St Brigid's Bids Farewell to Fr O'Brien
23rd October 2019
Today we celebrated a special farewell assembly for Fr O’Brien. All of the children, along with staff and governors, welcomed Fr O’Brien to an assembly full of music, song, prayerful reflection, poetry, and drama. Caden Moore also became a virtual participant in our assembly thanks to his classroom robot 'C-Bot'.
When Fr O’Brien arrived in Ballymoney as PP just over 11 years ago most of our current Year 7s had just been born. His first set of Baptisms in the Parish would have been many of the current Year 7s.
Down through the years Fr O’Brien guided many children through their First Confession, Holy Communion and Confirmation. There have been many special occasions that Fr O’Brien has helped us to celebrate including the build up to Christmas and Easter, our beginning of the school year mass and the very special leavers’ mass every year. Catholic Schools’ Week has always been a highlight with the whole parish, especially the grandparents, joining with us in our annual celebration of the Feast of St Brigid.
Fr O’Brien has always been a welcome visitor to the school and often visited classes to help prepare children for their sacraments. He has been an ever present source of pastoral care to everyone associated with the school and he has been a significant guide and support to everyone in their faith development. Fr O’Brien has always shown a genuine warmth and love for St Brigid’s PS and our great loss as a school in Fr O’Brien leaving is the undoubted gain for the primary school in his new parish.
On behalf of everyone we would like to wish Fr O’Brien all God’s blessings in his new ministry in Larne. We hope that Fr O’Brien will always remember that he has a special place in everyone’s hearts here in St Brigid’s and we hope that he may find the time to call in for a visit if he is in Ballymoney.
