Ordination Class of 2008

Eleven students from St Patrick’s College, Maynooth are being ordained to the priesthood in 2008. These ordinations are currently taking place in dioceses throughout the country.

Commenting on this year’s ordinations Monsignor Hugh Connolly, President of St Patrick’s College Maynooth, said: “We give thanks to God for the generosity and commitment of these eleven students who are to be ordained to the priesthood, in this the year designated by the Church as the ‘Year of Vocation’. The ordination to the priesthood of eleven students from Maynooth College is a source of joy and gratitude for our entire college community.

“Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, preaching during his recent US visit at a special Mass in New York’s Yankee Stadium, Bronx, on 20 April last said, 'Young men and women, I urge you: open your hearts to the Lord's call to follow him in the priesthood and the religious life. Can there be any greater mark of love than this: to follow in the footsteps of Christ, who was willing to lay down his life for his friends (cf. Jn 15:13).”

Monsignor Connolly concluded, “All of us here in the National Seminary in Maynooth wish our ordinands heartiest congratulations and prayerful best wishes for a long and fruitful ministry.”

The following is a diocesan breakdown of this year’s ordinations:

• William (Billy) O’Sullivan, Cork & Ross
• John Coughlan, Elphin
• Vincent Cushnahan, Down & Connor
• Seán Corkery, Cloyne
• Gerard Cremin, Cloyne
• Tomás Kehoe,Ferns
• Michael Kelly, Dublin
• Dan an Nguyen, Dublin
• Richard Shannon, Dublin
• Daniel McFaul, Dublin
• Stephen Crossan, Dromore

Click on the image below to view a larger version of the Classpiece..