THE work of Enniskillen’s two main church leaders, the Very Rev. Kenneth Hall and Monsignor Peter O’Reilly, has received a warm acknowledgement from yet another head of state.

Special guests of the Queen at a state banquet for the President of Ireland at Windsor Castle last week, Dean Hall and Monsignor O’Reilly had an opportunity to tell Michael D Higgins about their determination to continue promoting one community.

“The President is very aware of what has been going on and endorses what we are doing,” said Dean Hall.

Dining at the home of Her Majesty, alongside the ministers, were representatives from community groups, organisations such as the Orange Order and even Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness.

Speaking about the Northern Ireland themed event, Dean Hall said he was “shocked” to see two cultures which are so divided in this country “resting side by side in a non-threatening manner”.

“Nobody who attended from a difficult cultural background felt threatened. There was a comfortable sharing of opinion and difference that makes us who we are; it enriches our lives. But it is living with that difference that is the challenge. That is what the Queen is doing; she is throwing out the challenge to live with difference, and accept it,” said Dean Hall.

“I think the Queen has become a beacon of light; we could see Christianity shining out of her last week and when we spoke to her we again reflected on her visit to Enniskillen two years ago and the continuation of the work.” “People need to be proud of who they are, proud of their differences, be comfortable with their differences, but also to be tolerant to other differences. That’s really the key to it. The challenge to us is to live together, side by side,” he added.

Ever since the two ministers welcomed the Queen to the town, a visit that included her historic walk from St. Macartin’s Cathedral to St. Michael’s Church, they have built up a strong relationship with the monarch.

“Her Majesty’s first words to us when she met us at Buckingham Palace after the visit to Enniskillen were: ‘I hope you two are still working together’. It was very much like a grandmother checking up to see if you had your homework done,” remarked Monsignor O’Reilly.

And being invited to another function as guest of the Queen “was a mark of recognition to the town”, said the St. Michael’s priest, adding: “being invited to this is more a call to continue”.

“My first impression of the event last week was: look at this room of people. There were people from every art and part, from every culture and tradition, mixing together, comfortable together, friendly together. I looked and saw that and it all seemed extremely normal to me,” he said.

After meeting Mr. Higgins, the ministers met the President’s wife, Sabina, who commented on the painting on display at Enniskillen Castle Museums of the Queen’s walk across the street, which was viewed by Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during their visit here earlier this month.

“She said: “‘Ah yes, you have that painting in Enniskillen?’ This was extraordinary, to think she knew about it,” said Monsignor O’Reilly, who following the meet and greet accompanied the Dean to the Royal Albert Hall for a celebration (ceiliúradh) as part of the President’s state visit.

“The concert, for me, was very significant as there in the great Royal Albert Hall were people who were both British and Irish. In that hall it was okay to have both identities, though in these parts it is hard to be one or the other.” “But unity doesn’t have to be uniformity; there are many stories in Northern Ireland and they all deserve to be heard,” he added.

The ministers’ positive encounter with the Irish President and the Queen comes just two weeks after Prince Charles appealed to both church leaders to continue their work in promoting one community.

Admiring the two ministers for their cross-community work at Windsor Castle was Father Brian D’Arcy, who was also invited to the banquet.

Father D’Arcy and Cecil Pringle, the former archdeacon, made great strides many years ago in promoting togetherness within the community, particularly between The Graan and Rossorry Parish Church.

“Let’s hope the work can spread even further. Cecil and I have spoken about how difficult it was at the beginning, but we kept at it. That has continued with Arthur (Barrett). What Kenny is saying is what we all believe; ‘that what unities us is vastly more important that what divides us’”, he said.

On being invited to the historic event last week, Father D’Arcy said: “I was very honoured to be asked and enjoyed it very much”.

The Enniskillen priest and broadcaster contributes to ‘Pause for Thought’ on the Chris Evans Breakfast Show on Radio 2 but has been off air recently due to illness. He was left “gob-smacked” when he met Her Majesty and she revealed that she misses listening to him in the mornings.

“I was being introduced to the Queen and she said to me: ‘I noticed that you haven’t been on the morning radio - we miss you a lot’. I was gob-smacked. I told her I had been off due to illness and she said ‘I hope you be back soon, I enjoy the broadcast!” recalled Father D’Arcy.

After meeting the Queen, the priest caught up with his old friend, Mr. Higgins.

“Michael D and I go way back. We were chatting about everything and then Sabina, his wife, invited me to Áras an Uachtaráin. She said, ‘we’ll have to get you down’”.

Moments later, Prince Philip turned to the Irish President and said of Father D’Arcy: “This guy appears to be famous!”