His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has appointed as Coadjutor
Archbishop of Armagh, the Right Reverend Mgr Eamon Martin, Diocesan
Administrator of the Diocese of Derry.
Eamon Martin was born on 30 October 1961 in Pennyburn, Derry. His
mother Catherine Crossan lives in Derry and his father John James Martin
is deceased (RIP June 2006). He comes from a family of twelve children
– six boys and six girls.
Eamon Martin was ordained a priest in Saint Eugene's Cathedral,
Derry, by Bishop Edward Daly, Bishop Emeritus of Derry, on 28 June
1987.
In September of that year Mgr Martin was appointed Assistant
Priest, Parish of Templemore, Derry. He was appointed to the teaching
staff of Saint Columb's College, Derry in September 1990 to teach
Mathematics and Religion and became Head of Religious Education in the
College in September 1997. Mgr Martin was appointed President of Saint
Columb's College in May 2000.
In June 2008 Mgr Martin was appointed Executive Secretary to the
Irish Episcopal Conference in Maynooth, Co Kildare. Two years later in
June 2010 he was appointed Vicar General of the Diocese of Derry
by Bishop Séamus Hegarty, Bishop Emeritus of Derry. On 18 November
2010 Mgr Martin was appointed Chaplain to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
and he was elected Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of Derry on 25
November 2011.
Since ordination in 1987 Mgr Martin has held the following
responsibilities in the Diocese of Derry: Assistant Priest, Saint
Eugene's Cathedral; Chaplain and member of the Board of Governors,
Rosemount Primary School; member of the Board of Governors, Saint Anne's
Primary School; Executive Secretary, Feis Dhoire Colmcille (civic
festival); Diocesan Advisor in Sacred Music; Director of Sacred Music,
Saint Eugene's Cathedral; trainer/conductor of Saint Eugene's Cathedral
Mixed Vocie Choir and Saint Eugene's Cathedral Boys Choir; member of the
Council of Priests; member of the College of Consultors; Vicar General;
and Diocesan Administrator.
As well as holding the post of Executive Secretary of the Irish
Episcopal Conference between 2008 - 2010, Monsignor Martin is currently a
member of the Irish Episcopal Conference as Dicoesan Adminstrator of
Derry; a member of the Council for Governance of the Episcopal
Conference; member of the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic
Education (NICCE); member of the Catholic Bishops' Joint Bioethics
Committee (of the three Bishops' Conferences of Ireland, Scotland and
England & Wales); a Director of Saint Luke's Manchester on behalf of
the Irish Episcopal Conference; a Director of the National Board for
Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.
Monsignor Martin attained a BSc (Hons) in Mathematical Science from
NUI Maynooth; BD (Hons) Theology from the Pontifical University, Saint
Patrick's College, Maynooth; PGCE from Queen's University, Belfast;
National Professional Qualification for Headship from the Institute of
Education, London; and an M Phil Degree of Master of Philosophy from the
University of Cambridge.
Monsignor Martin has been a regular media contributor on BBC's Thought for the Day; Prayer for the Day and celebrant and preacher on Sunday Morning Worship, and other programmes on RTÉ, BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service.
Monsignor Martin has a keen interest in music, particularly in choral
and classical music as well as liturgical music generally. He has a
particular interest in Sacred Music, especially Gregorian Chant. He is
also enjoys walking and gardening.