BYNUALA MCALOON

A Garrison priest located in Alabama has celebrated his Golden Jubilee to the priesthood.

Father Hugh Maguire, a native of Derrynacross, joined with family and friends during his annual visit home for the celebratory 50th anniversary Mass in his honour in Mary Queen of Peace Church, Garrison.

Mass was con-celebrated by Canon Patrick Lonergan, Father Brendan Shannon, Father Pat Brewster and Father Maguire's cousin, Father Seamus Quinn.

One of five brothers, who include Patrick, James (deceased), Bernard and Charlie, Father Maguire was ordained in St John's Seminary, Waterford, on 16th June, 1957.

There was 11 priests ordained that day, some from different parts of Ireland and others from England.

In September, 1957, he moved to the diocese of Mobile, Alabama, a State where he has since dedicated his ministry. He was allowed to return home for the first time in 1961 after an initial four-year period. After that, he was allowed to return after every two years before a final change meant he could return home for four Sundays every year.

Father Maguire takes advantage of his annual break to spend time with family and friends. He is staying with his brother, Packie, in the family home, and he celebrates Mass in the dwelling house every week-day morning, as well as celebrating Sunday Mass in Garrison at the weekends.

Father Maguire recalled starting his ministry as an assistant priest in Alabama: "Here you would call it a Curate. I spent four years in this capacity in my first parish and I then spent seven and a half years in my second parish, which covered five counties. Then I was in a city parish for a year."

Father Maguire was then made a 'Pastor', the equivalent of a Parish priest here, and his role involved covering three counties and two churches, with some 45 mile distance between both churches ('it was a very big area to cover').

Father Maguire was transferred to another area in Grand Bay where he was asked to build a Church.

"There was a little wooden church but it was too small, so we built another with a residency for a priest's rectory to live, and I was there for nine years," he recalled.

"I was transferred to a bigger parish and was asked to build a second church and a second residency for priests, and a gymnasium. I was 14 years there before I was transferred back to a parish in Grand Bay where I was there for seven years."

Looking back, Father Maguire says that being tasked with building two churches was challenging.

"You have to try to raise money and get people involved in any way possible. Sometimes it's easy but it depends on the size of the project. With the first church, there was little finance and it was a little bit of a struggle but there is a great sense of satisfaction at the end of it: "The second church was bigger and more expensive, but there were a lot more people and more income so that part wasn't too bad, but getting everybody together isn't easy. I didn't expect to build two churches."

Father Maguire's Golden Jubilee Mass in Garrison followed an earlier celebration in Alabama at the end of March. With the Parish Hall too small to accommodate the function, parishioners rented and erected a tent.

"I have never seen such rain, there were two or three inches between the ground and the tent. There was a great turnout. Thirty-two priests con-celebrated the Mass and the Archbishop was present." Through the 'Herald', Father Maguire expressed his thanks to the 'Jolly Farmers' Bar and Restaurant for supplying the refreshments after his Mass in Garrison and to Paul McManus for providing the entertainment.

Father Maguire is due to leave Ireland for his return to Alabama today, Wednesday, 22nd August.