Fr Brendan home from Brazil

Patrick Street native Fr Brendan Meagher is currently home on holiday from Brazil where he has worked as a Redemptorist priest for the past 38 years.

However, his roots are very much in North Tipperary, being a descendant of the Meaghers of Annfield and of the Costigans of Clonakenny. His dear departed colleagues and friends of many years were Frs Martin and Matt Ryan of Cooleen, Templederry, and he also worked with Fr Matt on the Brazil Mission for over 30 years.

As part of his work he cares for abandoned children in some of the poorest areas of the country. To aid him in his cause, a coffee morning was held in the McAuley Centre last Saturday to raise funds for the project. Fr Brendan would like to thank all those who contributed to the coffee morning where the funds raised will make a massive difference to those whose lives are so different from our own.

Fr Brendan lives and works amongst the poorest of the poor in Fortaleza, Brazil. Over 11 years ago, a grandmother, Dona Fatima from the city of Parnaiba came to Fr Brendan pleading for help for her two abandoned grandchildren.

He assured her he would, even though he didn't have a penny to his name, but he knew that family and friends would rally around and that in some way they would raise money to look after the maintenance and education of the girls until they were old enough to do so themselves.

The “yes” that he nervously offered to Dona Fátima more than 11 years ago has been the greatest blessing of his life. The little project he built around those two girls and their Granny is one of joy, of love and laughter.