Philly family’s pilgrimage home to the Old’ country

An Oldcastle family was reunited in style recently when a couple made it their mission to return to Ireland from America to get their daughter baptised in the same church as her grandfather.

Rónán McDermott surprised his parents Norbert and Catriona when he and wife Shaila decided to join them from Philadelphia on their trip to their native land. What made it even more special was that the family's first grandchild Kaylee Marie was also travelling back to Oldcastle so she could be christened in the same church as her grandfather.

Some 42 aunts, uncles, cousins, that pitched up from far away places including Tralee, Galway and Sligo were treated to a ceremony in St Brigid’s Church in Oldcastle performed by singing priest Fr Ray Kelly.

“Having lost my dear younger brother Enda to a sudden brain haemorrhage last year Catriona and I recently had the joy of our first grandchild – Kaylee Marie – born to our son Rónán and wife Shaila who live near us in Philadelphia,” said Norbert.

“That wasn’t a surprise as we knew she was going to arrive, but the big surprise was that Mom and Dad, when they heard we were travelling home in June, announced that they too were going to make the trip because they wanted to have Miss Kaylee baptised in the same church where her Grandad and my forbears went through the same rituals at St Brigid’s Church in Oldcastle.”

Fr Ray is leaving his role as parish priest of Oldcastle to become Associate Pastor in Kilcormac, Rahan and Eglish parishes in Offaly so it is likely that little Kaylee's christening could be one of his last ceremonies there.

“It was probably the last baptism that Fr Ray will perform in Sean Caisleán, after 17 years administering in North County Meath he will relocate to the southern perimeter of the diocese taking up a new assignment around Kilcormac, Co Offaly,” said Norbert.

“Despite having recently turned 70 he was as lively as ever!”