Paul KeenanA statue of St Patrick saved from destruction in Co. Leitrim is on its was to a new home in Bangkok, Thailand, after its rescue by a local historian and a special fundraiser to erect it at a Catholic-run charity in the Thai capital.
‘St Patrick of Gortletteragh’, originally commissioned for the village’s parish church had faced an uncertain future after the figure was first removed to a local school only to subsequently end up in a skip during refurbishment.
According to local historian John Reynolds, who tracked the statue’s history and led the campaign to find its new home, “St Patrick was rescued from dumping when local children saw the figure’s potential as a crude goalpost and snatched him for their own use”. John later took charge of the abandoned figure.
It was through a subsequent chance conversation with visiting priest Fr Joe Maier, a renowned figure in Bangkok for his work through the Mercy Centre which provides for some of the city’s poorest, that the plan to send St Patrick to Bangkok was realised. With a special fidelity to St Patrick, Fr Joe was only too happy to accept the statue of the patron saint for his centre.
This week, the story of chance – and perhaps a measure of divine intervention – culminated with a crate containing ‘St Patrick of Gortletteragh’ departing by air for Bangkok after local supporters in Co. Leitrim participated in a fundraising evening and realised in excess of €3,000 for the flight and a donation to the Mercy Centre.