Rathkenny priest swaps collar for running shoes in marathon fundraiser

Rathkenny priest Fr Barry White is swapping his clerical collar for running gear this month as he takes on the Dublin City Marathon to raise funds for autism provision in schools in both Slane and Mullingar.

Now based in the Westmeath town, Fr Barry (35), is raising money for ASD provision at Slane National School near where he grew up and St Colmcille’s National School in Gainstown, where he is chaplain.

The cause is one he says has become particularly close to home through his work in schools and his contact with families in both communities.

“I think every charity is important, every charity is worthy, but I think one at the moment that is quite close to home is autism,” he said.

Fr Barry said he is conscious of the need for children with autism to have the right facilities, resources and supports, both in Mullingar and closer to his native Rathkenny.

There are ASD units in schools including Castletown, Newtown and Slane, while St Colmcille’s National School in Gainstown, where Fr Barry is chaplain, also has a new ASD unit.

“I was kind of conscious that autistic children in my own area would be availing of one of those schools, so I decided to pick Slane National School, which has an ASD unit classroom,” he said.

The money raised will go directly towards the ASD units for resources, equipment and facilities.

For Fr Barry, the marathon also brings together two communities which have become important parts of his life since he was ordained.

The Rathkenny native previously spent time in Navan as a student, teacher and trainee teacher before moving to Mullingar, where he said he enjoyed the opportunity to build new connections from scratch.

Now in his fourth year there, he said he has gradually become more connected to the town through his work in the parish, schools and hospital.

“It’s lovely when you get to know a town, you start making so many connections,” he said.

Those connections have developed through the different aspects of parish life, from funerals and hospital visits to his work with children in schools.

He said these different roles can often overlap, helping to create a deeper sense of community.

“It’s a great kind of deeper sense of the community,” he said.

He said he has found Mullingar to be a welcoming place since moving there.

“People are fantastic here in Mullingar. It’s a lovely town. It’s a friendly town,” he said.

That busy parish life has to be fitted around marathon training.

The young priest has run marathons previously, including during Covid and while studying in Belgium, and ran the Dublin City Marathon last year. He also ran the Belfast Marathon in May as part of his preparation for this year’s challenge. Training has continued throughout what has been a busy summer.

“It’s not always easy, kind of when you’re in a parish and you’re getting calls to the hospital late at night and stuff like that, and funerals and demands here in parish,” he said.

“But I’ve been able to keep consistent, which has been brilliant.”

His experience of parish life has also brought him face-to-face with the changing nature of the priesthood.

When Fr Barry returned to the diocese in 2020, having previously left the seminary and worked in education, he said he was under no illusions about the challenges facing the Church.

“You have priests who are older, priests who are retiring, reducing numbers of priests,” he said.

He said there are currently four students for the priesthood, while other young men are also showing an interest.

“There’s definitely hope there,” he said.

At the same time, he acknowledged the reality that some parishes which once had a resident priest are now being served by a priest covering more than one parish.

Fr Barry said the Church would need to continue finding ways for parishes to work together, with pastoral areas and parish pastoral councils having an increasingly important role.

He said discussions within the diocese had shown that people want a sense of “community” and “belonging”, with parishes being encouraged to share resources and develop faith formation.

“It’s about empowering the laity on the ground,” he said.

Despite the challenges facing the Church, Fr Barry also sees reasons for hope when it comes to younger generations.

His work in schools gives him regular opportunities to encounter young people through sacramental preparation, school Masses and other celebrations.

He said young people are open to prayer and reflection, particularly in a world dominated by technology, social media and artificial intelligence.

“It’s something new and something different actually coming to a place, and it’s quite peaceful to gather the thoughts and to think and to be open to reflection and prayer,” he said.

While he said young people are “not coming back in droves”, he believes there is a growing curiosity among some.

“There’s a kind of a curiosity there,” he said, pointing to young people involved in third-level chaplaincies who have shown an interest in pilgrimages, retreats and exploring their faith more deeply."

A coffee morning fundraiser will also be held at Rathkenny Community Centre on Saturday, October 10, from 11am to 2pm, with proceeds going towards the two schools. The event will support the ASD units at St Patrick’s National School in Slane and St Colmcille’s National School in Gainstown, Mullingar, with the organisers inviting the community to come along, enjoy a cuppa and help make a difference.