Parishoners pay tribute as Fr. Lar bids farewell
■ At a presentation in the Tintern Complex in Ballycullane last Sunday night by the Pastoral Council of Ballycullane Parish to Fr Lar O'connor, front (from left): Angela Byrne, Ann Keevans, Fr. Lar O'connor, Anna Kehoe and Paddy Whelan, Chairman of the...
PARISHIONERS IN the parish of Tintern gathered in great numbers last Sunday night to bid a fond farewell to Fr. Lar O'connor as he prepares to leave for Bunclody.
To mark the occasion a special Mass was celebrated in a packed St. Martin's Church, Ballycullane, on Sunday evening. Monsignor Joe Mcgrath, Parish Priest of New Ross, was the chief celebrant and ten members of the clergy were also present for the Mass.
Following Mass, the congregation moved to the nearby Tintern Complex where up to three hundred people sat and chatted over a cup of tea with Fr. Lar, his friends and family.
Ironically, it was Fr. Lar that was instrumental in getting the Tintern Complex up and running and it was fitting that he should make his farewell speech there. He spoke to those present about his vision for the people of the Parish, particularly the youth, and said it was always his hope that there would be special facilities built to facilitate the people of the Parish of Tintern.
To mark his huge contribution to the Parish a number of presentations were made to Fr. Lar from the Parish Council, which also included generous donations from the Ballycullane Ploughing Committee and the Ballycullane Tidy Towns Committee. Further presentations were made by the Complex Committee, the GAA and soccer organisations as well as from the Principal of Ballycullane NS Ann Marie Carty on behalf of the staff, the Board of Management, the Parents Council and the children.
The Parish wished Fr. Lar every success in Bunclody, where he hopes to meet a new challenge in life in further education and reaching out to new Parishioners.
A native of Kilmuckridge, Fr. Lar served in the Tintern Parish since July 1996. He will be replaced by Fr. Denis Browne, originally from Carnew, who has been serving in Brazil in recent years.
- ELAINE FURLONG
