300 weddings and 400 funerals: Beauparc Church at heart of community for 40 years

The community of Beauparc celebrated the 40th anniversary of the dedication of the Church of the Assumption on Monday night with a Mass of Thanksgiving in the church, followed by refreshments and a photographic exhibition in Seneschalstown. The Mass was concelebrated by parish priest, Fr Peter Farrelly, alongside Fr Declan Hurley, Adm, Navan, and Fr Seamus Heaney. Following the Mass, tea and sandwiches were served in Seneschalstown GFC Centre, where a photographic exhibition elicited much interest among local people. The exhibition included pictures of weddings, communions and other special occasions in the parish as well as photographs of Fr Farrelly's golden jubilee celebrations. Pictures of the various activities of the active retirement group and of the church as it was being built and dedicated also featured. The exhibition created so much interest, it is now being transferred to the church hall for a number of weeks. Forty years ago on Monday, the church was dedicated by the then Bishop of Meath, Dr John McCormack. Since then, there have been 400 funerals, 296 weddings and 960 baptisms there. Beauparc Church serves approximately 400 houses in the northern section of Beauparc parish. The other half of the parish is served by the recently restored church in Kentstown and both churches are dedicated to Our Lady, under title of the Assumption. The church is in the townland of Seneschalstown, on a site donated by the Aylmer family towards the end of the 18th century. It is the third church to be built on that particular spot. In 1959, Fr Bernard Plunkett formed a committee to make plans for the extension of the church and, on 31st March 1969, workmen began the task of dismantling the old building. Sadly, Fr Plunkett died on 7th March 1970 before the completion of the new church. Fr Patrick Bartley was appointed to succeed him and found the work well underway. The work continued and, at Easter 1971, Fr Bartley opened the new church, which cost £84,000. On 15th August of that year, the new church was solemnly blessed and dedicated by the late Bishop McCormack.