A FORMER Catholic priest was returned to the ministry yesterday in Naas, Co Kildare, 37 years after he was laicised.
Fr Michael Moloney (67) was ordained in December 1966 for the Society of African Missions and served in Egypt and at the society's Sacred Heart College in Ballinafad, Mayo Abbey, near Castlebar, Co Mayo.
In 1969, Fr Moloney applied to leave the priesthood and he was laicised in May 1971.
In 1972 he married his late wife Marjorie in Zambia. They had one daughter and three sons. The family returned to Ireland where both parents worked as teachers.
Mr Moloney taught at the vocational school in Newbridge, Co Kildare, and retired in recent years. His wife died in July 2005.
He has been living in Naas and it was at the parish church there yesterday that he was readmitted in a ceremony at which the Bishop of Kildare Leighlin, the Most Rev Jim Moriarty, presided.
Dr Moriarty welcomed Fr Moloney into his new family, the family of the priests and people of the diocese. He asked the congregation to pray in a special way for him and for all priests.
Fr Moloney thanked the Society of African Missions, his own family, the priests of Kildare and Leighlin and in particularly those at Tullow, Co Carlow, where he had been doing some pastoral work pending his restoration to the priesthood. He also thanked Dr Moriarty.
In May 2006, Mr Moloney applied to the Vatican for his laicisation to be rescinded and he asked to be readmitted to the exercise of the priestly ministry. His intention was to rejoin the Society of African Missions.
However, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome specified that he must first undertake a refresher programme of theological, liturgical and pastoral courses. He took the required courses at the Milltown Institute in Dublin.
Meanwhile, following discussion with the Society of African Missions congregation, it was agreed on all sides that, rather than returning to the missions, he would apply to serve as a diocesan priest in Kildare and Leighlin.
He applied to Dr Moriarty to be allowed do so last September and his application was granted, pending approval from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome.
In a rescript dated last October 20th, Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, granted the required approval.
Fr Moloney comes from a family of 12 children. He is the second youngest of five boys, two of whom are deceased, and seven sisters. He has four grown-up children, Marc, Paul, Cian and Maeve, and two grandchildren, Cian (5) and Abbie (3).
Two of his sons were at yesterday's ceremony in Naas, as were his grandchildren.
Dr Moriarty has appointed Fr Moloney as curate at the parishes of Daingean and Killeigh in Co Offaly.
