{"id":499958,"date":"2026-06-15T00:07:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T00:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/499958\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T00:07:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T00:07:13","slug":"this-is-not-a-museum-it-lives-bishop-coll-marks-cathedrals-125-year-milestone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/499958\/","title":{"rendered":"‘This is not a museum. It lives’: Bishop Coll marks Cathedral’s 125-year milestone"},"content":{"rendered":"

For 125 years, the towering Cathedral spire, rising to 240 feet, has stood watch over Letterkenny.<\/p>\n

The Cathedral, one of the most recognisable landmarks in Donegal, has been a symbol of faith in the Raphoe Diocese since its opening in 1901.<\/p>\n

On Sunday afternoon, a special anniversary Mass celebrated the history and heritage of the Cathedral of Saints Eunan and Columba.<\/p>\n

The celebrations were led by the Bishop of Raphoe, Bishop Niall Coll, who spoke of the Cathedral as a place of worship – and its calling to people to continue to pray.<\/p>\n

The Cathedral was commissioned by Bishop Patrick O\u2019Donnell, at the time the youngest bishop in the world at just 32 years of age. The foundation stone was laid in 1891 and in June 1901 it was dedicated. It sits on the site of a Church that was erected in 1820.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat rose here was not simply a church,\u201d Bishop Coll said. \u201cIt was something more. It is no exaggeration to say that this cathedral ever since has become for the Catholic people here the defining feature of the cultural and spiritual landscape of Letterkenny and the whole diocese.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts spire, rising high above the town, does more than shape the skyline – in large measure it shapes its identity. For generations, life in Letterkenny has taken its bearings from this place. The sound of its bells, the rhythm of its liturgies, the beauty of its music, the great moments of joy and sorrow – baptisms, marriages and funerals – marked within these walls. Here, faith has formed a people – and that faith, in turn, has shaped a culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink of the craftsmanship, to give but two examples: both the altar rails and the pulpit from which God\u2019s word is proclaimed are the artistry of the Pearse workshop (Willie Pearse a brother of 1916 leader Padraig Pearse). And that is to say nothing about the marvellous paintings and statues.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Among the concelebrants were Bishop Emeritus of Raphoe Philip Boyce, Raphoe Diocese Vicar General Monsignor Kevin Gillespie and Archdeacon Willie McMenamin. Around a dozen priests were also in attendance while the gospel was read by Fr Anthony Hartnett, a curate in the Cathedral parish.<\/p>\n

Rector for the Conway parish, Rev Adrian Dorrian, and his wife Anne, representing the Church of Ireland community, were present, as were members of the Orthodox community.<\/p>\n

In the sandstone of the Cathedral, above the main door is carved an easy-to-miss line from the Gospel of John – \u201cBy me if any man enter in he shall be saved\u201d – which speaks of Christ as a doorway.<\/p>\n

Bishop Coll said: \u201cThat compassion of Christ is the reason this cathedral was built. Not simply to stand – but to serve. Not simply to inspire – but to touch hearts and lives. It was built so that people might know they are not alone. That they are seen. That they are loved. And that in Christ, they can find their way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also above the main door are the coats of arms of Pope Leo XIII – the pontiff at the time of the Cathedral\u2019s opening – and Bishop O\u2019Donnell while two statues, of its patrons St Eunan and St Columba, stand guard high at the doorway.<\/p>\n

Bishop Coll told how Pope Leo XIV blessed the newly completed Tower of Jesus Christ in the Sagrada Familia Basilica in Barcelona – the tallest church in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a reminder that in every generation, faith seeks expression – in beauty, in stone, in something that endures,\u201d the St Johnston native said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYes – beautiful churches matter. They lift the heart. They speak poignantly and silently of God. They exist for a purpose – to draw people to Christ \u2026 and to send disciples out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop Coll reflected how, long before heritage or tourism was spoken of, the Cathedral was a \u201ccultural gem\u201d in which faith, art, music and a living sense of community met in what he said was a manner \u201cunsurpassed in this region\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cPerhaps, quietly, it says something more. In a time when faith is sometimes spoken of as fading, or belonging to the past, buildings like this tell another story.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey do so quietly but firmly. They remind us that faith is not a passing fashion. It endures. It takes root. It leaves something lasting behind. Generations come and go. Trends rise and fall. But this cathedral remains. Still drawing people, still inviting prayer, still lifting hearts, still pointing beyond itself to God.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot as a relic of what once was – but as a witness to what still is and a harbinger of what is to come. This is not a museum. It lives. Every day, people come here – for Mass, for prayer, for silence.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For 125 years, the towering Cathedral spire, rising to 240 feet, has stood watch over Letterkenny. The Cathedral,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":499959,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":["post-499958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=499958"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/499958\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/499959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=499958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=499958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=499958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}