A fond farewell for Fr Yusuf
A CELEBRATION was held at Bray Golf Club to thank Fr Yusuf Bamai for his time in Bray, and bid him farewell as he returns to Nigeria.
Fr Yusuf has been in Bray for the past six years, working with the Queen of Peace, as well as St Fergal’s and Enniskerry, alongside his studies for a masters and subsequently doctorate at Maynooth University.
He is from the north eastern region of Nigeria, where he will go to be Parish Priest in a parish the size of Leinster. He has been a vibrant part of parish life in Bray, with the motto ‘don’t worry, be happy’, summing up what he is like.
Fr Yusuf is a very happy type of man, who is extremely friendly, and got to know an awful lot of people in the parish. He is so pleasant, according to a parish spokesperson, and great at mixing with people of all ages.
‘We are really going to miss him up here, he makes the celebration of Mass come alive,’ the spokesperson said.
There were 130 parishioners at the event in the golf club, and they could have sold three times the amount of tickets, indicating the popularity of the priest. Tickets sold out within 10 days.
As well as a large number of parishioners, there were some of Fr Yusuf ’s priest friends at the party, and some African couples he has met during his time here.
Fr Ysuf was taught by the Kiltegan Fathers in Nigeria, so says himself that he has an Irish background, certainly in terms of his education. He and the parish did an appeal recently for a school which Fr Yusuf has started in Nigeria. Education is key for young people there, but they didn’t have enough English books. An appeal was put out at the summer camp and Fr Yusuf is returning with a crate of books, and a link between the two parishes. Fr Joseph Whelan made a lovely tribute to Fr Yusuf at the farewell party and everyone is hoping to see him in Ireland again for a visit.