Dana to perform church fundraiser
Dana will perform a concert for the Both Parish Renovation Fund, which is going towards repair work on the three parish churches: St Patrick’s in Derrygonnelly, St Faber’s in Boho and Immaculate Conception in Monea.
There are a number of parish fundraisers being organised including a walk to Croagh Patrick on June 4 and a Neven Maguire cookery demonstration on September 28.
The concert takes places in St Patrick’s Church, Derrygonnelly on Friday, May 6 at 8pm and admission is £15.
Social housing to replace hostel
Focus Ireland is closing the John’s Lane hostel, which it jointly managed with the Peter McVerry Trust, so it can build social housing at the site.
The 42-bed hostel, which opened as part of an emergency response to Dublin’s homeless crisis in early 2015, following the death on Molesworth Street of Jonathan Corrie, is to close on May 9. Originally intended to remain open just for a few months, it stayed operational as the crisis has continued.
However, with planning permission to build 31 social housing units at the site expiring in December, Focus has been forced to close the hostel. Mike Allen, Focus Ireland’s director of advocacy explained that the charity has had to act now as otherwise, “we’d have to start the whole planning process again”.
Tipp priest made bishop in Malawi
Fr John Ryan, a Kiltegan Father from Holycross, Co. Tipperary, has been named as the new Bishop of Mzuzu in Malawi.
Ordained for St Patrick’s Missionary Society in 1978, the bishop-elect has worked in the Diocese of Mzuzu for 38 years, most recently as chaplain in Mzuzu University where he is also on the staff as a professor in the Department of Mathematics. He also assists in St Augustine’s Parish, Luwinga.
Fr Vincent Mwakhwawa, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Malawi said: “Fr John Ryan, Bishop-elect of Mzuzu is another gift of faith to Malawi from Ireland.”