BY AUSTIN LYNCH
Monsignor Joseph McGuinness, the parish priest of Enniskillen, is this week celebrating the Silver Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood.
To mark the wonderful occasion, a Mass of Thanksgiving took place in St. Michael's Church in Enniskillen on Sunday evening which was followed by a reception in St. Michael's College.
Talking this week, after the weekend Mass of Thanksgiving, Monsignor McGuinness said he was 'overwhelmed' with how supportive and kind people have been to him.
"A large crowd attended the Mass and everything was beautifully done, the result of a lot of preparation on behalf of a lot of people," the Monsignor said.
Monsignor McGuinness, who originally hails from Lisnaskea, was ordained in 1984 in the Cathedral in Monaghan after eight years of study - in Belfast and Maynooth - for the priesthood.
"I was ordained on the 1st July 1984 and I celebrated by first Mass in Lisnaskea on the 2nd July 1984" he explains.
Monsignor McGuinness studied in Paris for two years before returning home to study teaching in Belfast for a further year.
The young priest taught for a year in St. Macartan's College in Monaghan before moving to St. Michael's College in Enniskillen where he was to spend the next two decades - twelve years as a teacher and six years as President of the College.
Since retiring as President of St. Michael's College, Father McGuinness, as he then was, has been appointed Parish Priest of St. Michael's Parish, Enniskillen where he now carries out his ministry alongside curates Rev Noel McGahan and Rev Father Martin O'Reilly.
"Parish life is very different to life in the school, but I am enjoying my time in Enniskillen" said the Parish Priest who received the title of Monsignor just earlier this year.
He acknowledged that the overall number of priests in the diocese had declined and, where once the Enniskillen parish- which includes three churches St Michael's, Enniskillen, the Convent chapel and St. Mary's, Lisbellaw - would have had five priests, now it has only three.
The only other classmate of the Monsignor's who is celebrating his Silver Jubilee at the same time is Father McEnaneny, who is currently serving as administrator in Monaghan.
