Nuncio makes his first visit to Co. Antrim

Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown paid his first visit to Co. Antrim when he accepted an invitation to visit St Killian’s College, Garron Tower.

Archbishop Brown met pupils and staff on his arrival before concelebrating Mass for the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes in the school chapel. He then addressed the student body in the gym, before joining staff and invited guests for lunch.

Archbishop Brown was joined on the altar by Bishop Noel Treanor, Fr Tim Bartlett (chairman of the Board of Governors) and a number of former students of Garron Tower including Frs David Delargy, Martin and Eugene O’Hagan (aka The Priests) and Fr Dermot McKay and Fr Darren Brennan from the parish of Ballymena.

During the celebration of Mass, Archbishop Brown commissioned the new St Killian’s College prayer which had been composed by junior students earlier this year.

He expressed his pleasure that young people were taking ownership of the spiritual direction they were receiving in St Killian’s.

The nuncio was presented with college cuff links and a specially commissioned wooden ciborium, carved by past pupil Robert O’Connell from a branch that had fallen during a storm from a 160 year old Eucalyptus tree in the college grounds, the oldest of the species in Europe.