Cardinal O'Brien is appointed Special Envoy.
“It was announced from Vatican City, Rome on 25 April 2009 that the Pope has appointed Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland, as his Special Envoy to celebrations marking the Centenary of the Foundation of Longtower Church in the Irish City of Derry, due to be held on 9 June 2009.
The Longtower Church is regarded as the home of Christianity in Derry – even though the construction of St Eugene’s Cathedral as the Mother Church of the Diocese took place in 1873. It is believed that St Columba himself established his first monastery on the site of the present Longtower Church in 546 before he left for Iona in 564.
The present Longtower Church began life, though on a much smaller scale in 1783; and the present building was opened in 1909, with the consecration of the church taking place by a previous Bishop of Derry, Bishop Neil Farren.
The late Cardinal Winning represented the Pope in 1997 in Derry at the 1400th anniversary celebrations of St Columba’s death. Cardinal O’Brien will represent the Pope at the Centenary of the Foundation of the present Longtower Church in that same City of Derry.
Cardinal O’Brien has expressed his delight at this appointment as Personal Envoy or Legate of Pope Benedict XVI at these centenary celebrations.
He said: ‘Having been born and brought up in Ballycastle in Country Antrim myself, it is a very great privilege for me to have been asked by Pope Benedict XVI to return to Ireland to represent him personally at these anniversary celebrations in Derry.
I know that I am one of a long succession of Irish priests who have helped to spread the Gospels from Ireland to Scotland and to other parts of the world. Representing the Holy Father in Derry will be for me a small way of thanking Ireland for the wonderful missionary work which has continued from the whole country for the past 1,500 years’.
Other events connected with the celebrations will be announced in due course.”
Photograph by and copyright of Paul Mc Sherry.
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