Archbishop Eamon Martin expressed his sincere gratitude to Bishop Martin Drennan and Bishop Seamus Freeman whose resignations as Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora, and Bishop of Ossory, respectively, were accepted by Pope Francis today on grounds of ill health.
Archbishop Eamon said, “Since 1997, Bishop Drennan has been a dedicated member of the Episcopal Conference. His generous commitment to the areas of liturgy, catechetics and doctrine has been much appreciated by the bishops. Drawing from his experience as a former professor of scripture, his knowledge of the Word of God brought a depth and richness to his contributions to the work of the Bishops’ Conference. Bishop Freeman’s input at the Episcopal Conference since 2007 was another valuable resource for the bishops because of his long experience in worldwide leadership of the Pallotine Order and his work as a parish priest in Rome. Bishop Freeman’s interest in the areas of pastoral renewal and faith formation was an indication of his faithfulness to the new evangelization in this country. I wish God’s blessing on both Bishop Drennan and Bishop Freeman in their retirement and assure them of my prayers for their good health.”
Archbishop Eamon Martin offered his congratulations and prayerful good wishes to Father Fintan Monahan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Tuam, on his appointment as Bishop of Killaloe today by Pope Francis. Archbishop Eamon said, “I wish to congratulate Father Fintan Monahan on his appointment today by Pope Francis as the new Bishop of Killaloe. This is a very special day for Father Fintan himself, as well as for his family and friends. It is also a very special day for the Diocese of Killaloe to which Pope Francis has sent a new bishop. To this new responsibility, Father Fintan brings many pastoral and administrative gifts. His outreach to young people, his promotion of vocations, his pastoral wisdom – all of these gifts and more besides – equip him well for his new tasks in Killaloe. As a valued member of the Council for Communications of the Episcopal Conference, Father Fintan is dedicated to harnessing new forms of media in order to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ to the contemporary world.
I look forward to offering my prayerful congratulations to Father Fintan in person and I know that the people, priests and religious of Killaloe will welcome him as their new Bishop with their love, warmth and prayers.
I also wish to thank sincerely Father Des Hillery for having carried out the duties as Diocesan Administrator of Killaloe for the past months in addition to his existing duties as parish priest of Nenagh. He has faithfully represented the diocese at the Episcopal Conference and has offered wise and prudent contributions to our discussion. I wish Father Des continued blessings and happiness in his ministry.”
ENDS
- Archbishop Eamon Martin is Archbishop of Armagh and President of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
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