Fr Pat Beecher OCD, Fr Teddy Smyth OCD and Fr Sean Conlon OCD celebrated their Golden Jubilees as Discalced Carmelite Friars in a concelebrated mass at St Joseph’s Berkeley Road on the 28^th of September.

All three were students in Castlemartyr Carmelite College in Cork & found their vocations there.  They spent their noviciate in Loughrea and made their simple professions in 1961.  Fr Norbert Cummins who passed away recently was their novice master.

After spending 1 year in Wincanton in Somerset they went to Boarshill, Oxford to study philosophy for 2 years, and then onto Gayfield (St Mary’s), Morehampton Road in Dublin to study theology (Fr Sean Conlon studied theology in Rome).  Fr Theddy Smyth was ordained to the priesthood in the summer of ’67, Fr Pat Beecher in December ’67.

Fr Teddy has spent a number of years in California, and is currently part of the community at Marlborough Road.  Fr Sean was in Rome for a number of years at the Teresianum, he is now prior of the community in Derry.  Fr Pat has spent much of his time between Loughrea and Castlemartyr, and is at present part of the community at St Joseph’s Berkeley Road.

(Picture features from left - Fr Sean Conlon with Fr David Donellan, Fr Michael Miners, Fr Peter Cryan & Fr Patrick Keenan.)

Below - Fr Pat Beecher with pilgrims from Loughrea at the Carmelite Pilgrimage to Knock in July.