Fr Gerry Rice to retire

Fr Gerry Rice, the long-serving parish priest of Kilcloon-Batterstown parish, is retiring in the latest round of diocesan clergy changes announced this week. Fr Stan Deegan, who has been on sabbatical studies, is to take up the position. Fr Deegan is a native of Ballinagore, Co Westmeath, and was ordained in July 1992 in Castletown-Geoghegan. He served as curate in Kinnegad from 1992 to 1997, and Rochfortbridge from August 1997 until his appointment as parish priest in September 2004. Fr Deegan was director of the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Knock for many years and has been on sabbatical studies in Jerusalem, Australia and Africa for the last year. Fr Rice, who celebrated his golden jubilee this year, is well-known in academic and historical circles. He was ordained in 1961 in St Patrick's College, Maynooth. The first seven years of his priesthood were spent in the Diocese of Ossory, first as chaplain to the De La Salle Monastery in Castletown, Portlaoise, and then as curate in St Patrick's Parish, Kilkenny. In 1968, he was appointed to the staff of St Patrick's Classical School, Navan, where he taught English and history until 1986 when he was appointed principal of St Mary's Diocesan School, Drogheda, until 1994. He took sabbatical leave for a year in 1994 where he taught Anglo-Irish literature in the Sichuan province in China. In 1995, he was appointed parish priest of Kilcloon. During his tenure, significant renovations of the churches of the parish have been carried out. The only other move announced by Bishop Michael Smith is the retirement of Fr Michael Walsh, PP, Tubber, with Fr Tony Gavin, CC, Rosemount, appointed Administrator of Tubber. Fr Walsh is a native of Navan and was ordained in Rome on in 1957. He was professor in All Hallows College from 1957 to 1977. He served as curate in Skryne from 1977 to 1981, then served for three years as curate in Trim before being appointed parish priest of Tubber in June 1985. Fr Gavin is a native of Cabra, Dublin, and was ordained in Dunboyne in September 2002. He served as curate in Dunboyne from October 2002 until appointment as curate in Rosemount in September 2008.