Staff and students celebrate two notable retirements

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor and Bishop Patrick O'Donaghue have both recently visited Allen Hall to celebrate Masses of thanksgiving for their respective retirements.

Bishop Patrick visited on the evening of Saturday 14th March and celebrated Mass with the seminary community and a number of guests. He was Rector of Allen Hall from from 1985 to 1990, before moving to the Cathedral and subsequently being ordained as an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Westminster. The guests included priests who were students when he was Rector and a number of former members of seminary staff. It was a delight for Allen Hall to welcome Bishop Patrick back for this Mass of thanksgiving, particularly as we now have a number of his own seminarians from the Diocese of Lancaster here at Allen Hall.

The Cardinal visited the following Saturday, 21st March, to mark his farewell to the seminary as Archbishop of Westminster and President of Allen Hall. After dinner there was a presentation of gifts both from the staff and from the students. We assured him of our prayers and wish him well in his retirement.

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