Cavan priest to be ordained Auxiliary Bishop

Father Michael Router to be ordained as Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh on Sunday afternoon, July 21.

In attendance will be Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh; Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop Emeritus of Armagh; Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly of Cashel & Emly; Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, Apostolic Nuncio to Irelandm; as well as Bishop Leo O’Reilly, Bishop Emeritus of Kilmore Diocese; Monsignor Liam Kelly, Administrator of Kilmore Diocese, and many other diocesan bishops from around the country.

Archbishop Richard Clarke will represent the Church of Ireland, and Rev. Louise Donald will represent the Methodist Church.

They will be accompanied by members of the Cathedrals’ Partnership.

Also in attendance will be Father Michael’s parents Anthony and Nora Router, his sisters Breda Murphy and Martina Keville, his brothers-in-law Derek Murphy and Ollie Keville, nieces Aoife Murphy, Orla Keville and Riona Keville, and nephews Killian Murphy and Niall Keville.

Each of the 61 parishes of the diocese of Kilmore will be represented at the ordination, as will many members of the Armagh Diocesan Youth Commission, who will participate in the ceremony.

His Holiness Pope Francis appointed Father Michael Router, Parish Priest of Bailieborough (Killann) as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Armagh, assigning to him the Titular See of Lugmad, back in May.

The role of an auxiliary bishop is to assist the diocesan bishop in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the diocese. The Titular See of Lugmad is an ancient episcopal see in County Louth. Previous bishops who held that title included Bishop Thomas Winning, Auxiliary Bishop and later Cardinal Archbishop of Glasgow.

The Archdiocese of Armagh includes almost all of counties Armagh and Louth, approximately half of Co Tyrone and parts of counties Derry and Meath. It consists of 61 parishes and has a Catholic population of 267,803. The Diocese of Dromore includes portions of counties Antrim, Armagh and Down. It consists of 22 parishes and has a Catholic population of 63,400.

The Ordination Ceremony itself is the culmination of several weeks of planning by people from across the diocese and will be a joyous celebration for the people of Armagh and for Father Michael and his family and friends.

Archbishop Eamon Martin will be the Principal Consecrator, with Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo and Bishop Leo O’Reilly serving as co-consecrators.

A native of Virginia in Co Cavan, Fr Router was educated in Virginia National School and in Kells CBS before entering the national seminary of Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, to study for the priesthood in 1982.

He graduated with a Bachelor in Divinity Degree and a Higher Diploma in Education, and ordained to the diaconate in Maynooth College by the late Bishop Francis McKiernan in September 1987.

He was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Kilmore by Bishop McKiernan in Saint Matthew’s Church, Maghera, in his native parish, on June 25, 1989.

Auxiliary Bishop-elect Router began his ministry as a curate in the parish of Killinkere, and in 1991 joined the teaching staff of Saint Patrick’s College, Cavan. He was appointed Chaplain of Bailieborough Community School in 1996, and Priest in Residence in the Parish of Kilmainhamwood and Moybologue.

In 2002-03 he studied at Mater Dei Institute of Education in Dublin, and assisted during that time in Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Drimnagh.

He graduated with a Masters in Religion and Education in 2003 and on his return to the Diocese of Kilmore, was appointed the Diocesan Director of Adult Faith Formation and Pastoral Renewal while also serving as a Priest in Residence in the parish of Castletara/Ballyhaise. His role there included providing training, encouragement and support for Parish Pastoral Councils, Liturgy Groups, Eucharistic Ministers and Ministers of the Word. He also helped to provide Adult Religious Education courses in the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, and in Manorhamilton, which were accredited by the Mater Dei Institute of Education and the Maryvale Institute.

In 2010, in addition to these roles, Auxiliary Bishop-elect Router was appointed director of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre.

In 2013 he was transferred as Curate to the Cathedral Parish in Cavan with responsibility for the Butlersbridge area, and a year later appointed to his present position as Parish Priest of Killann Parish, which includes the towns of Bailieborough and Shercock, and as Dean of the Bailieborough Deanery.

He was also a member of the College of Consultors of the Diocese of Kilmore and was chairman of the Diocesan Priests’ Council since 2017.

Auxiliary Bishop-elect Router’s main area of interest outside of his work has always been in sport. He played football for the Ramor United and Killinkere Gaelic Football clubs, was a selector with the Ballyhaise’s Minor and Senior football teams from 2004 to 2012, as well as a football and basketball coach in Saint Patrick’s College, Cavan, and Bailieborough Community School.

He maintains a keen interest in all sports, particularly in the fortunes of the Cavan Gaelic Football team and Bristol City FC.

During his time as Diocesan Director of Adult Faith Formation Auxiliary Bishop-elect Router also wrote a regular column on religious matters in the Anglo-Celt and the former Cavan Voice local newspapers.