Father Kieran O'Doherty celebrates 60 years in the priesthood
A special mass to mark the Diamond Jubilee took place in St. Patrick’s Church, Glen on Tuesday evening.
Father Kieran O’Doherty has celebrated 60 years in the priesthood.
A special mass to mark the Diamond Jubilee took place in St. Patrick’s Church, Glen on last Tuesday evening.
Born in Buncrana in 1940, Fr O’Doherty attended St Columb's College in Derry before going on to study for the priesthood in St. Patrick’s College Maynooth.
He was officially ordained in 1965.
Father O’Doherty credits the ideals of faith, family, his local parish and school as his inspiration for choosing a career in the priesthood.
Following his ordination, Father O’Doherty was temporarily appointed to Carndonagh in County Donegal where he stayed for four months.
He was later appointed to the parish of Ardstaw West in Castlederg, County Tyrone before returning to St Eugene’s Cathedral in Derry in 1971. In 1981 he was appointed to the new parish of Holy Family in Ballymagroarty.
Father O’Doherty shared how he was in Derry at the height of The Troubles and described it as a ‘tense’ place to be.
In 1990 Father O’Doherty moved to County Derry. First to Coleraine where he was appointed Parish Priest and onwards to the Parish of Granaghan, Swatragh.
Eventually he settled into retirement in 2017 when he made Maghera his home.
Speaking to the County Derry Post about his time in the priesthood and reflecting on his 60 years, Fr O'Doherty said he is grateful to all those who have supported him over the last six decades.
“I feel more than grateful and thankful that God has spared me all these years. I am more than grateful to all the people that I have met over the years. God used these people to bring home his message of the gospel and to reassure me,” he said.