Fr Con Cronin, SPS – RIP

Fr. Con Cronin, SPS, CC The Harbour Parishes

(pic courtesy of the Cork and Ross website)

The ACP would like to join with the host of tributes to one of our beloved members and supporters since its formation. Fr Con was a native of West Cork who joined the Kiltegan Fathers and spent 25 years in Nigeria before returning home to Ireland to take up a post of promoting missionary work of the church.

He served the Harbour Parishes since 2012 where he was so happy to work alongside wonderful people and a great friend in Fr Seán O’Sullivan. Con attended all of the ACP local meetings in Ovens over the years and his contributions were positive and insightful.

A warm and colourful character he lifted peoples spirits and will be a huge loss to family and his many friends.

Our thoughts and prayers are also with the Bus Éireann driver, Mark Willis, who died at the scene and his family.

May they rest in peace.

Tim Hazelwood

 

The following statement was issued by the Bishop of Cork and Ross, Fintan Gavin:

We have learned with utter shock and sadness of the untimely death of Fr Con Cronin, curate in the Harbour Parishes of Passage West and Monkstown, who died as a result of an accident.

Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go to Fr Con’s family, his wide circle of friends, parishioners and his fellow priests in the St. Patrick’s Missionary Society, Kiltegan, as well as the priests of the Diocese of Cork and Ross.

This tragic accident also leaves another family mourning the loss of a loved one and I extend my prayerful support to his family also.

I pray for healing and peace for all who were injured and those who witnessed the accident. I wish to acknowledge the professionalism and kindness of the emergency services who attended the accident scene.

Fr. Con has served in the Harbour Parishes since 2012 establishing a warm rapport both pastorally and personally with all to whom he ministered and all who had contact with him.

He will be remembered fondly for his unique sense of humour and his openness to all people.  He died on the day when the Gospel reminds us what happened the day Jesus asked Peter to step out of the boat and come to him across the water.

Jesus called out to him, saying, ‘Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.’

Fr. Con who was ordained in 1979 courageously ministered in Africa with the Kiltegan Fathers for 25 years before returning to Ireland in 2004 where after promoting the missionary work of the church he settled into parish life in his native Co Cork.

His love for his native place and its people — the Borlin Valley in Bantry Parish — has never wavered.

All who know Fr. Con are grateful for having known him and our diocese is blessed that he ministered among us.

We commend both men to the Lord and pray God’s comfort and consolation for all those who are in mourning.