Rosemount's Fr Jimmy on his 60 "fulfilling and varied" years as a priest

As Fr Jimmy Murray prepares to mark the 60th anniversary of his ordination, he reflects on a varied and fulfilled life with the Carmelite Order.

"I'm just looking back and it flew by," the Rosemount native said this week. "There was a variety to life. People were great to work with."

Fr Jimmy's Diamond Jubliee anniversary is Friday, July 11, and he will mark the occasion on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Wednesday next, July 16, with Mass and refreshments at the Carmelite Pastoral Centre.

Fr Jaison Kuthanpillil, who has spent 17 years in Moate, will also celebrate the 25th anniversary of his ordination on the day.

Over the years, Fr Jimmy spent time teaching in Moate and Terenure, and also taught on the missions in Zimbabwe. He has many fond memories of his teaching days.

"They were great schools, and I still have communication with a lot of them. I worked with great teachers and students," said Fr Jimmy, who mainly taught English. He said he still sees many of his past pupils and was always glad to see so many of them going on to third-level education.

Asked about the highlights of his six decades as a Carmelite priest, Fr Jimmy said: "Teaching, and the success of kids. And to see a first generation of pupils, like myself, getting to go to secondary school due to free education."

His own journey into the priesthood began during his school days in the Carmelite College in Moate.

"It was the influence of those priests at the time, they were very good people," he explained. "They worked hard with the local people. A lot of us joined up at the time."

During his time on the missions Fr Jimmy also taught in Zimbabwe.

"I went there towards the end of the war when they were looking for teachers there. They were lovely people and they were trying to get out of the rut they were in and they worked really hard," he said.

Fr Jimmy also spent ten years as parish priest in Knocklyon, Dublin, and it is all these roles which he says gave him great variety in life.

He has seen many changes, too, in his six decades with the Carmelites, and while he began his teaching career in the Carmelite College, he later taught in Moate Community School after the schools amalgamated.

Speaking of his teaching days, he adds: "We had great football success too, and people still talk about that."

Religion and people's faith also changed during Fr Jimmy's time in the priesthood. "The faith of the faithful is not what it was, but we have a great group of people, who are very good. There was a time when there was a blind faith, now people want to be there. They have a lot to give to their communities and to themselves," he said.

And he said that, while vocations have fallen off, there is a hard-working group within the Carmelite Order filling the gaps left by those who have passed on.

As his significant milestone approaches, Fr Jimmy reflected: "Initially, I felt I'd just go to the missions. It turned out to be a different trip but it's been an enjoyable one.

"I worked with great teachers and students and it has been a fulfilling life. I look back with very pleasant memories, and I'm looking forward too. It's great to be healthy, that's a great gift."

* Next week: We speak to Moate-based Fr Jaison Kuthanpillil, who is preparing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his ordination.