Papal Nuncio to honour deceased local priest

Completing the circle, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo will this weekend celebrate Mass for the late Fr Greg McGovern, the Cavanman who baptised the pope's representative to Ireland back in his native Nigeria.

The ceremony at St Patrick's Church, Corlough, at 2pm on Sunday next, October 31, will mark what would have been Fr Greg's 100th birthday.

Fr Greg SMA died unexpectedly, but peacefully, on December 27, 2010.

The eldest child of Andrew and Margaret (née McGoldrick) from Tonlagee, Bawnboy, the family later moved to Swanlinbar, where Fr Greg working for some years before answering the calling to become a Missionary priest.

A former student at St Patrick’s College, Cavan Town (1940 – 1945), Fr Greg was ordained a priest at St Catherine’s Dominican Church in Newry, on June 13, 1951.

Fr Greg, as he was known by many, was appointed to the then Prefecture of Kaduna, Nigeria, spending a total of 47 years there until ill health forced his return to Ireland in 1998.

He ministered in Kano, where he also gave a young Archbishop Okolo his First Holy Communion, and is credited with inspiring the senior cleric to follow a similar path to his own.

It's understood that Archbishop Okolo had expressed a desire to celebrate Mass for Fr Greg at the Cavanman's homeplace. He previously visited Fr Greg's grave at Wilton in Cork, speaking passionately of the Irish priest's influence.

Archbishop Okolo has been the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland since his appointment to the role by Pope Francis in 2017.

He previously served as Apostolic Nuncio to the Dominican Republic and Apostolic Delegate to Puerto Rico.