RELICS OF ST. OLIVER PLUNKETT TO VISIT KILMORE DIOCESAN PASTORAL CENTRE IN CAVAN

First class relics of St. Oliver Plunkett will visit the Conaty Chapel of the Kilmore Diocesan Pastoral Centre in Cavan on Tuesday 5 June 2018.

The relics will arrive at the Centre at 10:00a.m. and will be available for veneration until 10:00p.m. that evening.

There will be a lunch-time Mass in the Chapel at 1:15p.m. offered by Rev. Callistus Isara, CC Munterconnaught and Visiting Chaplain to St. Clare’s College, Ballyjamesduff, for those doing examinations at this time.

Fr. Ultan McGoohan, Diocesan Director of Pastoral Services and Adult Faith Development, will celebrate Mass at 5:45p.m. and deliver the homily.

Bishop Leo O’Reilly of Kilmore, will be the principal celebrant at the 8:00p.m. Mass. Fr. Philip Gaffney PP, St. Mary’s Parish in Drogheda will be the homilist. The music for this Mass will be provided by the combined choirs from the parish of Kilmainhamwood and Moybologue.

There will also be opportunities to avail of the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the course of the day from 12 noon to 1:00p.m.; 4:30p.m. to  5:30p.m.; and 6:30p.m. to 7:45p.m.

All are welcome for this very special event which is being organised by the Kilmore Diocesan Pastoral Centre with the assistance of the Knights of Saint Columbanus.

Petitions/Offerings may be sent to the Kilmore Diocesan Pastoral Centre, The Conaty Centre, Cullies, Cavan H12 E5C7.  All petitions received will be placed beside the relic during its visit.  Please write “St. Oliver” on the top left hand corner of the envelope.

For further information, please ring the Centre on 049 4375004.

St. Oliver Plunkett was born at Loughcrew, near Oldcastle in Co. Meath on 1 November 1625. Having studied at the Irish College in Rome, he was ordained a priest in 1654 and became Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland in 1657. He maintained his duties in Ireland in the face of English persecution, reorganising the ravaged Irish Church, but was eventually arrested and tried for treason in London. Having being found guilty of high treason on perjured evidence, he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn on 1 July 1681, and became the last Roman Catholic martyr to die in England. Oliver Plunkett was beatified in 1920 and canonised in 1975 by Pope Blessed Paul VI, the first new Irish saint for almost seven hundred years. 

This is the fifth year that the relics of St. Oliver Plunkett have visited the Kilmore Diocesan Pastoral Centre.

Photo: Adrian Donohoe.