15th July 2018 Holy Souls Keenagh Centenary Holy Souls Church Keenagh 1918 - 2018 The Centenary of a Church in any Parish marks a very important milestone in its history. It is a time for celebra- tion, not only for the Church itself but for the whole parish commu- nity. The centenary of a Church is a very signifi- cant event. It is an event to be marked, an event tury that has passed. well worth recording, and, above all, an event We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the people to be celebrated. We who gave so generously in difficult times and thank God for the many built this beautiful Church for our Parish. graces and blessings that Hope you enjoy the snippets of history that have come to the people we have put together as we will celebrate a of Keenagh and sur- spirituality that has served us well over those rounding areas through hundred years. this Church in the cen- CELEBRATING THE PAST EMBRACING THE FUTURE €3 PAGE 2 HOLY SOULS KEENAGH CENTENARY Father, you have honoured your people Centenary Prayer At Keenagh for one hundred years. You have welcomed us in baptism,This story can fit 150-200 cles or find “filler” articles by words. accessing the World Wide Anointed us in confirmation and One benefit of using your Web. You can write about a newsletter as a promotional variety of topics but try to Nourished us in Eucharist. tool is that you can reuse keep your articles short. content from other market- Much of the content you put ing materials, such as press in your newsletter can also releases, market studies, be used for your Web site. You have listened with compassionand reports. Microsoft Publisher offers a While your main goal of dis- simple way to convert your To a century of prayers. tributing a newsletter might newsletter to a Web publica- be to sell your product or tion. So, when you’re fin- You continue to surprise us service, the key to a success- ished writing your newslet- ful newsletter is making it ter, convert it to a Web site With gifts of life and love. useful to your readers. and post it. A great way to add useful content to your newsletter is to develop and write your We thank you for the people own articles, or include a calendar of upcoming events Who grace our journey. or a special offer that pro- We thank you that our names motes a new product. You can also research arti- Are written in heaven. Inside Story Headline As we look to the future Give us wisdom to hear your call, Hands to do your work And hearts to respond to your love, PAGE 3 Celebrating Life at 100 Fr Francis Judge P.P. A Church touches the lives of a departed to their life's work each tors, counters, altar society and all who person from their Baptism until their week having heard the Word of prepare for and celebrate the Eucharist. Funeral. A long procession of peo- God, having shared in His sacrifice A special word of thanks to all who have ple winds its way through the history and sacraments, to "go forth and been so generous, in their weekly con- of our Parish from August 1918 until serve the Lord and one another". tributions to the repairs and mainte- the present day. Reading through We thank God for the many graces nance of our Church. the Parish Church records - Bap- and blessings that have come to s we celebrate our centenary we tisms, First Confessions, Holy Com- the people of Keenagh and sur- A munions, Confirmations, Marriages rounding areas through this give thanks to God for 100 years of & Funerals, - we are reading the Church in the century that has Blessings here in Keenagh. This is an unfolding life story of a people. We passed important milestone and an appropriate think of all who entered the house of moment to acknowledge and honour the would like to record our thanks God to worship and pray, pobal De I countless number of people who have Ghleann na Madadh, bringing the to all who actively help in the life of given so much to his place over the work of their hands and minds, their this Church and Parish, the Priests years. As we look to the future, we ask joys and sorrows, their hopes and who have ministered here, Eucha- the Lord to continue to bless and guide fears, their laughter and tears, to ristic ministers, lay Readers, our journey. May we walk humbly, love God's love and forgiveness They choirs, sacristans, servers, collec- tenderly and act justly as we hand on the vital gift of faith to the next genera- tion. Fr Francis Centenary of the Dedication of Keenagh Church Bishop John Fleming Nephin has overshadowed the religious aspirations of the people of North Mayo and, in particular, those who lived their lives in the area surrounding Keenagh Church, for ever. It has seen the journey from paganism to Christianity and it has witnessed the development of the Christian tradition over the past sixteen hundred years. Thaunacran has a special place in all of this. The old church, in which people worshipped from Penal times until the early twentieth century, withstood, as the late Canon Anthony McHale, said, ‘the fierce storms that beat against the Nephin hills’ until such time that it became ‘a crumbling ruin, sapped by the inevitable erosion of time’. The challenges which faced the Parish of Crossmolina one hundred years ago were very great. The parish church in Crossmolina was in need of repair at that time, as was the church in Kilmurray. The population around Keenagh church was small, one hundred and fifty households in all, and their ability to contribute was limited, due to the stark economic circumstances in which they lived. Add to this the increased building cost which re- sulted from the outbreak of the Great War, 1914-1918. However, the determination of the parishioners, together with the generosity of those who had emigrated all over the world, ensured that Keenagh Church was built and paid for. One hundred years later we can celebrate this centenary. In doing so we remember with gratitude the commitment and generosity of those who built this church. We recall all those who were welcomed into the Christian commu- nity of this parish in this church during the past one hundred years. New families were formed at the weddings of so many people before this altar and families were left in sadness as they said a fond farewell to those whose fu- neral Mass was said here. Indeed, very many of the important moments of the lives of this community over the past one hundred years have been marked here. Looking to the future. While clouds gather once more over Nephin, with the shortage of vocations and the decline in the population of this area, some bright light also emerges. The willingness of parishioners to assume responsi- bility for the maintenance of their churches will allow priests to leave a good deal of administration aside. Their support of their priests will also allow priests the freedom to focus on our spiritual and pastoral ministry. With the commitment and understanding of the people of church areas such as this, with God’s help, this church will serve the needs of the people of this area for many years to come. + Bishop John PAGE 4 HOLY SOULS KEENAGH CENTENARY Keenagh New Church Parish of Crossmolina The Priests and People of a poor district, yet the fierce storms that of Keenagh, Parish of worthy in some fashion beat against the Nephin Crossmolina, have un- of the honour due to hills. Though humble dertaken with heavy the Almighty. The old in design and propor- heart indeed, in view of Church of Thaunacran tions, it served passing local circumstances, to in which the most Holy well the wants of a erect a New Church Sacrifice has been of- simple people for gen- suited to the conditions fered and the people erations; and the tender have wor- associations of youth, shipped since as well as hallowed the Penal memories of the past, days is a would be today its crumbling strongest guarantee of The late Monsignor O’Hara. ruin, sapped preservation were it Granduncle to the late Fr Anthony by the inevi- possible to arrest its Hannick & Fr Anthony Gillespie, table erosion decay. P. P. Dromore West. Western People Oct 7 1916 of time and But in truth, the old building is falling to pieces, as all That sum has been considerably increased during the who pass the way by the Nephin road from Castlebar to past two years, and early last June, when the vener- Belmullet may plainly see; and to attempt its repair now ated Bishop of the Diocese laid the foundation stone, or any time within ten or fifteen years past would mean the credit balance amounted to £1,000. Needless to so much waste of labour and money. The battered walls say, nothing short or downright necessity could have are unsound from the foundation upwards, the cankered induced the authorities responsible in face of inflated braces no longer hold in their sockets; and while no part war prices of labour and materials to start building of the roof itself is rain-proof, THERE IS A GAPING on that comparatively slender basis, with the lowest SEAM OVER THE SANCTURY through which the obtainable contract proposal – for the shell only – driving rain and rude breezes of the mountain are free to reaching the STARTLING FIGURE OF £2,600.