From Ballygiblin to Burkina Faso for Archbishop Crotty

BISHOP of Cloyne William Crean has welcome the appointment of Ballygiblin native Monsignor Michael Crotty as Papal Nuncio of Burkina Faso.

Pope Francis made the appointment on February 1, elevating him to Archbishop and to the See of Lindisfarne.

Archbishop Crotty has been working in the service of the Holy See since 2001, working in Kenya, Canada, Iraq, Jordan, and the Vatican in that time.

“I welcome the appointment of Monsignor Michael F Crotty of the Diocese of Cloyne to the position as Papal Nuncio of Burkina Faso,” said Bishop Crean.

“This is a great personal honour for Monsignor Michael as it is for his family and the Diocese of Cloyne.

“His experience in the diplomatic service of the Holy See means that he brings many gifts to bear on his new mission in Burkina Faso.

“We pray God’s blessing on his work in the service of the Holy See and the Church universal.”

The 49-year-old was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cloyne in 1994. Prior to that, he had attended Ballygiblin National School and Mitchelstown CBS before going on to study at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth. This week, he paid tribute to his family and the community he grew up in.

“While being deeply honoured by Pope Francis’s decision to appoint me his representative to Burkina Faso, I am also profoundly humbled, conscious of the trust that has been placed in me despite my many deficiencies,” said the archbishop-elect this week.

“My gratitude at this time also goes out to all who have nurtured me in the faith: first and foremost, my late parents, Mary and Timothy Crotty, and my family; the faith community of Mitchelstown Parish – the clergy, Christian Brothers, Presentation Sisters; and particularly the teachers of Ballygiblin National School and Christian Brothers School, who taught the Catholic faith not only by word, but also by witness and example.”