Golden Jubilee of Borris’ priest Fr Tom
The Cois Deirge Pastoral Area is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Fr Tom O’Halloran. There will be Mass in St Peter and Paul's Church, Borrisokane, this coming Friday, May 30, at 8pm celebrated by the Bishop of Killaloe, Fintan Monahan.
Fr Tom is greatly assisted by Fr Michael Cooney in Terryglass, who is a tireless worker. He came to Borrisokane in 2003 having ministered for five years with Irish undocumented immigrants in Chicago. After studying in Maynooth he was Ordained on June 8, 1975, by the late Bishop Michael Harty in Bodyke.
He commenced his pastoral ministry in Clarecastle/Ballyea in 1975. In 1979, he was asked to join the Irish Immigrant Chaplaincy Scheme.
He ministered in St Agnes’s, Cricklewood, until July 1984. While there he was involved in the development of outreach to homeless Irish in London and was involved in the formation of Cricklewood homeless concern – now known as ‘Ashford Place’, reaching out to all nationalities.
Then he returned to Clare to minister in the Southeast parish of Clonlara/Truagh, where he spent seven years. In 1991, he volunteered for missionary work with the Killaloe Diocesan Mission to Zimbabwe where he ministered until 1997. He served in the Nyamoropa-Katera area in the Eastern Highlands bordering Mozambique. Then in 1997 he went to Chicago on a sabbatical year to study spirituality in Loyola University.
From 1998 to 2003, at the request of the Irish Bishops Immigration Commission, Fr Tom volunteered to work with undocumented Irish Immigrants in Chicago, forming an agency called ‘Chicago Irish Immigrants Support’, now known as ‘Irish Community Services’.
His specific ministry was outreach to young Irish Immigrants.
In 2003, Fr Tom came to Borrisokane/Aglish as Parish Priest and in 2018 he was appointed Co-Parish Priest and Vicar Forane. As the 13th Parish Priest in Borrisokane, he is a constant presence in our lives, positive about life and looks to the future with hope.
It is with deep gratitude that he marks with the community of Lower Ormond, with his family and friends, 50 years of ministry. You are all invited to join us for Mass in St Peter and Paul’s Church, Borrisokane, Friday, May 30, at 8pm and a cuppa afterwards to meet and greet.