clonmacnois, Shannonbridge and Clonfanlough, is being transferred to North Roscommon.
He will be taking up the role of parish priest in Kilronan, which includes the areas of Keadue, Arigna and Ballyfarnon.
The current parish priest in Ferbane, Fr Peter Burke, will be staying on in that role but will also be assuming the duty of administering the Clonmacnois parish following Fr Tom Cox's departure.
A new arrival in Clonmacnois will be Fr Michael Alanga, from Nigeria, who is to join the parish as a curate.
Another change in this round of appointments will see Fr Reji Kurian, who is currently a curate in Ballinahown, moving a relatively short distance to take up a similar position in the parish of Moate and Mount Temple.
Fr Liam Murray, who was based in St Mary's, Athlone, for many years and is currently the parish priest in Ballymahon, will be taking on additional responsibility as the administrator of the parish of Carrickedmond and Abbeyshrule.
The Diocese has also announced the retirement of Fr Pat Lennon, who served in the Athlone area for many years during previous decades.
Ordained in 1973, Fr Pat was a curate based in Kiltoghert parish until 1978, after which he served on the diocesan mission in Chipata, Zambia, until 1985.
When he returned to the local diocese he was a curate in St Mary's Parish, Athlone, and became its administrator in 1991.
Six years later, he was appointed as parish priest of Ballinahown, before going on to spend a second spell abroad on the missions, this time in Zimbabwe, until 2005. He has since been based in county Longford and is retiring from his current role as parish priest in Domard.
Mount Temple native Fr PJ Hughes, who is currently parish priest in Mullahoran and Loughduff, is replace Fr Lennon as parish priest in Dromard.
The appointments in the diocese will take effect from August 24 next.
Announcing the changes, the Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, Paul Connell, said: "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the priests of the diocese who have so generously agreed to take on extra responsibilities.
"As a diocese we continue to prepare for the future and as part of that process I am issuing a pastoral letter to the diocese this coming weekend," he added.