A HUGE crowd is expected to turn out to Holy Cross Church Lisnaskea and St Mary’s Maguiresbridge later this month for a special St Peregrine Novena of Hope and Healing. Organised by Canon Jimmy McPhillips, the Parish of Aghalurcher is going to host a four-day Novena, which is hoping to give the Fermanagh community some […]
St Kevin’s College pupils are heading to Africa
PUPILS at St Kevin’s College are set to auction two Belgian Blue calves to raise money for an upcoming trip to Africa. Next year, members of St Kevin’s Carlo Acutis Faith Group will head off to Kenya to spend time with another school, learning about their strong faith and helping provide vital resources. St Kevin’s College […]
Novena of Hope concludes after nine days
AFTER nine days of prayers and reflection at the Graan Monastery in Enniskillen, the well-attended Novena of Hope concluded on Monday night with a special talk from a leading Irish playwright. Leitrim man Gerry Farrell, who has written a number of popular plays including ‘The Last Prime Minister’, shared his thoughts on faith, prayer and […]
Fermanagh priest Fr Gary Donegan has fourth eye surgery
FERMANAGH cleric Fr Gary Donegan has said his admiration for the NHS ‘grows by the minute’ after he underwent another major surgery. Since December, the Newtownbutler priest has been in and out of hospital and he recently underwent a fourth operation on his eye, in a bid to restore hs sight. “Well it’s official. I’ve […]
COLUMN: A dark secret
THE first man I ever hugged was Tony Esposito. In a black-and-white world, he was an explosion of Technicolor. But he had a dark secret. I had been accepted by the Diocese of Youngstown to work as a deacon in my final summer before ordination. I was assigned to this rather backward parish called East Liverpool […]
Fr Gary Donegan has third surgery
FR Gary Donegan said he was ‘genuinely moved’ after a community youth group in Ardoyne sent him ‘get well soon’ messages online, just hours after he underwent a third surgery on his eye. The Fermanagh cleric was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, on Wednesday in a bid to secure the sight in his […]
Graan’s Novena of Hope returns
THE theme of ‘hope’ will once again be the central one at the upcoming Novena at the Graan which will see hundreds of people gather for nine days of prayers and reflections. The Superior at the Graan, Fr Charles Cross, will lead the liturgies which is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, March 2. He’ll […]
COLUMN: Is there anything after this?
IN THE 1980s when I worked as a priest in a town in Fermanagh, I lived next door to a couple who were rather traditional, conservative Catholics. I wouldn’t have thought of myself as their type of priest as I was a product of the post-Vatican 2 church which for a very brief period flirted with some […]
Celebrating ancient crafts in honour of St Brigid
IT MAY not be a bank holiday on this side of the border, but communities across Fermanagh are preparing to mark St Brigid’s Day tomorrow (Thursday), a national feast with orgins long pre-dating even the Christian saint it celebrates. In schools and homes across the county and its surrounding areas this week, hands will be busy making the traditional crosses […]
Fr Gary Donegan has surgery for blindness
FR GARY Donegan has paid tribute to the many people who have “rallied around” him after he recently underwent serious eye surgery. Originally from Newtownbutler, the Ardoyne-based cleric, pictured below, had an operation to restore the sight in his right eye after losing his vision a few weeks ago when a bleed to it caused extensive damage. To read […]