Killeigh Parish in the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin,
- a parish reaching back through history to the coming of Christianity to Ireland.
Welcome and Thank God for Pope Leo.
May the wisdom of his experience throughout the world guide him,
and may the spirit of Pope Francis who chose him last year to be a Cardinal lead him,
and
As successor to St Peter, 1st bishop of Rome,
may he too be a ROCK.
Pope Leo XIV
The untold story of new elected Pope Robert Prevost:
In 1975 Robert Prevost was at the top of his game. Chicago math teacher. Devout Catholic. Accepted into Harvard Law. He had everything a young man could dream of, But then—he made a decision that no one saw coming. He said no to Harvard
No to a six-figure future. No to fame. No to comfort
And yes—to something few dare to choose: A life of complete surrender. He joined a missionary group and moved to Peru. Not to the cities. Not to the tourist spots .
But to the *most* remote villages—where children die from treatable diseases. And families walk miles just for clean water. There were no roads. No running water. No WiFi
Just mountains. Silence And poverty. But he embraced it like home
Robert didn’t just live *among* the people. He became *one* of them
• Learned Quechua—the sacred language of the Incas
• Carried food on foot for days
• Slept on dirt floors with the villagers
• Prayed under the stars
When he wasn’t building shelters. He taught math to barefoot kids under broken rooftops. When he wasn’t teaching. He carried the sick on donkeys to get help. When he wasn’t healing. He listened—truly listened—to stories no one else cared to hear.
While his friends from back home became lawyers and doctors. He became something else entirely.
A shepherd
A brother
A quiet warrior of faith
And slowly—his legend grew. His acts weren’t broadcasted. But they echoed through the Andes
Bishops noticed
Priests noticed
And eventually—the Vatican noticed
They called him back to lead his entire Augustinian order. From serving a village. To overseeing 2,800 brothers in over 40 countries.
Still—he kept his same sandals
Still—he walked with the poor
Still—he rejected luxury
Then came the call that changed everything:
Rome wanted him closer. In 2020 He was appointed Archbishop and assigned to govern other bishops globally. It was rare. But Robert had never chased tradition. He wasn’t just fluent in Latin or Canon Law.
He was fluent in *compassion*
In humility
In listening
In *presence*
The Vatican didn’t just see a priest. They saw a *leader with soul*. On September 30, 2023. Pope Francis made it official:
Robert Prevost was named a Cardinal. Just one step below the Pope
And then… in 2025
History was made. For the first time ever
An American
A former math teacher
A missionary to the forgotten
Was elevated as the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church
And he didn’t forget the people who shaped him. To this day [the day he became Pope] Robert still returns to the same villages.
Still prays in Quechua
Still sits on dirt floors
Still holds the hands of the elderly in silence
Because leadership he believes:
Is about *presence* not position
The world is obsessed with power.
But Robert Prevost proves:
• Titles mean nothing without service
• Knowledge is useless without love
• And faith—without sacrifice—is noise
He turned down the world. And changed it instead.
Office open: THIS WEEK Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 10.45am-12.45pm:
Please ring 057 93 44161. Leave a voice message with your phone number.
We will follow up as soon as we can. IF URGENT Call the 087 number given.
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Synod's final report calls for all baptised Catholics to shape future church
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KILLEIGH PARISH has five villages:- Killurin, Geashill, Ballinagar, Cloneygowan, & Killeigh.
The name KILLEIGH is thus explained:- Cill Achaidh, Church of the Field;
Earlier:- Acha Droma Fada, the field of the long ridge
Killeigh Parish lies in the shadow of the Sliabh Bloom Mountains. Geographically it is the biggest parish in the diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, and the second biggest in the country.
This parish can trace its history back to the coming of Christianity to Ireland.
Earlier:- Acha Droma Fada, the field of the long ridge
'The Pillars of our Parish' by Olive Cuskelly.
