CLERGY APPOINTMENTS FOR THE ARCHDIOCESE OF ARMAGH
EFFECTIVE 7 SEPTEMBER 2024

Archbishop Eamon Martin announces the following clergy appointments for the Archdiocese of Armagh, effective 7 September 2024.

Archbishop Eamon thanks the priests and deacons of the Archdiocese for their continued ministry and service, and wishes well those who are taking up these new appointments.  He also thanks the people of the Archdiocese of Armagh for their ongoing prayers and support of their clergy.  He encourages them to welcome their new pastors in the coming weeks.

Rev Callum Young, CC, to conclude his role as Assistant to the Rector of the Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary, Dundalk, and while exercising pastoral responsibilities for the Missio ad Gentes community in Dundalk, to continue as CC, St Patrick’s, Holy Redeemer, and Holy Family Parishes, Dundalk.

Rev Stephen Wilson, CC, St Patrick’s and Holy Redeemer Parishes, Dundalk, also to be CC, Holy Family Parish, Dundalk.

Rev Francesco Campiello, newly-ordained, continuing licentiate studies at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum, Rome, also to be CC, Ardee & Collon Parish.

Rev Davis Haberkorn, newly-ordained, to be Assistant to the Rector, Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary, Dundalk, and to provide Sunday supply cover in Lower Killeavy Parish.

Rev James Adawai, SMMM, on loan from the Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy Congregation, Nigeria, to be CC, St Patrick’s Cathedral Parish, Armagh.

Rev Kingsley Idoghor, SMMM, on loan from the Sons of Mary Mother of Mercy Congregation, Nigeria, to serve in the Diocese of Dromore.

30 July 2024

Celebrating the Contribution of Women to the Archdiocese of Armagh: Mass for the Feast of St Mary Magdalene

On the evening of July 22nd, 2024,  the Archdiocese of Armagh gathered in St. Patrick’s Cathedral for a Mass celebrating the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. This special celebration was part of the yearlong celebrations marking the 1500th anniversary of the life and legacy of St. Brigid, a woman whose legacy of faith, strength, and compassion continues to inspire today. The evening was filled with warmth, gratitude, and joy, as women from across the Archdiocese of Armagh and the Diocese of Dromore came together to honor their significant contributions to the life and mission of the Church.

The Mass, led by Archbishop Eamon Martin and concelebrated by Bishop Michael Router, was a testament to the enduring impact of women in the Church. Archbishop Martin’s words were filled with appreciation and admiration: “We are grateful to God for women who, like Our Blessed Mother, St. Brigid, and St. Mary Magdalene, have said ‘yes’ to God’s will and God’s gifts in their lives and who have witnessed so strongly and so unselfishly to the faith.” His message resonated deeply with all who attended, highlighting the pivotal role women play in nurturing and spreading the faith.

The cathedral’s choir, under the direction of Colm Murphy, Director of Music for St. Patrick’s Cathedral, led the congregation in beautiful hymns that elevated the spirit of the celebration. Following communion, the Portmore Comhaltas Group performed a reflective piece, adding a touch of traditional Irish culture to the sacred proceedings. The music continued to flow as the group entertained everyone in the Synod Hall afterward, creating an atmosphere of community and celebration.

Sr. Briege O’Hare, OSC, offered a poignant reflection during the Mass, drawing on the symbolism of the three Marys: Mary, the Mother of God; Mary of the Gael, St. Brigid; and Mary Magdalene, Apostle to the Apostles. Her words captured the essence of the evening: “We are mothers of Christ when we carry him in our heart and body through love and a pure and sincere conscience. We give birth to Christ through His holy manner of working in us, which should shine before others as an example.” This reflection reminded all present of the deep spiritual connection and responsibility shared by women in the Church.

Archbishop Eamon’s concluding remarks were filled with heartfelt gratitude: “Thank you: women of the Archdiocese of Armagh, the Diocese of Dromore, and beyond. May God continue to bless and reward you for all you do for the Church, for society, and for the world.” His words echoed the sentiment of the entire congregation, acknowledging the selfless dedication and unwavering faith of the women who are the backbone of the Church.

The Mass not only celebrated the contributions of women but also served as a powerful reminder of the legacy of St. Brigid. Throughout the year, numerous events have been held to honor her memory, from the opening celebration in Faughart to the St. Brigid’s Camino for children and teenagers. Each event has underscored the enduring influence of this remarkable saint, who championed the causes of the voiceless and brought light to the injustices of her time.

In this 1500th anniversary year of St. Brigid, the Mass on July 22nd was a fitting tribute to the countless women who have followed in her footsteps. It was an evening of celebration, reflection, and community, bringing together the faithful in a shared acknowledgment of the vital role women play in the life of the Church. As Archbishop Eamon aptly stated, “Like St. Brigid and her community of sisters who kept a fire lit at Kildare to symbolize Christ the Light of the World, it has been you and other women of Ireland who have played the greater part in keeping the flame of faith alive in our families and parishes.”

Link to Sr. Briege O’Hare’s Reflection

Link to Archbishop Eamon Martin’s Closing Remarks

Statement on Human Trafficking by the Bishops of Ireland

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery and is an assault on our human dignity. 

Ireland – north and south – is far from immune from human trafficking, as recent reports have shown.  Women account for 67% of people trafficked into Ireland, and trafficking for sexual exploitation is the most common form of this crime, accounting for 55% of victims, followed by labour at 38% (IHREC Report, September 2023).  The most recent Trafficking in Persons Report from the US State Department (published on 24 June 2024) notes Ireland’s ‘overall increasing efforts’ in addressing the seriousness of this question. However, as the report points out, the fact remains that Ireland is still a Tier 2 country in this regard, meaning that it “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so”.

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference welcomes the holding of a Senior Leadership Summit on collectively Combatting Human Trafficking, to be held in University College Cork on 26 – 27 June and that is jointly hosted by An Garda Síochána and the Santa Marta Group.  The Santa Marta Group, under the patronage of Pope Francis, was established in 2014 to ‘act as a catalyst to bring systematic change to end human trafficking, together with law enforcement, civil society and the Church.’  Members of the Bishops’ Conference will be in attendance.

We welcome recent legislation to put the National Referral Mechanism on a statutory footing, along with other measures.  But legislation is only as good as the resources in place to implement it and to root out this awful crime. 

Human trafficking is wrong, it is illegal and it is sinful.  The State has a duty to empower people working in this area and, in the area of prevention and the prosecution of traffickers.  In this regard, there needs to be greater cooperation between the governments north and south on the island.  This is now even more urgent due the increased numbers of immigrants forced to come here from the UK. Clear lines of responsibility are necessary for countering trafficking and for the protection of victims and survivors.  We all have a responsibility to transform this situation; to end exploitation in our midst.  

Trafficking often goes unseen.  It is often said that human trafficking is hidden in plain sight.  Therefore, we have a responsibility as a society to heighten our awareness of it.  Many groups, including Catholic-based groups such as APT (Act to Prevent Trafficking), and Stella Maris Apostleship of the Sea, are already working to counter human trafficking in Ireland.  Their work involves hands-on assistance of victims and includes awareness raising in the education, healthcare and hospitality sectors, and with security services and airport staff. 

But parishes, too, can play their part.  By becoming more informed, by learning the tell-tale signs of trafficking, by increasing awareness of the available support services for victims in place and finding out what to do if you suspect someone in your local area has been trafficked here.  As Pope Francis says: ‘We know that the fight against trafficking can be won, but it is necessary to get to the root of the problem and eliminate its causes.’

In wishing the Santa Marta gathering every blessing for its success, we commit ourselves and our local Churches to support those who work to combat this modern slavery.  We urge leaders in the spheres of business, politics and social affairs, and all of us as consumers, to put human dignity ahead of profit and gain.  If we close our eyes and ears, if we do nothing, we are guilty of complicity.

We also ask people to pray for those suffering as a result of trafficking and to bring that prayer to action by becoming the eyes and ears – and the voice – that victims need in our midst.  It is never too late to take action.

Notes for Readers:

• The Santa Marta Group was established in 2014.  Its President is Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, UK.  Cardinal Nichols will be attending the Summit in Cork.
• Further information on the work of Santa Marta Group can be found at Santa Marta Group | We are a catalyst to combatting human trafficking.
• The US State Department Trafficking in Persons Report is available on this link 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report – United States Department of StateWebsite 

Pastoral reflection by the Northern Bishops ahead of Westminster Elections of 4 July

The forthcoming Westminster elections provide every voter with an opportunity to influence the values and policies that will shape the future of this part of our island for some time. While some hold the principled view that the British parliament should play no part in the affairs of this part of the island, and choose to remain absent from it, the fact remains that, until a majority of citizens choose otherwise, the decisions of the Westminster parliament impact the lives of every person here in a fundamental way.  From social welfare to policies for economic growth, from the core funding formula to the respect for the right to life itself, the politicians elected to the next Westminster Parliament will make key decisions profoundly affecting the lives of every one of us on this part of our island.  As people prepare to vote on the 4 July we, as Pastors, offer the following reflection based on values which, we believe, come from the example of Jesus and have been developed in Catholic Social Teaching.  We also offer some key questions they might pose to particular candidates in their area.

We begin, however, by appealing to every one who has the ability to do so, to participate in the democratic process by exercising their hard-won right to vote.  Even where there is no candidate who reflects the full range of a voter’s values or aspirations, it is still a fundamental Christian duty to maximise the good we can do by taking part in the democratic process.
 
To our politicians – give reasons to hope!
As pastors, close to the daily dreams and struggles of people in all kinds of situations, our deepest concern today is not just the important social and economic issues that have dominated the pre-election discourse.  We are concerned about a much more fundamental and underlying risk to our society’s well-being – a growing breakdown in social cohesion, and hope!
People are constantly saying to us things like ‘society is fractured’,  ‘politics is broken’, ‘life has never been so stressful’ and, ‘every day is a struggle, like never before’.  It is no coincidence that in this environment, our society is also reporting an unprecedented crisis in mental health, not least among younger people and children.  Nor is it unrelated that in homes throughout Derry and Belfast, to the most rural areas of the north, the social ‘normalisation’ of illegal and legal mind-altering drugs is reaching epidemic levels.  People also express concern to us about a growing culture of aggression and lack of civility in all aspects of life, fuelled in particular by the lack of regulation of social media.
It is no exaggeration to speak of a crisis of hope in our society!

And so, we encourage all citizens to pose this basic question to candidates in the forthcoming election.  What are you going to do to restore hope and civility to our society? What are you going to do to improve the quality and tone of public debate, and to improve social cohesion by modelling shared concern for the common good?  What are you going to do to improve the quality of the lives of all, especially the most vulnerable, beyond your own personal or party interest?
The well-being of society, especially of the young and most vulnerable, is the fundamental vocation of politics.  Few citizens, we believe, would say that our society here is functioning well.  We encourage our politicians, in their noble vocation, to strive for a vision of society that brings genuine hope and flourishing to the lives of all. In this election, give us reasons to hope!
 
There is hope – when life is respected!
We believe at the heart of the vision of a vibrant, cohesive and flourishing society is an absolute commitment to the dignity, value and right to life of every person, at every stage, and in every condition of life. If politics is not about respecting, defending and promoting the dignity and value life itself, then what is its core value?

We have watched over recent decades, through the Westminster parliament in particular, how respect for the fundamental right to life has been subjected to a reductionist political culture, where people are valued more and more for their utility, or their positive cost to benefit analysis, rather than for their inherent dignity.  This erodes hope!
Pope Francis reminds us of a fundamental principle of Catholic Social teaching.  That everything is connected! Drawing on Pope Saint John Paul’s vision of a ‘consistent ethic of life’, he points out that we cannot speak of an ecological crisis, or an economic crisis, without also speaking of a social crisis, one in which the core value holding all of society together is a profound and inherent respect for life, in all its forms and in all its stages.
And so, we encourage those voting in the forthcoming elections, to ask their candidates: What will you do to uphold the right to life of every person, from conception to natural death?  What will you do to ensure the most vulnerable, at the beginning or end of their life, will not be at risk from pressure or harm from others to have their lives ended or to end it for themselves?  What position will you take in forthcoming Westminster debates about introducing euthanasia and even more radical laws extending the limits on abortion, and discriminating against those in the womb with disabilities?
We can only truly have hope when life is respected, at all its stages, especially when we know society will protect our life when we are vulnerable and unable to protect it for ourselves!
 
There is hope – when I can live free from addiction!
There is another rapidly growing threat to life and hope in our society, one that we see on the streets of our cities every day, but also lurks, with increasing social acceptance, in the homes and social venues of communities across the north.  This is the near epidemic levels of substance abuse, and the violent criminal industry in legal and illegal drugs that sustains it.  It is no exaggeration to say that access to drugs in our society is out of control, becoming more socially acceptable and causing untold damage to individuals, families and whole communities.  It is also placing huge additional pressures on our  health and policing services.
 
There is an urgent need to address the drugs crisis in our society in a well-resourced, multi-disciplinary way, primarily as a social and medical issue, rather than as a criminal issue to be dealt with as a revolving door phenomenon by the police and prisons.  The Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative has previously proposed the removal or reduction in criminal penalties for the possession and use of small quantities of drugs, in favour of treating such situations as a public health issue, and prioritising treatment, care, education programmes and longer-term personal development.  We take the opportunity of the forthcoming election to re-state this appeal to our politicians.  De-criminalise the taking of drugs by those who have become their victim.  Give them reasons to hope by providing adequate residential, expert multi-disciplinary support to set them free to live their lives again with confidence and purpose.
 
The north of Ireland does not have, but urgently needs expert, multi-disciplinary residential care for those who have become addicted to drugs specifically.
 
And so, we encourage voters to ask their candidates: Will you work to secure funding for the first residential facility here to help those addicted to drugs, that they can get the expert, multi-disciplinary help they need to become free of their addiction? Will you work for the removal or reduction in criminal penalties for the possession and use of small quantities of drugs, in favour of treating such situations as a public health issue, and prioritising treatment, care, education programmes and longer-term personal development?
 
There is hope – when all can live with dignity!
Elections enable citizens to participate in the shaping of public policy. In this regard there is so much to be done.  Too many families are suffering real financial hardships and lack of access to health and social services, which are at breaking point.  Recent data shows that the equivalent of 26.3% of the population is on a hospital waiting list here.  Across our schools, the spending per pupil on education is consistently lower than in England and adequate resources for Special Education Needs services continues to fall far short, despite rapid growth in the number of children requiring SEN assistance over the past ten years.
 
The introduction by the outgoing Westminster government of a two-child cap on child benefit was, quite simply, socially and morally abhorrent. This tax on having children has compounded the levels of child poverty in the north, which continue to be among the highest on these islands, despite the promises of devolution. We continue our appeal to all politicians across these islands, to make the eradication of the totally unacceptable levels of child poverty here an urgent priority in public policy.
 
This serious underfunding of Northern Ireland by the UK government undermines local democracy and further erodes confidence in politics.  There is a strong case for a needs-based analysis to be undertaken in the application of funding to Northern Ireland due to the particular economic and social deficits here.
 
We therefore encourage voters to ask their candidates in the forthcoming Westminster election: Will you work to maximise the grant funding, on a true and just needs basis, that Northern Ireland receives for public services?  What will you do to improve the dire levels of childhood poverty and levels of working poor in Northern Ireland?  Will you work to remove to the socially and morally abhorrent two-child benefit cap, and work to urgently reduce child poverty in Northern Ireland?
 
There is hope – when I have somewhere decent to live!
 According to the most recent figures from the Department for Communities, the number of households considered to be ‘statutorily homeless’ is 10,349, with 45,105 applicants on the social housing waiting list.  Of these applicants, 32,633 are in ‘housing distress’.  This is a scandalous and intolerable situation, especially given that safe, affordable and appropriate housing is a human right.
 
We therefore encourage voters in the forthcoming election to ask their candidates: What will you do to urgently address the current housing crisis, causing so much distress to individuals and families throughout our society?
 
There is hope – when I feel welcome and secure!
The demographic of the island of Ireland- north and south – has changed dramatically, in large part on account of the arrival of so many people here from other parts of the world.  Many of these people have migrated here to work and already play a critical role in the delivery of our public services, particularly in healthcare.  Without them, our public services and businesses would not be able to function.  Others have come here because of war, displacement, persecution, or economic oppression.  As Christians, it is our duty not only to welcome them as we would welcome any stranger, but also to enable these newcomers to belong in our communities, including in our parishes and congregations.  We call upon our successful election candidates to ensure proper planning, adequate funding and delivery of services for all of the community, including our newcomers.  It is clear that global challenges from wars, food insecurity, displacement and climate change have an impact everywhere.  In this respect, we echo the words of Pope Francis: ‘that everything is interconnected, and that genuine care for our own lives and our relationships with nature is inseparable from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others.’
 
And so, we encourage voters to ask those candidates standing for election: What will you do to ensure that migrants, refugees and newcomers feel welcome and secure in our society, and that adequate services, including health, education and housing are provided for them, and all in our society? 

 
There is hope – when the faith, community and voluntary sectors are valued and supported!
Politicians cannot build social cohesion, and hope, on their own.  The contribution of the community and voluntary sector, as well as Churches and faith communities, is vital.
 
The faith, community and voluntary sectors in Northern Ireland continue to provide a wealth of services in many areas of health, social services, family supports, the arts, social enterprise and local community services, in our communities.  Large numbers of volunteers are supplementing these services, contributing their gifts, time and expertise in support of a myriad of organisations on the ground.  But these services are endangered through lack of funding and failure by politicians to fully appreciate their essential contribution.  It is often only when the services have to be radically reduced or shut down completely, that people realise the invaluable contribution they make to areas such as disability awareness, marriage and relationships counselling, health and wellbeing services to the elderly, vulnerable children, the lonely, and to those disproportionately facing poverty and socio-economic disadvantage.
 
The UK’s exit from the European Social Fund has made this situation worse, coupled with the slowness in the delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is resulting in lack of certainty in terms of community-based services from April of 2025.  We need our elected politicians to appreciate and advocate for our community and voluntary sector and to work urgently to restore, if not improve their levels of funding for their vital work in building up social cohesion, well-being and hope.
 
And so we encourage those who will vote in the forthcoming election to ask their candidates: What will you do to support the vital contribution of the faith, community and voluntary sectors to the well-being and cohesion of our community? What will you do to urgently replace the vital funding our community formerly received from the European Social Fund?
 
There is hope – when there is justice and reconciliation for all!
 A consistent ethic of life prizes justice as fundamental for peaceful coexistence in society.  The passing of the recent NI Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) legislation at Westminster has added further pain to the already gaping wounds that many people across all our communities are being forced to carry.  This legislation does nothing for the restoration of relationships and reconciliation.  We urge those who will be elected in this election to continue to raise this question with the incoming government and to ensure that promises to repeal the legislation will be acted upon as soon as possible by any new government.
 
And so, we encourage all those who will vote in the forthcoming election, to ask their candidates: What will you do to repeal the legislation on legacy introduced by the outgoing government, and ensure equal justice, and genuine paths to reconciliation for all?
 
Conclusion – there are reasons to hope!
‘Without a vision, the people perish!’. This is the famous and ancient insight of the Wisdom tradition of the Old Testament.  It holds true to this day. If our political leaders do not give people concrete reasons to hope, if they do not hold out a vision for our society that embraces the basic needs, dignity and inherent worth of all, it should be no surprise that society fractures, and confidence in politics is eroded.
 
As Christian leaders, we continue to be inspired, and driven in our steadfast hope for society, by the vision of Jesus, that we might have life, and have it to the full (Jn. 10:10)!  All that truly gives people life, brings society hope! In this short reflection, with deep gratitude and respect for all those who put themselves forward, with courage, and commitment to public service, for elected office, we express our sincere hope that, if elected, they can shape a better future for us all. We also express our conviction, rooted in the promise of Jesus to be with us to the end of time, that even yet, there are many reasons to hope!
 

Statement is issued on behalf of the Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh & Apostolic Administrator of Dromore; Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry; Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ of Down and Connor; Bishop Larry Duffy of Clogher; and Bishop Michael Router, Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh.

Elder Abuse: Everyone’s business

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is commemorated each year on 15^th June to highlight one of the worst manifestations of ageism and inequality in our society, elder abuse.

Elder abuse is any act that causes harm to an older person and can be carried out by someone they know and trust, such as a family member or friend or someone in a position of authority or by a stranger.

If you are worried that a family member, a friend, a neighbour or colleague may be experiencing possible abuse, exploitation or neglect contact Southern Trust Adult Protection Gateway Team for advice and support on 028 3756 4423 or phone PSNI on 101 or 999 in an emergency.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING

Please like, share and tag the Local Adult Safeguarding Partnership poster in your Social Media Platforms using hashtag #WEAAD 2024 to help raise awareness, stand against abuse, neglect and exploitation and do your part to STOP abuse of all adults.

Archbishops Eamon Martin and John McDowell Speak from Normandy

“Today we commend our D-Day chaplains. As war threatens the world, we stand for peace and reconciliation”

Speaking in Normandy at the prayer service to mark the 80^th anniversary of the D-Day landing, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh, Archbishop John McDowell, and the Archbishop of Armagh, Archbishop Eamon Martin, have reflected together on the sacrifice of those who gave their lives on D-Day 1944.  The Archbishops delivered their respective addresses at the Royal Irish Regiment Service of Remembrance at Ranville Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, near Sword beach in Normandy, this afternoon.
 
Archbishop McDowell paid tribute to the Revd James McMurray-Taylor, a Church of Ireland chaplain who landed on Sword beach, on 6 June 1944, and recalled his own experience of growing up in East Belfast among, and alongside, veterans of the Second World War.
 
Archbishop Martin spoke of the Christian witness of Father John Patrick O’Brien SSC, born in Donamon, Co Roscommon, and ordained in 1942 as a priest for the Mission Society of Saint Columban.  However, due to wartime travel restrictions for missionaries, he trained as an army chaplain and accompanied the D-Day invasion in Normandy.  Archbishop Martin said, “Father Jack O’Brien and the other chaplains ministered to soldiers of all denominations from every county on the island of Ireland … It has been largely forgotten – perhaps conveniently at times – that tens of thousands of men and women from all over the island of Ireland served side by side during the Second World War.  Unlike many others, they were volunteers, rather than conscripts – personally motivated to serve the cause of peace and freedom and justice.
 
“As war and violence once more threaten to destabilise our continent and our world, Archbishop John and I stand here together at Ranville, witnessing to peace and reconciliation, to fraternity and common humanity.”
 
“Fraternity and common humanity: that is what our brave and generous chaplains stood for in 1944 as they cared for the spiritual and emotional needs of so many in life and in death … the chaplains carried no arms – save the power of prayer and the Word of God.  Their faith gave them all the strength they needed,” Archbishop Martin said.
 
Ranville sits a short distance from Pegasus Bridge, and has the distinction of being the first village in France to be liberated on D-Day.

Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland. 

Archbishop John McDowell, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. 

Archbishop John McDowell and Archbishop Eamon Martin’s Reflections can be found below: 

Archbishop John McDowell
A reflection on the Revd James McMurray-Taylor, Church of Ireland chaplain to the First Battalion of the Royal Ulster Rifles 1943-47, who landed on Sword Beach, Normandy, on D-Day:
 
Although it is at the side of a main road leading into Enniskillen, the little Arts and Crafts Church of Saint Patrick’s, Castlearchdale, where the Revd James McMurray-Taylor is buried, is a tranquil enough spot.  It wasn’t always so, and for the war years in the 1940s there was a large military presence, most distinctively of Catalina and Shorts Sunderland flying boats.  Indeed, it was from Castlearchdale that two of the Catalinas which were instrumental in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck were launched.
 
It would be tempting to think that it was the rather glamorous presence of so many GIs that inspired James McMurray-Taylor to volunteer as a Chaplain to the Forces in 1943, but in fact he was a curate in the parish of Saint Mary’s on the Crumlin Road in Belfast at that time. As far as I know, there is no written record of why he volunteered but it is clear from all that we do know about him that he was a very dutiful man in an age when a sense of duty counted as a higher virtue than it does today.
 
Duty to his country and, overwhelmingly, duty to his God and to his vocation as a priest.  There was a soldier in another war who, in an attempt to explain to his distraught wife why he had to go to war, reminded her that “I could not love thee half so well, loved I not honour more”.  Honour and duty – old fashioned words which are now lost to ordinary speech, but which explain a lot about people like James McMurray-Taylor.
 
He was certainly someone who did not seek the limelight.  All the accounts of how he conducted himself as a chaplain – blessing soldiers from every Christian tradition and none before battle, burying the dead, both British and German, with the respect due to human dignity, toiling in the warm stench of death and hot sun of a battlefield to recover name tags and personal effects also from German and British alike, to be returned to their loved ones – are evidence of deep faith and dedication.
 
There is one letter from James, I think, in the Regimental Archive.  It was written twenty years after he had been demobbed and seems to be in response to someone who was writing up the history of either the Regiment or Chaplaincy, and also inviting him to buy a regimental tie!  The letter in response, though short is very revealing.  He remembers the parachute training in October-November 1943 and he “thinks” it was in February 1944 that he joined 1 RUR, which as far as he can remember was going to make an air assault on Japan.
 
Although in every sense a hero, there is nothing of the heroic in his style and manner.  He was a man dutifully doing his job.  He received no special treatment when he returned to the Church of Ireland in 1947.  He was curate in charge of a small parish in County Donegal and then one in County Derry before ending up with two rural and parishes in County Fermanagh, where he stayed until he retired in 1980.
 
Interestingly he kept up his military connection after his demobilisation and was awarded the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for services to the Army Cadet Force in 1977.  He clearly never sought preferment, was never made a canon of a Cathedral despite being editor of the Diocesan Magazine (the most thankless of all tasks) for twelve years.
 
I grew up in Belfast in a housing estate which included a long terrace for disabled ex-servicemen. All of the residents had been physically damaged – usually with the loss of a limb – although I cannot remember any sense of bitterness. In other words, I was surrounded by men like James McMurray-Taylor.  Extraordinary, ordinary people who did their duty and did it cheerfully in often very difficult circumstances.
 
Pretty well all of my father’s and mother’s generation fought in the war.  I had two Merchant Navy uncles who sailed on the convoy ships to Archangel and Murmansk and another uncle who had fought in both the First and Second World wars.  One of our neighbours had fought south of the Irrawaddy River in Burma and another had been involved in the doomed attempt on Narvik in Norway.
 
The Great War had been the end of faith for many.  Those who had grown up in an easy peace and a superior culture.  Those who were confident in the onward march of civilisation, because they had never had their self-confidence tested; who did not know the wickedness that men were capable of.  In the century before that war, the Churches had domesticated God and harnessed him to their purposes.  He had become their asset and their patron, rather their Judge and their Redeemer.
 
That was not so much the way with the Second War, where the moral case for the destruction of Nazi Germany was unambiguous even before the men we are remembering today fought their way across Europe and found the horrors of Belsen and Auschwitz. And perhaps the remarkable energy and clear-sightedness of that generation who fought in the war and then went on to create the welfare state in health and housing was a consequence of that moral clarity, so unlike the dark years of the 1920s and 30s when many of those who had fought in the Great War were left in poverty and misery by a system of class privilege which had not yet been broken.
 
That, of course, is speculation.  However, what is not speculative, but concrete and clear, is a life like that of James McMurray-Taylor.  Confident in the rightness of the cause for which those whose souls he had the care of were fighting-confident but not self-righteous.  Putting his trust in the God of all the nations, a God of justice and humanity, he did his duty on the battlefields of Europe during the war and his duty after the war, in a quiet corner of the country he loved, serving the God who he loved – and in his eyes there was no incongruity between the Lord of Hosts and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
 
Archbishop Eamon Martin
I have brought with me today a photograph of Father John Patrick O’Brien SSC, a treasured possession of his relatives back in Ireland.  Father John was born in Donamon, County  Roscommon at the end of 1918, just a few weeks after the guns of the so-called ‘Great War’ fell silent.  At the age of 17, Jack – as he was known to family and friends – left Saint Nathy’s College in Bellaghadereen with a strong sense that God was calling him to be a missionary priest in the Far East.
 
He was ordained in 1942 for the Society of Saint Columban, but because of the wartime travel restrictions he was unable to receive a missionary placement.  Instead, the young Father Jack decided to train as an army chaplain.  He was assigned to the Royal Ulster Rifles, and to accompany the D-Day invasion, landing here with the Allies on Sword Beach, eighty years ago.
 
I have no doubt that Jack O’Brien would have been inspired as a young person by stories about the saintly Father Willie Doyle, a chaplain in the First World War who was killed by a German shell while running out to rescue two wounded soldiers in No Man’s Land in 1917.  Many stories were told of Father Doyle’s bravery and deep faith, and how everybody in his battalion held him in great respect – Catholics and Protestants alike (1).
 
For the newly ordained Father Jack O’Brien, the battlefields of Normandy and beyond were to become his first parish; his mission: “to give, and not to count the cost”; to serve God by keeping hope and human dignity alive amidst the horror and brutality of war.
 
As a Catholic chaplain he offered the consolation of prayer and the sacraments to everyone who asked – especially Confession, the Eucharist and the Last Rites – and he never forgot a word of compassion and encouragement for the wounded, the worried and the war weary.
 
The troops called him ‘the fighting padre’ because Jack had been a boxer in his student days, and several anecdotes are recorded of his positive attitude and good humour.  They say he sometimes ‘visited the men in their dugouts for a few hands of poker, often with rum scrounged from the quartermaster,’ and once, when a newly arrived officer fainted and almost fell into an open grave during a burial, Father Jack grabbed him saying, ‘Now, there’s no need to be in a hurry. All in good time.’
 
As war and violence once more threaten to destabilise our continent and our world, Archbishop John and I stand here together at Ranville, witnessing to peace and reconciliation, to fraternity and common humanity.  Speaking last month to a group of Nobel Peace Laureates in Rome, Pope Francis reminded them of the Nobel lecture given by Martin Luther King, Jr, in 1964 when he said: ‘We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers’ (2).
 
Fraternity and common humanity: that is what our brave and generous chaplains stood for in 1944 as they cared for the spiritual and emotional needs of so many in life and in death.  Like all caught up in the nightmare of war, the chaplains experienced the horrors and trauma of the battlefield, but the chaplains carried no arms – save the power of prayer and the Word of God.  Their faith gave them all the strength they needed to tend to the wounded, to comfort the dying, to ensure Christian burials for the fallen, to help identify the dead and to break sad news with relatives at home.
 
Father Jack O’Brien and the other chaplains ministered to soldiers of all denominations from every county on the island of Ireland.  The tensions, sectarianism and suspicions of home are of little significance when shells are falling on brothers and sisters in arms who are being struck down, wounded, dying and grieving together. 
 
It has been largely forgotten – perhaps conveniently at times – that tens of thousands of men and women from all over the island of Ireland served side by side during the Second World War.  Unlike many others, they were volunteers, rather than conscripts – personally motivated to serve the cause of peace and freedom and justice. 
 
Within six to ten months of D-Day, the RUR Battalion had helped to liberate village after village across northern France, Belgium and Holland, at last reaching Bremen in Germany. At that stage Fr Jack wrote home saying that sadly not many of his original flock were left, but according to his commanding officer: “(Jack’s) perennial cheerfulness was the salvation of many a drooping spirit in the difficult days which confronted us”.
 
After the German surrender, Father O’Brien’s kindly and cheerful presence continued to be a source of great comfort to the displaced and traumatised people they met along the way.  Ever the missionary, he travelled on to Egypt, where the Battalion was helping to guard the Suez Canal, and by 1946 he was with them in Palestine – a long way from the beaches here where he had first landed. 
 
But Father Jack’s superiors in the missionary society of Saint Columban had not forgotten about him.  It was time for him to be recalled from his responsibilities as an army chaplain.  In 1948 he was assigned as a missionary priest in Mokpo, on the southern coast of South Korea.
 
When I think of his life, I am reminded of that passage in Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians when he wrote, ‘I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.  No, unlike runners and athletes who train to compete in the games for a perishable wreath, we do it to get a crown that will last forever (1 Cor 9:25-27).
 
Father Jack O’Brien’s story of courage and self-denial continued well beyond D-Day.  In 1950, when the communist forces began to invade South Korea and were approaching his parish, he refused an offer from American troops to be evacuated to safety, preferring instead to remain with his people and serve them to the end.  He was captured and imprisoned, and after a long march at gunpoint towards North Korea, he was executed in the massacre at Taejon, a month before his 32^nd birthday.  His body was never found or identified – he was martyred for his faith and belief that ‘neither death nor life can ever separate us from the love of God.’
 
Coincidentally the soldiers of the Royal Ulster Rifles 1^st Division were also called to Korea in 1950, suffering many losses in the Battle of Happy Valley.  In 2013 a memorial stone was erected in Seoul to record and honour their contribution.  Fittingly it includes the name of their former chaplain, one Father John Patrick (Jack) O’Brien who had served and prayed with them on these roads and fields of Normandy, 80 years ago today (3).
 
(1) See To Raise the Fallen, Father Willie Doyle, ed Patrick Kenny, Veritas (2017)
(2) Pope Francis to participants in World Meeting on Human Fraternity event, 11 May 2024
(3) I am grateful to Father Neil Collins SSC and to Mairead O’Brien for sharing with me the fruits of their research into the life of Father Jack O’Brien.