St Mark’s looks forward to new deacon in parish
By Aura McMenamin
A new deacon will be joining St Mark’s parish in Tallaght next month to replace Fr Chris Derwin, following the priest’s knifepoint robbery ordeal in November.
Father Pat McKinley from St Mark’s Parish in Springfield confirmed the news, saying he had met the new deacon, Bill O’Shaughnessy, for the first time on Tuesday.
Reverend O’Shaughnessy – an ordained member of the Church but not yet a priest – will join the parish in mid-September.
The 29-year-old is from Castledermot, Co. Kildare and was ordained in March 2016 after serving for Pope Francis at the Easter Vigil in St Peter’s Basilica.
As The Echo reported last year, Fr Chris Derwin was robbed at knifepoint while he was in the parochial house in Springfield. The priest was forced by a masked raider to hand over his television and a number of personal items, such as his wallet, phone, watch and music player.
The raider then forced Father Derwin to drive him from the house in Maplewood, Springfield to Kilmartin in Fettercairn where he took off on foot with the stolen items.
Father Pat Mckinley confirmed that Father Chris took a leave of absence in January.
He also stated that they believed St Aidan’s church in Brookfield would not be opened by the end of the summer following a fire in the church in May.
According to Fr Pat, the fire is believed to have been caused by an Easter candle that was left lit, burned through and set plastic flowers nearby on fire.
Father Pat said the inside of the church had to be entirely refurbished and wouldn’t be reopened ‘until Christmas time’.
TAGS Tallaght
