It’s important to note that we’ll only be “on tour” as they say, in the old Cardiff boundaries and not the new ones following the merging of Cardiff-Menevia in September 2024.
The current team roster stands as following:
- Fr. John Boles
- Fr. Patrick O’Beirne
- Fr. Thomas Ryan
- Fr. Kevin McDonagh
- Fr. John Collins
- Fr. Bernard McDermott
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Fr. Denis Carter and Fr. Ed O’Connell for all their work supporting the Mission Awareness and Appeal Team over the past few years. We would also like to extend our gratitude to the Archdiocese of Westminster and the Diocese of Wrexham for their very warm welcome and hospitality during 2024. We are incredibly grateful to have been warmly received by the parishes in these dioceses and thank you for your generous response to the Appeal. Donations to the Columban Missionaries are vital for supporting our mission work around the world and will help to fund a wide range of initiatives, including providing essential services to marginalised communities, supporting educational programmes, promoting social justice, and advocating for our common home.
Of the six priests on the roster, three of them have ties to Salford! Fr. John Boles and Fr. Bernard McDermott are both from areas in the Diocese, and Fr. Pat O’Beirne has previously lived in the diocese. Adam also has family still living in Manchester, so there are plenty of Columban ties to be had north of the River Mersey!
Both Salford and Cardiff date back to 1850 when the Catholic hierarchy was re-established in England and Wales by Pope Pius IX, Cardiff has undergone multiple name changes, from the Diocese of Newport and Menevia, to the Apostolic Vicariate of Wales, to the Diocese of Menevia, then eventually to the Archdiocese of Cardiff and then Cardiff-Menevia in the latest change in 2024.
The Columbans were last in Cardiff in 2015 and Salford in 2013, so it has been a while since we last saw each other! We look forward to seeing you over the course of 2025!
