Special service today to mark Tyrone priest’s anniversary

CELEBRATIONS have been taking place to mark the Golden Jubilee of the Ordination of Father Daniel Monaghan to the priesthood.

A native of the Drumragh Parish, Fr Monaghan was ordained at the beginning of July 1975.

He followed in the footsteps of his brother, Fr Mark Monaghan, who was ordained in 1969. Both of them have accumulated almost 100 years of active missionary service.

Fr Danny, who is currently at home, will celebrate Mass in St Mary’s Church Drumragh, today.

He began working as a Society of African (SMA) missionary in Nigeria in 1975, and in later years has ministered in an even more heavily populated parish in the Archdiocese of Lagos.

Over the years on his visits home to West Tyrone and the Derry Diocese, he has helped out in the Omagh, Drumquin, Greencastle and Aghyaran parishes where their help was appreciated by the different parish priests and the people.

Recent weeks have seen Fr Danny enjoying a summer break among family, friends and parishioners. He marked his Jubilee with his conference at Dromantine outside Newry last month.

Last week, there was a packed congregation in Greencastle as Fr Monaghan enjoyed celebrations with parishioners there.

He expressed his gratitude to the people for their support over the years, and expressed his desire to soon return to Nigeria at the end of August.

He spoke of how much he loved Nigeria and the people to whom he has now ministered for 50 years.

Now, parishioners in Drumragh, are being encouraged to come together as a parish family to join Fr Monaghan in prayer, give thanks for his ministry and send him on with their love and blessings.

Fr Monaghan’s ordination was only the second in the Sacred Heart Church in Omagh.

In October 1975, he left Ireland for assignment by his SMA Order to a Mission Station in Nigeria.