Mgr Dan Carr announces retirement as St Johnston parish priest
The popular cleric, a native of Fanad, has been the parish priest in St Johnston for 35 years and will continue to live in the parish as Pastor Emeritus
After 35 years, Monsignor Dan Carr has announced his retirement as the parish priest in St Johnston.
Mgr Carr has been the parish priest in St Johnston since 1988 when he succeeded Dr Daniel Cunnea.
From the weekend of October 15, the St Johnston parish will be jointly administered by Fr Martin Cunningham and Fr Philip Kemmy, who have been appointed as Pastors in Solidum.
Fr Cunningham will be the Moderator and will look after the schedule and arrangements for funerals and weddings while Fr Kemmy will be in charge of administration, the Finance Committee and the Parish Pastoral Council as well as baptisms.
Mgr Carr will continue to live in the parish as Pastor Emeritus.
Mgr Carr has been a popular figure in the east Donegal parish for the last 35 years having previously worked at St Eunan’s College in Letterkenny, where he was President from 1982-88.
A native of Ballyheerin in Fanad, he was ordained by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid in Maynooth in June, 1965.
In 1996, following the transfer of Bishop Seamus Hegarty, he was appointed as the Apostolic Administrator of the Raphoe Diocese.
Having been appointed as a Prelate of Honour, with the title of Monsignor, in December 1996, he was appointed as the Vicar General of the Diocese by Bishop Philip Boyce before becoming a Canon to the Cathedral Chapter in 2000.
He celebrated his Golden Jubilee in 2015 at St Baithin’s Church, St Johnston.
In the 1990s, he was an instrumental figure in a local cross community community of Taughboyne Development Group, who were responsible in developing local job creation and the regeneration of the villages of St Johnston and Carrigans.
The Bishop of Raphoe, Alan McGuckian SJ, has wished ‘every blessing’ to Mgr Carr on his retirement.
Fr Charlie Byrne, the parish priest as Meevagh, has been confirmed as the administrator of the Clonvadaddog parish while Fr Anthony Briody will be the new curate in Clonvadaddog, with Fr Pat McGarvey, the parish priest, on sabbatical.
Fr Vincent Finnegan OFM, on loan from the Franciscan Order, has been appointed as a curate for the Stranorlar parish.