Walk to Creggan church marks 400th anniversary of saint

PARISIONERS at a Tyrone church have taken part in a special event to mark the 400^th anniversary of the birth of the saint it is named after.

Several dozen people took part in a recent walk from Carrickmore to St Oliver Plunkett’s Church in Creggan, marking the 400th anniversary of the saint who was canonised in 1975.

Archbishop Eamon Martin con-celebrated Mass at the chapel following the walk.

Addressing a packed congregation, he praised the local community for their efforts to honour St Oliver Plunkett.

In his homily, Archbishop Martin highlighted the importance of commemorating St Oliver’s contribution in this Jubilee year.

“When St Oliver Plunkett – one of my predecessors as Archbishop of Armagh – was alive, it was forbidden to teach or practise the Catholic faith,” he said.

“They lived and died for faith and hope. St Oliver showed an immense amount of courage in the face of adversity, as did his good friend and Vicar General, Dean Bryan Maguirc.

“Their ministry took place in the context of ongoing persecution, and yet they persevered.”

The Archbishop also commended the children and young people of the parish for their artwork and projects celebrating the life of St Oliver Plunkett.

Parish Priest Fr Peter McAnenly also paid tribute during the Mass to Fr James McGilligan, whose anniversary fell on June 14, the evening of the Camino.

Fr McGilligan was a key figure in the construction of St Oliver Plunkett’s Chapel in Creggan.

He served in the parish from shortly after his ordination in 1927 until his death in the parochial house in Carrickmore on June 14, 1940.