Anthony Hartnett to be ordained a Deacon in Stranorlar

Anthony Hartnett will be ordained a Deacon by Bishop Alan McGuckian, Bishop of Raphoe, on Sunday, September 24 at 3pm in the Church of Mary Immaculate, Stranorlar.

This may be the first Diacaonate Ordination to take place within the parish.

The Ordination Mass is both a parish and a diocesan event and all are welcome to join Anthony and his family as he commences this final stage in preparation for his Ordination to Priesthood. There will be refreshments after the Ordination Mass in the Parish Centre.

Anthony took the opportunity to share a few words about his journey towards this significant day and extends his thanks and welcome to all who by their prayers, witness and support have helped him.

“I would like to share with you a few things about my life as a member of this parish, seeing as I haven’t had the privilege of getting to know everyone here. Our family moved up to Glebe Hollow 10 years ago from Bray in County Wicklow after my parents retired from their work as secondary school teachers."

Anthony who was eighteen years of age at the time and the second eldest of 8 children moved to the parish with his parents.

"The welcome of everyone here has always stayed with me and made it much easier to begin to call Stanorlar home and so I am happy to say that today that I feel very much at home here. We have been so blessed, so much so that my other sisters, and their families, have moved up here too," he said. 

Following his move to the parish, Anthony met with priests whom he said inspired him: "After two years volunteering with NET Ministries, I began college and, at the same time, began to open my heart to being called to serve God as an ordained priest. In 2016 I began seminary in Maynooth and every summer I had the opportunity to work in a different parish in the diocese. Each new experience helped me to see if, on the one hand, God was actually calling me to priesthood and if, on the other hand, it was for me.

"Among my pastoral placements, my most significant was in the Cathedral parish in Letterkenny and in the Mater Hosptial as a trainee chaplain. The Holy Spirit truly speaks in the Church, in prayer and through Her members, through people like yourself who is reading. The Holy Spirit gave me the courage in the end to decide to respond to what I believe is a call from God. But that was made possible thanks to the support and help of everyone I have met on the way. Now I am working with Fr Gerard Cunningham and based in Fintown parish. Not too far from home. It has been wonderful so far. If you can make it, I look forward to seeing you on twenty-fourth."