Fr Gerard Desmond A fund for an Irish priest who was beaten, shot and robbed as a missionary in Peru earlier this year has been set up to recoup the stolen parish money used to pay workers.
Columban Fr Gerry Desmond was attacked in Lima in April while returning from a local bank to pay the wages of builders who were working on the only primary school in the district.
After receiving a blow to his head and two gunshots to both legs, the perpetrators managed to steal $2,000 – the equivalent of €1,655 – before escaping.
However, in response to the attack a nephew of the Columban priest, Michael Kelleher, has set up a Go Fund Me page to repay the builders with the surplus being spent on improving school facilities.
€1,643 of a €1,700 target had been donated by 29 people in nine days via the internet fundraising website.