Fr Patrick Burke The life of Fr Patrick Burke was celebrated in a homily by Tuam’s archbishop Michael Neary after the 38-year-old Westport-based priest died on June 25.
Speaking in St Mary’s Church, Galway, where Fr Burke had his first Communion and was ordained as a priest, Archbishop Neary described the church as being Fr Burke’s “spiritual home”, and that he was someone who had great love for people.
“This he did with great gentleness and sincerity, making allowances for human frailty and encouraging them to take up the broken pieces of life and put them together in a new way,” said Archbishop Neary, adding that he challenged people to live up to their baptismal promises, and encouraged the young on their search for God and supported the elderly in their “ageing and frailty”.
Fr Patrick was born in Killererin in 1979 and was ordained in 2006. He served for four years in the Parish of Knock and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Knock before being appointed to Westport, Clare Island and Inisturk in 2016.