Late bishop of Limerick was ‘gentle in spirit and endowed with a brilliant mind’

BISHOP of Limerick Brendan Leahy has said the passing of Bishop Emeritus Donal Murray has brought to an end the life of a deeply spiritual man endowed with a brilliant mind and gentle soul.

Bishop Murray died on Sunday morning at Milford Care Centre where he had spent the past 18 months. He was in the company of Frs Noel Kirwan and Liam Enright when he went to his God, aged 84.

Bishop Murray's requiem Mass takes place in St John’s Cathedral this Thursday, October 17 at noon, followed by burial in Mount St Lawrence Cemetery. 

Reflecting on his life, Bishop Leahy said that Bishop Murray made an enormous contribution to the spiritual nourishment of the people of Limerick since his appointment in 1996 when he became the first priest from outside the diocese to assume the role in 200 years. 

In particular, he sought to play his part in building a Church of tomorrow and a church for all.

“Bishop Murray will be remembered for so much and, indeed, his work in Limerick overseeing the completion of the conservation works on St John’s Cathedral is a lasting physical memory of his time here. But more than anything, he was attuned to the fast changing ecclesial and social context and the challenge of rebuilding the community of faith.  

“His great mind was always working on building a Church of tomorrow, not on holding onto a Church of the past.”

READ MORE: Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Autumn School memorialises Limerick connection to US President

Bishop Leahy said his predecessor, a hugely deep, wise and brilliant thinker, was always looking to find ways to work with, rather than against the realities we were faced with.  

Following a lengthy period of reflection and dialogue, parish clustering was introduced under his tenure to maximise the use of more limited personnel and to facilitate the sharing of resources.

Bishop Murray also appointed a full-time chaplain to Limerick Prison, and in 2007 was involved in a joint initiative with Limerick, Killaloe and Kerry dioceses to create St Senan’s Education Office to support the boards of management of the primary schools in each diocese.  

The provision of this and many other ancillary services in Limerick diocese was made possible by the decision of Bishop Murray in 2007 to dispose of Kilmoyle, the large suburban residence acquired by the diocese in the 1940s and move home to the Castletroy area.

Bishop Leahy said, however, that the later years of Bishop Murray’s tenure were clouded, as in all dioceses in Ireland, by the revelations of child abuse involving both religious congregations and secular clergy. 

Criticisms relating to his handling of abuse allegations during the 1980s in his period as auxiliary bishop in Dublin led to the resignation as Bishop of Limerick in 2009.

“Bishop Murray, in his resignation announcement, said that to remain on would ‘create difficulties for some of the survivors who must have first place in our thoughts and prayers’.

"While acknowledging, as Bishop Murray said himself, that his resignation could not ‘undo the pain that survivors of abuse have suffered’, we separately remember that in his time in Limerick he transformed child safeguarding standards with a robust system that the diocese continues to build on today. Three years after his retirement, these measures were positively recognised in a review by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.”

In retirement Bishop Murray continued to minister in the diocese of Limerick and chaired the Architectural and Heritage Advisory Committee of the diocese.

“Endowed with a brilliant mind, Bishop Donal treasured and communicated wisdom, was gentle in spirit and generous of heart. 

“His contribution to faith was enormous and he will be sadly missed,” said Bishop Leahy.