Fr John ordained 50 years after finishing in seminary

A NORTH CORK widower this week fulfilled a religious vocation dating back over 50 years when he became the newest priest to be ordained in the Diocese of Cloyne.

John Magner (70), a native of Castletownroche entered the seminary at St Patrick’s College in Carlow in 1964 and completed four years of study before he decided to leave the seminary.

Some years after leaving St Patrick’s College, John met and married Maria O’Mahony and the couple settled in Whitechurch near Blarney where they reared two daughters, Gemma and Emily.

Employed as a credit controller, John worked with Sunbeam Ltd in Blackpool in Cork for 15 years before going on to hold a similar position with Blackpool Credit Union for some 11 years.

John’s wife, Maria passed away in 2005 and some seven years later, he applied to the Diocese of Cloyne to resume his studies for the priesthood and his application was accepted.

John undertook Philosophy and Theology studies in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth and was ordained a deacon in 2016 before finishing his Baccalaureate in Divinity in 2017.

On Sunday Fr Magner was ordained a priest by Bishop William Crean of Cloyne at St Colman’s Cathedral in Cobh at a ceremony attended by his two daughters and family and friends.

He celebrated his First Mass of Thanksgiving on Monday at St Patrick’s Church in Whitechurch before taking up his first appointment in Kanturk where he has been assigned as curate to Fr Jackie Corkery.