I am greatly saddened by the news of the death of the Bishop Emeritus of Ferns, Brendan Comiskey, SS CC. After his initial theological studies, Bishop Comiskey was ordained a priest for Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, on 25 June 1961. In the following years he undertook postgraduate studies in theology in the Pontifical University of Saint John Lateran, Rome (STL), and the Pontifical University, Maynooth (DD) and later a degree in business management at Trinity College, Dublin (MSc).
He was ordained as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin and Titular Bishop of Tibili on 20 January 1980, and served in that role until his installation as Bishop of Ferns on 4 April 1984. On 1 April 2002, following the broadcast of a BBC documentary on child abuse in the Diocese, he resigned as Bishop of Ferns, saying that the diocesan bishop was to be a “binding force among people and priests within the ministry of the Church.” He continued, “I am not the person who can best achieve the aims of unity and reconciliation. My continuation in office could indeed be an obstacle to healing.” His decision necessitated both courage and strength; his words communicated both his humility, and the painful discovery of the reality of abuse, and its long-lasting consequences. It brought him to the realisation that those who shepherd the Lord’s flock were to be more concerned about the survivors, the most vulnerable, than about themselves, their position in society, their reputation, or their status.
I offer my personal sympathies and prayers to his family, to the members of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, priests, religious, friends, and to the many people whose lives he touched throughout his 64 years of priestly and episcopal ministry. We ask the Lord to grant him eternal rest.
I ask that the priests, religious and the faithful of the Archdiocese of Dublin and all those who knew Bishop Comiskey SS CC to join with me in praying for the repose of the soul of this faithful shepherd and a person who followed Christ with all his heart.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilis.
ENDS
Notes of Editors
- Archbishop Dermot Farrell is Archbishop of Dublin
- Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church
The following support services have been established by the Catholic Church to support survivors of sexual abuse:
Towards Healing
Towards Healing, the counselling and support service for survivors of institutional, clerical and religious abuse, is funded by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland. In 2011 the service succeeded the Faoiseamh counselling service, which had been in operation since 1997. Towards Healing is provided by lay, independent fully accredited therapists, and offers clients:
– Helpline support
– Counselling
– Psych-Educational Group Work
– Practical Workshops
– Restorative justice / facilitated listening meetings
– Advocacy
Towards Healing can be contacted on free phone 1800 303416 (Rep of Ireland) and on free phone 0800 0963315 (Northern Ireland and UK). There is a mobile number for texting purposes for our hearing impaired service users only: 085 802 2859.
Towards Peace Spiritual Support Service
Towards Peace provides a spiritual support and professional service for survivors of physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual abuse who suffered in an institutional, clerical or religious setting in Ireland. Funded by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Association of Missionary and Religious in Ireland, the vision of Towards Peace is to provide a safe supportive space for people and their families, whose spiritual life has been damaged by abuse. Through spiritual accompaniment with a qualified spiritual director, Towards Peace endeavours to accompany people as they seek their own experience of spiritual peace, one step at a time. Towards Peace is also a response to the continually growing understanding of the spiritual impact of the trauma of abuse and seeks to raise awareness about this within the Church. The Towards Peace Spiritual Support Service is free of charge and for more please see https://towardspeace.ie/
The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland
The National Board for Safeguarding Children was established in 2006 to develop policies that would foster the prevention of child abuse in the Catholic Church in Ireland. Its main object is to provide advice, services and assistance to continually develop the safeguarding of children within the Catholic Church on the island of Ireland and to monitor compliance with legislation, policy and best practice and to report on these activities annually.
To report a child safeguarding suspicion, concern, knowledge or allegation directly to the Church or statutory authorities, please see here