Creeslough Priest Fr John Joe Duffy has called for continued prayers and unity in the aftermath of last Friday’s tragedy.
The parish priest has been a pillar of strength for all affected by the catastrophic explosion, from the moment it occurred to the sorrowful funerals taking place throughout this week.
Fr Duffy, in a heartfelt message to parishioners, said the people of Creeslough are his family.
In a mid-week reflection, he said that togetherness will carry people through the pain.
“We are all on this journey together as a family as the people of this parish are my family also and I feel like a son and a brother,” he said.
Fr Duffy continued: “May we offer hope to each other and to others as we continue on this journey, the greatest strength we have here is our togetherness, we have seen so much pain in the last few days, but we have seen so much hope, so much kindness from so many from all corners of the world, thanks everyone for your prayers, vigils, kindness in many ways because that will help us continue all this difficult journey knowing that you are all with us on this painful journey.
“This is a great parish of great people and we really appreciate you all as we try to come to terms with this accident, we must continue to share our pain and offer the hope to this great community that means so much to us all. Let each one of us in our little way keeps reaching out to each other, because this pain has escaped no one in this community and in the communities that has lost a loved one and from the communities of those who helped us and continue to help us.”
Fr Duffy again urged people to seek emotional support through healthcare professionals to help them deal with the trauma of recent events.
Above all, he called for continued prayers and shared his gratitude for the prayers directed towards Creeslough.
“Thank you everyone for your prayers, kindness, compassion, and support. Please keep praying for those who are ill, injured physically and emotionally, the dead and all who responded on Friday and Saturday. We hear of so many people praying holding vigils, Masses being offered, offering support and tributes. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
“Thank you everyone from Creeslough and once again from the bottom of our bruised and broken hearts that you are holding in yours.”
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