THE BURIAL of Fr Donal O’Mahony, founder of the housing organisation Threshold, will take place at the Capuchin Cemetery, Rochestown Cork today after Requiem Mass which will be w concelebrated at the Holy Trinity Church, Cork, at noon.
Fr O’Mahony, a Capuchin Franciscan friar, founded Threshold in 1978 after the Archbishop of Dublin appointed him chaplain to Dublin’s flat-dwellers.
Chairwoman of Threshold, Aideen Hayden, said a huge number of flat-dwellers at the time were returned immigrants who had fallen through the cracks of Irish society.
Ms Hayden said Fr O’Mahony’s work “touched some of the most vulnerable people in Irish society”.
“He saw housing as a basic dignity. He understood that people didn’t just need a roof over their heads, they needed a home.”
Fr O’Mahony, who was a native of Blackrock in Cork city, joined the Capuchin order in 1958.
Working in inner-city parishes in Dublin sparked his interest in social justice and in 1978 he founded Threshold, an organisation with which he worked in an advisory capacity throughout his life.
Over the course of his career, Fr O’Mahony served as a mediator in a number of high-profile international kidnapping cases.
He also worked in Northern Ireland during the 1980s, engaging with paramilitaries on both sides to promote dialogue as an alternative to violence. In later years, he spent time in Rome as secretary general for justice, peace and ecology and also worked at Berkeley University in California.
He returned to Holy Trinity Capuchin Friary in Cork for a short time before moving to Pretoria in South Africa in 2003, where he taught Capuchin students.
Lance Thomas, country co-ordinator for the Damietta Initiative, a Franciscan Africa-wide peace initiative, last night described how Fr O’Mahony continued to return to Africa while being treated in Ireland for his illness.
A statement from the order described him as “a true gentleman.” He died in Cork on Saturday after what they described as “a characteristically brave fight.”
Requiem Mass for Fr O’Mahony will be concelebrated at the Holy Trinity Church, Cork, at noon today, followed by burial at the Capuchin Cemetery, Rochestown.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed , through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
Fr O’Mahony, a Capuchin Franciscan friar, founded Threshold in 1978 after the Archbishop of Dublin appointed him chaplain to Dublin’s flat-dwellers.
Chairwoman of Threshold, Aideen Hayden, said a huge number of flat-dwellers at the time were returned immigrants who had fallen through the cracks of Irish society.
Ms Hayden said Fr O’Mahony’s work “touched some of the most vulnerable people in Irish society”.
“He saw housing as a basic dignity. He understood that people didn’t just need a roof over their heads, they needed a home.”
Fr O’Mahony, who was a native of Blackrock in Cork city, joined the Capuchin order in 1958.
Working in inner-city parishes in Dublin sparked his interest in social justice and in 1978 he founded Threshold, an organisation with which he worked in an advisory capacity throughout his life.
Over the course of his career, Fr O’Mahony served as a mediator in a number of high-profile international kidnapping cases.
He also worked in Northern Ireland during the 1980s, engaging with paramilitaries on both sides to promote dialogue as an alternative to violence. In later years, he spent time in Rome as secretary general for justice, peace and ecology and also worked at Berkeley University in California.
He returned to Holy Trinity Capuchin Friary in Cork for a short time before moving to Pretoria in South Africa in 2003, where he taught Capuchin students.
Lance Thomas, country co-ordinator for the Damietta Initiative, a Franciscan Africa-wide peace initiative, last night described how Fr O’Mahony continued to return to Africa while being treated in Ireland for his illness.
A statement from the order described him as “a true gentleman.” He died in Cork on Saturday after what they described as “a characteristically brave fight.”
Requiem Mass for Fr O’Mahony will be concelebrated at the Holy Trinity Church, Cork, at noon today, followed by burial at the Capuchin Cemetery, Rochestown.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed , through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
Wish I was in Cork today to pay my respects. May God rest his soul, and may the people of Cork learn something from his life that will bring them back to the Faith of their ancestors.
ReplyDeleteFr. Donal walked this earth as a true follower of Francis, seeking the face of God in all his creatures. may we who are left to mourn his passing continue to reach out in empathy, compassion and an open smile for such was Donal's way to reach the heart of all. May he live in Light and Joy forever. Cherie coscork@hotmail.com
ReplyDelete