Nobber Church reopens after a major facelift

Parishioners turned up in large numbers for the official reopening of St John the Baptist Church in Nobber last Sunday, 13th May. The blessing and rededication was carried out by the Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith, along with Fr Seamus Houlihan, Parish Priest of Nobber, assisted by Fr Paddy Smith, SSC, and Fr Joe Gleeson, PE, Skryne, who preached a sermon. The ceremony included hymns by the Nobber Choir with Kieran Weldon, organist, and children's choir, with Arlene Prendergast, tutor, and music by the Meath Harp School with Dearbhail Finnegan. There was praise from parishioner Padraic Lewis, who said there had been "nothing but wholehearted co-operation from the entire parish" in the project and said the pastoral council was very grateful for the response from the community to fundraising projects. He added that Bishop Michael Smith, a native of Oldcastle, gave wholehearted support. "For many years, we in this parish were imbued with a great love for anybody from Oldcastle, due to the presence among us for so many years of a lovely man, Fr Paddy O'Reilly", who was parish priest in Nobber from 1980 till November 2000, when Fr Houlihan took over as PP. Bishop Michael Smith thanked the parish "for the support you have given Fr Seamus and the work that has certainly enhanced this church greatly". He welcomed Fr Joe Gleeson, nephew of Fr William Gleeson, who was PP in Nobber for many years until his death in 1975. Fr Gleeson, in his sermon, said he visited Nobber regularly while his uncle was parish priest there. "The church that we are in here today was built in 1978, 34 years ago. It might seem a short time to be celebrating again, but the church here is built on the site of the old church, which was built in 1822, so this place has been a centre of worship and faith for the community here for 190 years. "What we are celebrating today is not just a building, we are celebrating the faith of a community that extends back into the last two centuries," Fr Joe Gleeson said. Ian Primrose, chairman of the Nobber Parish Pastoral Council, thanked everyone involved in the project. "Today's ceremony marks the culmination of a process that has taken over two-and-a-half years and one that has engaged the time of many members of our community. "It has taken several hundred hours of work, in planning, fundraising and execution and has cost in the region of €430,000, but the building in which we now sit is a far cry from the one in which we sat on the first Sunday in January, a mere 18 weeks ago," he said. "The work that has been completed in that time will ensure this building can continue to play host to some of the most defining events in all our lives and lives of our children and grandchildren. While the primary aim of this project has always been to produce a functional, attractive building, an interesting and positive side effect has seen a co-operation and coming together of different groups within our community to support this cause, one can only hope that this renewed community spirit continues long after this building has been paid for," he added. Bishop Smith to make a special presentation to Bridget Gillick from the parish, who celebrated her 97th birthday on Sunday. In paying tribute to her, Fr Houlihan said "our oldest citizen is here among us this afternoon". The Mass booklet for the occasion included an updated outline of the archaeological and historical importance of the Nobber area, written by Professor George Eogan, who attended the ceremony. Professor Eogan also wrote on the history of the area in the booklet that was made when the church was built in 1978.