Fr. Grant Neville celebrates retirement

KILLALOE – After 45 years serving in Killaloe, Cormac, Brudenell and Combermere, Father Grant Neville has retired.

On September 7, parishioners from all over made their way to St. Andrew’s Catholic Church to say farewell and celebrate Fr. Neville’s many years of service. This was Fr. Neville’s final mass, and the church was packed with people and memories.

The Mass of Thanksgiving in honour of Fr. Neville saw a tremendous outpouring of thanks from the communities that he touched and was a part of.

As the mass began, John Gagnon and Carrie Ann Shields provided readings in advance of Fr. Scott Murray’s homily.

Fr. Murray’s homily discussed the importance of the church within a community, something Fr. Neville is no stranger to.

Fr. Neville comes from Pembroke, his primary and secondary school taking place within the city. He then went off to Kitchener and Resurrection College where he studied philosophy. After a further four years at St. Augustine in Toronto, he was ordained in 1969.

His first parish as pastor was St. Anne’s Cormac/Our Lady of Angels Brudenell, where he spent 14 years. Over the years, he has served in Arnprior, Deep River and Combermere. In 2004, he came to St. Andrew’s in Killaloe and has been there ever since. 

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