A commemorative sculpture was unveiled at Loughrea Cathedral yesterday to the memory of the late archbishop Michael Courtney, who was assassinated in Burundi in 2003.
The 8ft (2.4m) limestone sculpture was commissioned by the diocese of Clonfert. It was unveiled in the grounds of the cathedral following an anniversary Mass. The sculpture is by Tom Glendon. In his homily, the chief celebrant at the Mass, Bishop of Clonfert John Kirby, remembered Archbishop Courtney's unwavering pursuit of peace in Burundi.
"While we do not know who planned his death, we know something about his motivation for life. He believed in the richness of life and lived his own life to the full. He gave of his best both in his work as a diplomat of the Holy See and in his recreational pursuits. As apostolic nuncio in a severely divided country, he worked assiduously to help to bring peace.
"We are unveiling a memorial to the life of Archbishop Michael Courtney. We are proud of his work and his achievements as a representative of the Holy See. We are conscious, as he always was, of his sharing in the priesthood of the Clonfert diocese."
Also in attendance were the Papal Nuncio, the Most Rev Dr Giuseppe Lazzarotto; Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Dr Seán Brady, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary, Bishop Willie Walsh of the diocese of Killaloe, and the Minister for European Affairs, Noel Treacy.
Members of the late archbishop's family were present.
Archbishop Courtney, who was 58 when he was shot dead in Burundi on December 29th, 2003, was a native of Summerhill in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. The archbishop died after he sustained fatal wounds in an ambush on the car in which he was travelling near the Burundian capital, Bujumbura.