THE 10th anniversary of the passing of a Limerick priest, who devoted his life to improving the lives of others in Argentina and is spoken in the same reverence as Messi and Maradona, has been honoured at home and abroad. Fr Liam Hayes became so popular in the city of Obera that the local bishop led calls for him to become a saint. The Cappamore native devoted his life to helping the poorest and most vulnerable. Fr Liam was responsible for building three dedicated homes in the style of Cheshire Homes for people he came across that were abandoned either because they were elderly or disabled or psychologically damaged, sometimes due to abuse. He had a selfless devotion to those abandoned by society. A tremendous fundraiser, Fr Liam raised millions to build and fund the St Teresa Homes. Sadly, Fr Liam passed away from cancer in 2014 at just 64. Despite his life’s life-transforming work being cruelly cut short he has left an incredible legacy. Fr Liam’s anniversary is marked every year in Obera ten years on from his death they really showed how much he means to the people of Argentina. A concelebrated Mass was celebrated by the local bishop, assisted by a number of priests. In addition to residents and staff of the homes and other locals, the event was attended by the Irish ambassador to Argentina, the regional governor of the Misiones Province and the mayor of Obera. Coincidentally, the current ambassador, Gerard McCoy, is a Limerick man from the King's Island area. The Irish fundraising committee remains active and the following members travelled to Obera for the occasion - Tom Hayes, chairperson, and joint treasurers, Bernadette Aldritt and Brian Keegan. They were accompanied by Denis Aldritt, husband of Bernadette, and Mary Jo Heffernan, a first cousin of Liam's. Tom and Bernadette are siblings of Fr Liam. Fr John Owen was also a member of the Irish committee, travelled too. His fluent Spanish was a big help. They all travelled at their own expense. Mrs Aldritt said a bust of Fr Liam was
PICTURE: Limerick priest as popular as Maradona and Messi in Argentina honoured 10 years after his death
