The greatest day in the life of any priest is the day of his ordination to the Priesthood. Such an event is a rare experience in a small parish like ours.
Oswald Murphy
On May 27th 1934, Fr Oswald Murphy of 7, Magazine Row was ordained at St Mary’s by Dr Vaughan, Bishop of Menevia. It was the first Roman Catholic ordination in Carmarthen since the Reformation. Two monks from Caldey were also conferred with the Order of the Diaconate. Oswald Murphy was the second son of Mr and Mrs M Mur- phy. Fr Murphy had graduated in Philosophy at the Gregorian University at Rome in 1930 and then completed the theological course at Oscott College, Birmingham.
Michael Rees
On 19th March 1961, Michael Rees was ordained to the Priesthood.
John Murphy
On 31st July 1976, John Murphy was ordained at St Mary’s Church by Bishop Langton Fox. He is the son of the late Mr Terence Murphy and Mrs Margaret Murphy of Crispin Avenue.
Representing the Servants of the Paraclete Congregation were the Father General, Father Joseph McNamara, and the European Superior, Father Peter Lechner.
s.P. Also present were eleven Passionists, including Father Matthew
Crilly, a former Rector of St. Mary’s, who had baptised John. Local clergy also came to take part, including Canon Mulroy of Ammanford. The Pastor of the Parish in Minnesota, where John had been training, came with his brother.
Fr John Murphy is now based in the United States.
John Murphy
On 31st July 1976, John Murphy was ordained at St Mary’s Church by Bishop Langton Fox. He is the son of the late Mr Terence Murphy and Mrs Margaret Murphy of Crispin Avenue.
Representing the Servants of the Paraclete Congregation were the Father General, Father Joseph McNamara, and the European Superior, Father Peter Lechner.
s.P. Also present were eleven Passionists, including Father Matthew
Crilly, a former Rector of St. Mary’s, who had baptised John. Local clergy also came to take part, including Canon Mulroy of Ammanford. The Pastor of the Parish in Minnesota, where John had been training, came with his brother.
Fr John Murphy is now based in the United States.
Stephen Stephens
On July 2nd 1983 The Bishop came to St Mary’s for the ordination of Stephen Stephens sP. This was attended by superiors of the Paraclete Fathers. Stephen is now a Managing Director for the Priory Hospital Group and a counsellor for people with drug and alcohol problems.
Ross Patterson
On Saturday 17th July 1997 the parish celebrated the ordination of the Reverend Ross Patterson by his Lordship, Bishop Daniel Mullins, Bishop of Menevia. The ordination was attended by more than twenty priests from the diocese.
Fr Patterson was born in Carmarthen and spent his early years in Llandeilo before moving to London, where he worked in the clothing in Fr Ross Patterson pictured with his mother Mrs Vera Patterson and with Bishop Daniel Mullins dustry. He is a convert, having been received into the Catholic Church in the early 1970s. He was a member of Woodford parish in London where he had been received into the Church by Fr. Quentin Jackson former Provincial of the Francisans (OFM).
Fr Patterson is a graduate in Divinity from the University of London, and trained at the Beda College in Rome where he obtained a degree in Theology. He worked for several months in Carmarthen parish assisting Fr Jenkins, before moving to St Peter’s Landore. He is now parish priest of Gendros, Swansea.
In 1960 Fr Oswald Murphy, a native of Carmarthen, and chaplain to the Dominican Convent, Chirk, Denbighshire was made a Canon of the Holy Sepulchre in recognition of his services to Catholic journalism.
Benemerenti
In July 1972 Mrs Elizabeth Anne Jenkins nee Cone (Lizzie Anne) 48 years as cleaner in charge of the school, was awarded a Benemerenti medal.
On May 1st 1983 Pat Jones received her Benemerenti medal from Bishop Ward. In June 1982 she had retired as Head-teacher of St Mary’s school having given 41 years service to the school.
On 15th June 1986 Bishop Hannigan invested Mrs Margaret Murphy and Miss Eileen Jones with the Benemerenti medal. Mrs Murphy received the medal for her services to the diocese with the UCM and the SVP and to the parish. Miss E Jones gave almost 30 years service in St Mary’s school and served the parish in various ways.
Roger Evans received his Benemerenti medal on 1st July 1994 from Bishop Mullins.
Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
On 31st October 1972, Bishop Fox awarded the ‘Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice’ to ‘our good and worthy parishioner , Mrs A Morris of Brynmyrddin, Abergwili’. The award was also given to Mr Michael Cronin QPM, FIMgt, on 7th May 1993.
The Order of Pope St. Sylvester
In September 1999 Mrs Margaret Murphy was made a Dame Commander of the Order of Pope St. Sylvester.
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great
In July 1992, Adrian Murphy received his Papal Knighthood from Bishop Mullins.
G Wyn Rees received his Papal Knighthood from Bishop Regan on 9th Au- gust 1995.
Michael Cronin was invested as a Knight of the Pontifical Eques- trian Order of St. Gregory the Great on 28th September 1997 by the Rt. Rev. Daniel Mullins.
