Chai Brady
Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor with Bishop Donal McKeown, Bishop of Derry, and other concelebrating priests and the ministers of the sanctuary are pictured after Mass outside the Sacred Heart church in Omagh, Co. Tyrone. The Papal Nuncio and the Bishop of Derry visited Omagh, Co. Tyrone to join the faithful who flocked to Sacred Heart Church to celebrate both its 125th year anniversary and the 260th anniversary of St Mary’s Church, Drumragh.
Drumragh parish welcomed the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, and Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry to celebrate the noon Mass on December 8.
The 260th anniversary of St Mary’s Church’s was marked by the rehoming of the Lourdes Grotto that once stood in the grounds of Loreto Convent Brook Street, and there, children on their way to school would stop and pray – now future generations of people coming to church or to visit the graves of their loved ones can stop at the grotto to pray.
The papal nuncio and Bishop McKeown met with Sr Anne O’Toole IBVM to bless the Grotto when they visited. During their visit they also launched the re-publication of an historical book entitled Five Years Tour in America first published in 1906.
Fr John J. McGlade – a curate in the parish of Drumragh, where his uncle Msgr Bernard McNamee was parish priest, was sent to America between 1890 and 1895 to raise funds for the neo-gothic style church that can be seen from every entry point to the town of Omagh. Very few of the original books exist. Great efforts were made to have the book prepared and printed for the anniversary. It is now available from the Drumragh Parish office Brook Street for £25.00.