The Papal Nuncio and representative of Pope Francis in Ireland, Archbishop Charles Brown, together with the Bishop of Meath, Bishop Michael Smith, this week visited the graves of the babies who died in what was, between 1935 and 1971, the Sacred Heart home, Castlepollard, more recently known as the St. Peter’s Centre.
The Papal Nuncio and Bishop Smith were in Castlepollard and Fore last Sunday, 15 June, for Trinity Sunday ceremonies in St. Michael’s Church, centering around a member of the Fagan family, Fr. Luke Fagan, born in Castlepollard in 1656, who was appointed Bishop of Meath 300 years ago, in 1714, and later became Archbishop of Dublin.
On Saturday evening, historian and author, Dr. Paul Connell, President, St. Finian’s College, Mullingar, gave a lecture on the life and times of Bishop Luke Fagan, which also served as an introduction to the events on Sunday.
The visit of the Papal Nuncio and Bishop Smith on Sunday also marked the canonisation on 27 April last of Saint Pope John Paul 2, with the renaming of the Parish Centre to the Saint John Paul 2 Centre, Castlepollard.
The visit by the Papal Nuncio concluded on Sunday evening with a public guided tour, for him and the general community, of the historic Fore Abbey, incorporating aspects of the famed ‘Seven Wonders of Fore’, provided by Bartle D’Arcy and Directing Tourism.
UNANNOUNCED VISIT
Earlier, last Sunday afternoon, 15 June, Bishop Michael Smith, accompanied by the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown, made a personal, unannounced to the public, visit to the St. Peter’s Centre, Castlepollard.
Bishop Smith and the Papal Nuncio visited the burial grounds and graves where children who had died at the former ‘mothers and babies’ home, together with members of the then Sacred Heart community, were interred.
The Papal Nuncio and Bishop Smith inspected the headstones, crosses, plaques, wall and inscriptions at the burial grounds.
Bishop Smith has been a regular visitor to the burial grounds over the years and last Sunday he again prayed there and blessed the graves, as did the Papal Nuncio.
The Papal Nuncio and Bishop Smith were accompanied at the burial grounds by Church and media representatives, including the Diocesan Secretary of the Diocese of Meath, Dr. Paul Crosbie, Mullingar, and by Mgr. Amaury Medina, Secretary, Deputy Head of Mission at the Apostolic Nunciature, Dublin, the embassy from the Vatican.
A BABY RETURNS
The occasion was poignant for all attending and it was especially poignant before the visit even started.
A member of the media was approached by a family who had driven a considerable distance to be there and the family members enquired if they had arrived at the centre in Castlepollard.
In the front of the car were two adult children of the elderly lady in the back of the car.
It was explained that the elderly lady had been born at the home in Castlepollard, and had been a resident there for two years, leaving at the age of two years.
Last Sunday, 15 June, was the lady’s first time back to Castlepollard in some 70 years, prompted by recent publicity.
After visiting the grounds, the family members met privately for some time with Bishop Michael Smith and the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown, sharing the significance of the occasion.
