Papal nuncio visits Skibbereen to launch cathedral guide book
Archbishop Charles Brown, the permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to Ireland, will visit the West Cork town on Sunday next to launch an illustrated visitor’s guide to the local and historic St Patrick’s Cathedral. The last time a papal nuncio visited was in July 1954 when Dr Gerald P O’Hara arrived amid much celebration to a town bedecked by papal flags.
It is hoped, on this occasion, the archbishop will concelebrate 11.30am Mass in the cathedral before formally launching the visitor’s guide, attending a luncheon with members of the parish assembly and participating in a guided tour of the cathedral conducted by the authors of the visitor’s guide, Gerald O’Brien and Philip O’Regan.
The guide was funded by a bequest some years ago by the late Monsignor Michael J Coughlan of Santiago, California, a native of Licknavar, Skibbereen.
The booklet project was funded after the administrator of the parish Fr Michael Kelleher decided the money be used for “something specific and special”, explained Mr O’Regan.
Mr O’Regan and his co-author Gerald O’Brien carried out the background research for the guide while photographers Paddy Feen and Jeremy Kingston took the specialised, high-quality, photographs used to illustrate the image-led booklet.
“Our photographers went to extraordinary trouble to photograph the cathedral — great skill was involved,” said Mr O’Regan.
Copies of the guide will be available for free in the cathedral following the launch although, he added, donations to help produce reprints would be welcome.
The spectacular cathedral, which dates from 1826, was, for more than a century, the seat of the Bishop of Ross and the guide is essentially a potted history of the building. The booklet comprises a series of detailed colour photographs with informative captions as well as a complete floor-plan of the cathedral and timelines of major events in its history such as the fall of the huge cathedral bell from its bindings, in the middle of ringing the Angelus, in 1987.
The papal nuncio’s visit is much anticipated by residents of the town, said Mr O’Regan, adding that the event has reawakened local interest in the cathedral and renewed appreciation of its beauty and history.
- The Visitor’s Guide to St Patrick’s Cathedral, Skibbereen will be launched by the papal nuncio, Archbishop Charles John Brown, on January 22.
