New Bishop praises fellow Bishops for courage and fidelity

Brian Donaldson • Published 29 Jul 2010 16:00 0 Comments

Share this

click to enlarge
Ordination of Rt Rev Monsignor Liam MacDaid as Bishop of Clogher at St Macartan’s Cathedral, Monaghan. Cardinal Sean Brady, officiaties at the ceremony with Liam MacDaid.

Cardinal Sean Brady, the Primate of All-Ireland, officiated at the ordination of the new Roman Catholic Bishop of Clogher, the Most Rev. Liam MacDaid on Sunday.

The ordination service took place in St. Macartan's Cathedral, Monaghan and was attended by up to 1,000 guests who included the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen and the Tanaiste, Mary Coughlan.

There was a large number of clergy from Roman Catholic churches from throughout the diocese present as well as Archbishop Leanza, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland. The Church of Ireland was represented by its Bishop of Clogher, the Right Rev. Dr. Michael Jackson.

An address was given by Bishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor Diocese.

Bishop MacDaid, who succeeds Bishop Joseph Duffy who has retired, firstly paid tribute to all those who had helped to prepare for the ordination service.

He then turned to his fellow bishops present to say a few words.

"I have a sense that most of the faithful of our diocese would wish me to speak a word of encouragement to all the bishops present. Our people are very much aware of the heavy burden of responsibility you have had to carry in recent years as many of you were called to imitate your Master in carrying the sins of others. Your courage and fidelity in keeping resolutely on the road to Jerusalem in spite of all that awaited you have been admirable," he said.

"A special word of acknowledgement and gratitude is due to Bishop Joseph Duffy of our own diocese, who retires to-day with over 50 years of service as priest behind him and 31 years as Bishop of Clogher and member of the Irish Episcopal Conference. Any list of achievements would include the enormous contributions he made nationally in the fields of Liturgy and Communications where he acted as spokesperson for the Hierarchy during many difficult years. All the while he kept a steady hand on the wheel of the diocesan ship, encouraging, inspiring and always making himself available to his priests. He was never afraid to take bold steps such as re-ordering this cathedral, overseeing major developments in the diocesan colleges and encouraging new structures for diocesan and parish administration and development. He encouraged adult faith education, the development of new norms and structures for the safeguarding of children and directed the modernisation and expansion of the Lough Derg Pilgrimage.

"To Bishop Michael Jackson and to members of other Christian Churches, your presence with us to-day is welcome and appreciated. Over many years, there have been lots of initiatives to bring our members together, some from leadership down, many from the ground up. Bishop Duffy and Bishop Jackson have established a warm and solid foundation of respectful friendship. I will be very pleased to continue that tradition and try to hasten the day when Jesus Christ's prayer for unity among his followers may become a reality.

"We all seek to serve the public and the common good. We can do that in a spirit of mutual co-operation and respect. Jesus himself acknowledged that there is a sphere that belongs to Caesar and one that belongs to God. But if Jesus Christ is Lord, and he is accepted as Son of God by the majority of the citizens of our country, then the welfare of our people in both jurisdictions as expressed in public legislation would surely be best served if we listen with respect to what Jesus Christ has to say about life and values.

Bishop MacDaid said that his ordination day was one for acknowledging parents, family, relatives, friends, teachers, classmates, neighbours, workmates and playmates.

"We all have people in our lives who formed us, nurtured us, shared with us, taught us, cared for us, corrected us, healed us, held us, laughed with us, advised us, cried with us, inspired us and loved us.

"We are constantly reminded of terrible failures we have had to come to terms within the Irish Church. Human weakness and failure have been with us and documented from the beginning - Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, leaders like David and even Peter himself chosen by the Lord. The coming of Jesus Christ himself was a response to failure, to redirect us, to save us and set us on the right path again. Society has forced us in the Irish Church to look into the mirror and what we saw were weakness and failure, victims and abuse. The surgeon's knife has been painful but necessary. A lot of evil and poison has been excised. There comes a time when the surgeon's knife has done what it can, is put away and a regime of rehabilitation for the patient is put in place.

"We have been brought to our knees but maybe that is no bad thing. It can bring us closer to the core of the mystery. Jesus was on his knees when he washed the feet of the disciples. This was the last and definitive gesture he left us before he celebrated the meal which was to become our Eucharist. There was no room for privilege, for earthly pomp or power or for lording it over anyone. In the strength of the Eucharist and led by the Spirit of God we were to walk humbly before God and serve one another unselfishly and without discrimination. This was to be the well where we were to be nourished spiritually in a way that would lead us to eternal life.

"So while society keeps the mirror in front of us and rightly checks that we are sincere in our intentions and efforts towards rehabilitation, can I invite you, priests and people of the diocese of Clogher, to join me in a repentant return to the well of salvation. The journey will include for many facing the enormous challenge of forgiveness. Despite his intense suffering, Jesus forgave those who mocked, spat at, scourged and abused him. One of the co-crucified could not bring himself beyond abuse and excluded himself; the other rose to embracing forgiveness and was welcomed into the kingdom. There are many painful experiences in life where only forgiveness can bring closure.

Bishop Treanor, in his address, referred to the new Bishop's journey within the church from his native parish of Bundoran and former parishes of Aghavea and Aughentaine and Tyholland. He also referred to his links within the church as a teacher, school principal and then pastor.

Bishop Treanor recorded his thanks to Bishop Duffy for his contribution to the life of the church, for serving as 31 years of service as Bishop and his work to foster the Christian faith, ecumenical relations among the Christian churches and communities in the decades of the Troubles, his guidance of the Clogher Historical Society and his fostering of the arts and culture.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 29 Jul 10

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.