TOM O’BRIEN, who has been involved in parochial work in the Parish of St Joseph, St Benildus and St Mary’s since 1974 has received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal (for the Church and Pope) to mark his dedicated service to the Parish.
The medal, also known as the “Cross of Honour”, is given for distinguished service to the church by lay people and clergy and was presented to Tom on November 13 by Bishop of Waterford & Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan. The highest honour that can be awarded to the laity by the Pope, this is only the second time in the history of the Diocese of Waterford & Lismore that this medal has been awarded. Tom received the award at a special Mass in the company of his wife Joan, children John, Tom and Maeve, their spouses and grandchildren.
Tom was integrally involved in the building of the Parish Centre which was completed in 1989. A sum of £75,000 was borrowed from the Diocesan Development Fund to finance the project. The loan was repaid over five years, thanks to Tom’s amazing ability to organise fundraising.
In 1990, the new cemetery at St Mary’s in Ballygunner was developed to make provision for 285 graves. Tom continues to spends endless hours every week ensuring the graveyard is maintained to a high standard; this is a demanding task as it involves careful oversight of the allocation of graves and management of graveyard staff.
He has performed this duty for many years and families of those interred regularly express grateful appreciation for the high standards of maintenance in the cemetery.
Tom was also a driving force behind the major renovation works on St Mary’s Church in Ballygunner. Work commenced in April 2010 at a cost of €1.6 million and was completed on March 16 2011 when the first Mass was celebrated in the newly renovated church.
In a voluntary capacity, Tom has acted as parish financial administrator parish for over 40 years, ensuring that the parishes’ finances are carefully monitored. Under his stewardship, the parish debt (which was over €800,000) has been almost cleared.
Tom has also been an exemplary member of our parish community for over 45 years. He is a devoted husband to his wife Joan and a caring and loving father and grandfather to his children and grandchildren.
He is well known to parishioners and continually reaches out to them in a pastoral manner always solicitous of their welfare and strengthening their connection with the parish. Tom is admired and deeply appreciated for his great work in building up the faith community in St Joseph, St Benildus and St Mary’s and his award was richly deserved