On the Vigil of the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (Friday, February 10th) the prayers took place in St. John the Baptist church in Ovens.

More than a hundred parishioners of Ballinora, Ballincollig, Ovens / Farran Family of Parishes gathered to pray because ‘a family that prays together stays together’. There were many more joining online.

People were welcomed by John McCarthy, the chairperson of Ovens / Farran Parish Assembly. Then Fr. Ronan Sheehan exposed the Blessed Sacrament and led the congregation through the prayers. There was the Gospel reading about the blind man in Jericho, a reflection, an extract of Pope Francis’ Message for the 31st World Day of the Sick and prayers of intercession as well.

Vigil of the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes

Canon Liam O’Regan

Death of retired Douglas Parish Priest

The Diocesan Office has announced that Canon Liam O’Regan, retired parish priest of Douglas, has died.

Canon Liam was ordained in 1961 and began his priestly ministry on temporary mission in Motherwell Diocese, Scotland. On his return in 1962 he served as curate in Uibh Laoire Parish as well as Assistant Diocesan Inspector.

He then served as Chaplain to Sarsfield Court Hospital and as Diocesan Advisor for secondary schools, Dean of Residence in UCC, Curate in the parishes of Enniskeane, Kilmichael, Ballyphehane and The Lough.

He was appointed Administrator of Kilmichael Parish (1988 – 1990) and as Parish Priest in Knocknaheeny and Holyhill (1990 – 1996) and in Douglas (1996 – 2008).

Canon Liam continued to serve in Douglas Parish as Assistant Priest until his retirement in 2015.

May Canon Liam now rest peacefully in the Lord whom he faithfully served.

On 2nd February, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, over 100 religious women and men from communities throughout the Diocese of Cork and Ross joined with Bishop Fintan to celebrate Evening Prayer in the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Ann to mark the World Day for Consecrated Life

The Poor Clare Sisters on College Road also participated via the Cathedral livestream in their monastery.

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is set aside in the Church as a special day to pray for women and men in consecrated life. Pope Saint John Paul II instituted the World Day for Consecrated Life in 1997.

The music and singing was provided by students from St. Aloysius Girls Secondary School Cork.

Evening Prayer on Day for Consecrated Life

Day for Consecrated Life is Thursday Feb 2nd

To mark the Day for Consecrated Life, Bishop Fintan is inviting members of Religious Communities throughout the Diocese of Cork and Ross to join him in praying Evening Prayer on Thursday 2nd February at 5pm in the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne.

The celebration will involve school choirs and music groups as well as uplifting accounts of religious life and ministry.  

All are welcome to this special diocesan celebration.

Gaelcoláiste Mhuire First Year Group with Bishop Fintan

First Year pupils from Gaelcholáiste Mhuire AG recently attended the North Cathedral for Mass celebrated by Bishop Fintan Gavin to mark the start of their secondary school journey.

The readings and prayer of the faithful were read out by the pupils as gaeilge, as well as some beautiful music provided by members of the school choir and music group, under the guidance of Jack O’Rourke and Julie Ann Harrington of the Music Department.

The pupils’ participation in the Mass was coordinated by Jim Geaney and Cormac Lehane of the school Religion Department and the Mass was attended by School Principal Dónal Ó Buachalla as well as members of the teaching staff.

D’fhreastail daltaí na chéad bhliana ó Ghaelcholáiste Mhuire AG ar an Ardeaglais le déanaí le haghaidh Aifreann a bhí ceiliúrtha ag an tEaspag Fintan Gavin chun tús a dturas Meánscoile a chomóradh.

Catholic Schools Week - Bishop Fintan Visits Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh

On Tuesday 24 January, Bishop Fintan made a pastoral visit to Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh in Bishopstown to celebrate Catholic Schools Week with students and staff.

The visit began with a First Year Class in the School Prayer Room. Following this, in the library a range of students from different year groups shared something of their faith stories with Bishop Fintan.

The students reflected on how they are living out the theme of Catholic Schools Week -‘Walking Together in Faith and Love’. Students spoke of their positive experience of Religious Education in the school and the many creative ways the faith dimension of school is helping them in their lives. A past pupil shared on the life changing experience he had in fifth year, when he was part of the Cork & Ross Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes.

Death of Canon Tom Kelleher, former PP of Courceys

The death has been announced of Canon Tom Kelleher, a retired priest of the diocese.

Canon Kelleher has served as a priest for 68 years since he was ordained in June 1954. He was a native of Kilmichael Parish and retired as Parish Priest of Courceys Parish in 2012 after serving there since 1985.

After ordination he served on temporary mission in New York where some of his classmates also served. On return to Ireland he served a number of chaplaincy appointments and was Diocesan Secretary from 1961 to 1969 when he volunteered to serve in the Diocesan Mission in Trujillo, Peru.

Following his return to Cork in 1975 he served as curate in the South Parish and then in St Joseph’s, Mayfield, before becoming Parish Priest of Courceys (Ballinspittle and Ballinadee).

When he retired, he moved to live at The Presbytery in Kinsale and also assisted in the parish.

May he rest in the eternal peace of the Lord whom he served

Catholic Schools Week 2023 will be celebrated in the Diocese of Cork and Ross as well as in schools and parishes throughout Ireland from Sunday 22nd to Sunday 29th January 2023

The theme for the week of celebration this year is: ‘Walking Together in Faith & Love’ which incorporates three features of the Synodal Pathway, communion, participation and mission.

Through engagement with Catholic Schools Week 2023, our parish and school communities have an opportunity to reflect upon and celebrate the wonderful contribution made by our Catholic Schools at primary and post primary levels in Cork and Ross. Our Catholic schools support and give living witness to the Person of Christ in their ethos, values and characteristic spirit.

A link to a range of resources dedicated to celebrating the gift of Catholic education which reflect the Catholic Schools Week theme - ‘Walking Together in Faith & Love’ (in both Irish and English) are available from the Catholic Education Partnership (CEP) website:

Catholic Schools Week 2023 - Resources

Bain úsáid as an nasc atá luaite chun acmhainní as Gaeilge a fháil.