Following the death this afternoon of Bishop Eamonn Casey, Bishop
Emeritus of Galway and Kilmacduagh, Archbishop Eamon Martin issued the
following statement:
“It is with great sadness that I learned today of the death of Bishop
Eamonn Casey. I wish to sincerely acknowledge the contribution of
Bishop Casey to the work of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference over
twenty-three years during his time as Bishop of Kerry and as Bishop of
Galway.
“Bishop Casey was a long-serving member of the standing committee of
the Bishops’ Conference and, in 1973, was one of the founder members of
its overseas development agency Trócaire.
Bishop Casey’s inspirational
leadership of Trócaire pioneered a very significant pastoral outreach
from this country towards the most vulnerable people in the developing
world, while at the same time he energetically raised awareness of
overseas development issues at home in Ireland.
Bishop Casey led
Trócaire as its chairman until his resignation in 1992. Bishop Casey
also contributed to the planning of the successful 1979 apostolic
pilgrimage to Ireland of Pope Saint John Paul II.
Both as priest and
bishop, Bishop Casey’s ministry on behalf of Irish emigrants is well
known and was of immense significance in particular to the Irish in
Britain.”
“At this sad time for Bishop Casey’s family, and for the dioceses of
Kerry and Galway, I invite the faithful to pray for the repose of Bishop
Casey’s soul.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam”.