Photo: Stephen Latimer Bishop Donal McKeown has launched a year-long celebration to mark St Columba’s 1500th birthday with Mass at the church named for the saint in Long Tower, Derry. Children from local schools joined remotely.
In his homily, Bishop McKeown urged people to see St Columba as a role model. He pointed out that the main Christian traditions in Derry and Donegal are “working together so that we can remember one who is part of our shared history.
“Our past contains more than wars, death and division. It also contains stories of great saints and wonderful people of learning. And it is a civic celebration involving both those who are believers and those for whom faith means comparatively little. Columba is part of the history of this city and its surrounding areas.
“A community that is honest about the faults and proud of the good things in its past is a place able to move forward. We have many stories of pain and loss from the past. But we also have memories of great people who created beauty and offered great example. Some of them are remembered. Many are forgotten but their legacy lives on in our faith communities and other institutions,” Bishop McKeown said.