Dear Friends,

Greetings to you, as Parish Priest of St. Patrick's Parish Dundalk. It is a great honor to serve in this very historic parish. Things visible and beautiful, like St. Patrick's and St. Nicholas' Churches, great testimonies to your faith and to the great people who sacrificed so much to build them. But also things not so visible, like our faith history, remembering St. Oliver Plunkett who walked here before us, celebrated the sacraments of a forbidden church, ultimately paying the price for us in his martyrdom in London in 1681. And before him, born just four miles from us St. Brigid who still cures and heals us. Great saints of the church and saints of our families, who inspire us everyday. We have a fantastic legacy to live everyday to help each other with all that life throws at us. Thats where I see my role, with the other priests to serve all in this parish in our times and to leave a legacy to the Catholics of the future !

Each generation brings new challenges and we hope a new and fresh approach to bring the word of God everyday to peoples lives. As the parish grows rapidly and the numbers of your priests are declining the need for partnership and team work was never more important as it is today ! This was also the legacy and dream of the Second Vatican Council. We could feel negative about this. But in one sense its a new and exciting opportunity to be what the church should be talents and gifts shared for the greater good of this large and vibrant parish.

As a team of priests we would like to invite and reach out to all in the parish and ask you to tap into your gifts and talents. Be that, the Ministry of the Word (reading at Mass), Ministry of the Eucharistic, which also involves bringing our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament to the sick and housebound. We are very aware, that not everyone is comfortable in reading or being a Minister of Eucharist. You might find yourself comfortable with our teams in cleaning our churches, in collecting at masses, in the work of Children's Liturgy, the Baptism team, the Choirs or Youth Ministry. Everyone has talents and a place to build up this great parish.

Looking forward to hearing from you, seeing you and talking to you.

God Bless to all - Very Rev Mark O'Hagan PP