IT was an evening of celebration and nostalgia in Ramelton on Friday as the community gathered to celebrate Monsignor J. Anthony McDaid’s golden jubilee in the priesthood.
St Mary’s Church was filled with family members, friends and parishioners, and they were joined by Diocesan Administrator Monsignor Kevin Gillespie, Mevagh Parish Priest Very Rev Patrick Dunne, and Ramelton Parish Priest Very Rev Michael Carney, for a special Mass to mark the occasion.
A native of the heritage town, Monsignor McDaid’s distinguished career saw him travel to Rome and America, where he served various roles in Church law and Catholic education.
Now retired and living in Denver, Colorado, he attributes his long, successful career to the support of the Ramelton community.
“The people of Ramelton really have been the ones who nourished me,” Monsignor McDaid said.
“Even though I have been far away, I have always come back to base.”
Growing up in Ramelton many years ago, after his studies in St Eunan’s College Monsignor McDaid was next in line to inherit the family business.
Not inclined to follow that path, the local man pursued a pre-med course, before a calling led him to Rome.
Later directed to America, he completed a doctorate in Church law and took up a post running the tribunal in Denver.
While there, he also oversaw Catholic education in his Diocese, covering 136 schools and four high schools.
In 1995, he was called to Rome to serve as a Church lawyer at the Congregation for the Clergy.
Originally released from his Diocese for a five year term, he remained in this role for 17 years.
“I ended up as head of the department,” Monsignor McDaid told parishioners at Friday’s Mass.
“But of course, I had very able bodied colleagues and Monsignor Kevin (Gillespie) was one of them.”
Monsignor McDaid found himself back in the US in 2012, nearing retirement age.
Assigned to a parish for the remainder of his service, he retired in 2018.
Returning to where he was ordained 50 years ago, Monsignor McDaid offered a moving Mass on Friday, honouring both his milestone and those who were at his ordination but are no longer with us.
Addressing the congregation during his homily, Monsignor McDaid recalled how the people of Ramelton have always been a big part of his life.
“I always maintain that Mrs O’Kelly, who was my infants teacher at school, was the best theologian I ever had and I have had some big names teaching me theology through life,” he said.
“She taught me how to love God, and how to keep that love above all things else.”
At the end of Mass, Monsignor Kevin Gillespie, a colleague of Monsignor McDaid’s in Rome, said he felt privileged to have walked part of the way with him in his journey of life and priesthood.
“Monsignor McDaid, I speak as a friend, a colleague, in the current context, as somebody responsible in the Diocese who recognises the great richness of so many priests who have come from our communities and served throughout the world, with great distinction, with great capability, with great generosity, and with great priestly character, and commitment, that I wish to say a sincere word of thanks, of respect and appreciation, and in our traditional wish, we wish you ad multos annos (for many more years),” he concluded.
