Passionists celebrate first ordination in 21 years

Passionists about to buck trend with three ordinations in four years

St Patrick’s Province of the Passionist congregation welcomed its first new priest in 21 years, with the ordination of Fr Gareth Thomas CP at the weekend.

Fr Thomas, who is based in Holy Cross parish in Belfast, was ordained on Saturday in St Illtyd’s church, Dowlais in his home parish of Merthyr Tydfil in Wales. At the age of 32, he has now replaced Fr Gary Donegan, rector of Holy Cross, as the youngest priest in the Passionist province which covers Ireland, Scotland, England and France.

“Fr Kieran Creagh, [based on Tory Island] was our last ordination 21 years ago,” Fr Donegan told The Irish Catholic, “but we have now bucked the trend, and could have three ordinations in the space of four years. Frank Trias will be ordained a deacon in Glasgow in November, and Antony Connelly is also studying for the priesthood with us.”

The Passionists in the Ardoyne parish recently avoided cancelling Mass for the first time in 150 years, by negotiating access to the church for a small number of parishioners while security services dealt with an explosive device at the gates of the church. It is understood dissident republicans threw the device at a police patrol but it failed to explode.

“Even through the worst of the Troubles, with the parades and Camp Twaddell, we have never had to cancel Mass, but it was the dissident republicans that came closest to blocking people from going to Mass,” Fr Donegan said.