View of St Joseph's Square, Maynooth. In an article carried in The Irish Catholic of June 16, 2016, we reported on the President of St Patrick’s College Maynooth, Msgr Hugh Connolly taking sabbatical leave. The article went on to deal with matters entirely unconnected to Msgr Connolly’s leave including controversial allegations recently made about life in the seminary.
Msgr Connolly has been granted sabbatical leave by the college trustees, having applied for this leave more than a year ago, to enable him to pursue theological studies. This is a standard sabbatical leave taken in accordance with the usual procedures of St Patrick’s College. Msgr Connolly will remain as President until the completion of his statutory term in 2017 and he will continue to exercise many of his duties as president during his sabbatical. At the conclusion of his sabbatical he will return to the position he previously occupied as Professor of Moral Theology in St Patrick’s College.
We accept that the article linked Msgr Connolly’s sabbatical leave with the controversial allegations referred to in the same article. This was entirely unintentional and we accept that such an insinuation is entirely unjustified as a matter of fact. We acknowledge Msgr Connolly’s reputation as a senior clergyman and a highly respected academic.
The article has been removed from the internet and The Irish Catholic wishes to apologise unreservedly to Msgr Connolly for the distress caused to him.