Homily for the Feast of St. Flannan
Dear brothers in the priesthood, dear students and staff, sisters and brothers in Christ,
Today we rejoice to celebrate the feast of St. Flannan,
- pastor and pilgrim,
- teacher and shepherd
one whose faith still shapes the heart of this place and the people of the diocese of Killaloe, under the initial inspiration of St. Molua.
We gather as a diocesan family—clergy of the Diocese of Killaloe—and as a school community from St. Flannan’s College, united by a name that is also a calling.
St. Flannan
St. Flannan lived at a time when faith had to be sturdy enough to travel. The early Irish saints walked the roads, crossed rivers, founded communities, and trusted that the Gospel would take flesh where they planted it.
From the shores of the Shannon, from Killaloe, Flannan taught by example that holiness is not withdrawal from the world, but loving engagement with it. He knew that the Gospel grows when it is shared—patiently, courageously, and close to the people.
Priests of the Diocese
To my brother priests: St. Flannan reminds us that priesthood is first a way of presence. He did not merely administer a territory; he tended a people. In an age that asks much of us—clarity, compassion, integrity—his life calls us back to the essentials:
prayer that grounds us,
preaching that nourishes,
service that is creative, healing and inspiring.
May we, like him, be shepherds who know the terrain of our people’s lives and walk with them in hope, infused and reenergised with that hope as we draw to a close this jubilee year.
Students and Staff of St. Flannan’s College
To the students: you bear a great name. St. Flannan’s College is not only a place of learning; it is a school of character. Your studies prepare your minds, but your daily choices shape your hearts. St. Flannan would tell you that God’s dream for you is generous: to grow in wisdom, to stand for what is right, to serve with joy. Faith is not a relic of the past—it is a compass for the future. Carry it with confidence.
All of us, clergy and students alike, are heirs to a living tradition. St. Flannan’s legacy is not confined to history books or feast days; it lives whenever we choose faith over fear, service over self, community over isolation. In celebrating him today, we ask for the grace to become what we remember.
May St. Flannan intercede for us:
that our diocese may be renewed in faith and charity;
that our school may continue to form young people of courage and compassion;
and that each of us may walk the pilgrim path with trust in Christ.
St. Flannan of Killaloe, pray for us.