Prayers being offered for recovery of popular Tyrone priest

PARISHIONERS in the parish of Drumragh have been offering prayers for the full recovery of their parish priest (PP), Fr Eugene Hasson, who has been in hospital during recent weeks.

The long-serving PP, who first came to the Omagh area as a curate in the early 1980s before returning in the past few years, has not been celebrating Mass in either the Sacred Heart Church or in Drumragh since the end of August.

His absence has led to some morning Masses and Eucharistic Adoration having to be cancelled in the past few weeks. But it was hoped weekend masses would be unaffected and that has been the case, with all Masses now having returned to normal both on weekdays and at the weekend.

Fr Hasson has been a key figure in the parish since taking over as PP following the retirement around a decade ago of Monsignor Eugene Donnelly.

In a statement included in the parish bulletin last week, the parish wished him a full recovery.

“Fr Hasson thanks everyone for their support and prayers at this time,” it stated.

“We continue to keep him in our thoughts and prayers during his time in hospital. We wish him strength and healing and look forward to seeing him when he has recovered.”

As Parish Priest, Fr Hasson is in charge of one of the largest parishes in the Derry Diocese and has been at the forefront of many of the pastoral and other initiatives organised locally in the Drumragh Parish since returning to the Omagh area.

The brief absence of Fr Hasson came amid changes in clergy throughout the Derry Diocese. Fr Gerry Gallagher, who is from South Derry, took part in his first Masses in the neighbouring Parish of Cappagh. Meanwhile, Fr Declan McGeehan, who had been serving as curate in Cappagh, has now moved to Derry city.