Bene Merenti Medals presented
FIVE local parishioners received the prestigious Bene Merenti Medal from His Lordship William Crean, Bishop of Cloyne for services rendered to Holy Cross Church, Charleville, on last Saturday night.
Bishop Crean said he was happy to share in this special occasion which recognises the people who had given loyal service to the church and, indeed, to the whole community, but which has been done quietly over a long number of years. Those who received the medals were the sacristan of Holy Cross Church, Jackie Hanley and his wife Eileen, who has been a tremendous help in attending to other church matters.
Jackie first took over these duties at the church in 1974 at the request of the then parish priest, Ver Rev. Dan Canon Murphy, who was acting on the recommendation of another local man, Michael Kearney, and Jackie has been faithfully attending to his duties at Holy Cross Church for the past 34 years, very ably assisted by his wife Eileen.
Also being presented with the meals were: Breda Daly, who has been co-ordinating parishioner’s rota for attending at the chapel of adoration on a 24-hour basis since the adoration chapel was inaugurated some years ago.
Mrs Kitty Mackessy has been decorating the altar with flowers for Masses and for other occasions in the church calendar over a long number of years.
The fifth recipient was Pat Quinn, who was responsible for organising the register of readers to officiate at readings at each of the weekend Masses in Charleville. For County Limerick man Pat it was an emotional occasion for his late father, Michael Quinn, also received the Bene Merenti Medal from Pope John Paul XXIII, as he was the sacristan of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Ballingarry, Co. Limerick for 63 years.
His son, Pat, has been officiating at Holy Cross Church Charleville since 1986, as a Minister for the Eucharist, a reader and in co-ordinating the rota of readers for weekend Masses.
All the recipients were congratulated by Bishop Crean, who was the principle celebrant of the evening Mass along Very Rev. Donal Canon O’Mahony and Rev. Fr. Anthony Sheehan, CC. The medal recipients and parishioners attended a reception after the church ceremony in the local community hall.