Ordination of Fr Fintan as Bishop of Killaloe today
POPULAR former Tuam priest Fr Fintan Monahan will be ordained Bishop of Killaloe today.
The ordination ceremony will take place in the Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul in Ennis this afternoon (Sunday, September 25) at 3pm.
The former Tuam Diocesan Secretary has recently spent time in Rome for a week long course of study in preparation for his new role.
The Bishop-elect was among newly-appointed bishops who had an audience with Pope Francis at the end of the formation course for new bishops.
The Chief Ordaining Prelate at today’s ceremony will be Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, who will be assisted by Archbishop Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam and the Apostolic Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Charles Brown.
The Apostolic Mandate from His Holiness, Pope Francis, will be read by Father Albert McDonnell, Chancellor of the Diocese of Killaloe. The sermon for the ceremony will be preached by Canon Brendan Kilcoyne, Parish Priest, Vicar Forane, Athenry.
Priests from the Archdiocese of Tuam as well as former classmates of Bishop-elect Monahan will be among those attending and concelebrating the Mass.
Fr Fintan’s appointment as Bishop of Killaloe was announced by Pope Francis on July 29.
A native of Tullamore in Co Offaly Fr Fintan spent many years in Carraroe where his father Tom was a teacher. In 1996 the family moved to Castlegar in Galway, the native home of his mother Peg.
He was ordained to the priesthood in 1991 by Archbishop Joseph Cassidy. From 1993 until 2006 he taught taught Science, Irish and Religion at Saint Jarlath’s College in Tuam, along with coaching basketball and hurling.
In 2006 he was appointed chaplain to Saint Jarlath’s College and diocesan secretary. During that time he also worked in the area of communications, vocations promotion and served as editor of the Tuam Diocesan Magazine, New Dawn. In recent years he joined the Communications Council of the Irish Episcopal Conference.
Fr Fintan has been inundated with well-wishes since his apppointment was announced and will be greatly missed by many groups, organisations and parishioners in general in the Tuam area.