Death of Mon Henry Laverty
LEADERS of Church and State congregated in St. Peter’s Church, Drogheda on Monday morning for a con-elebrated Mass to mark the death of Right Rev. Monsignor Henry Laverty, former vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Armagh and parish priest of Drogheda.
In the presence of the Archbishop of Armagh, Dr. Thomas O Fiaich, church dignitaries from the neighbouring Dioceses and from as far, away as Glasgow, paid tributes to the *’ gentle pastor” who had served a decade of his priestly career by the Boyneside.
Monsignor Laverty had been a priest for 55 years and achieved the rare distinction of celebrating his Golden Jubilee while still a serving cleric. It was only a couple of years ago he retired as parish priest and took up residence locally.
In a church packed to capacity, hundreds of nuns and priests took their seats with the townspeople. Two Dail Deputies, Mr. Padraig Faulkner the Minister for posts and Telegraphs, Transport and Tourism and Mr. P. F. Donegan occupied front pews with the Mayor of Drogheda, Coir. Aly Farrell and members and officials of the Corporation. Many top ranking Gardai, including Chief Supt. Dick Cottrell, were also present Business and professional life in the town was also widly represented.
Chief concelebrant of the Mass was the Monsignor’s successor, Very Rev. James Lennon. Recalling the Monsignor’s years in office in Drogheda, he described him as gentle and much loved pastor. Few priests he said, could command the love and respect which he had commanded.
Archbishop O Fiaich said it was just 40 years since he had first met the Monsignor, he recalled. Then the Monsignor had just returned from Glasgow where he had spent 14 years and had taken up duty it his own parish of Creggan Lower.