Godfrey O'Donnell

Fr. Godfrey O'Donnell is a priest from County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in the Romanian Orthodox Church.

From County Londonderry, O'Donnell, was a Jesuit priest for 28 years,[1] who left the order in 1985 to marry Ruth.[2]

Godfrey and his wife Ruth became involved in the Greek Rite church in Arbour Hill in Dublin, and joined the Romanian Orthodox church in 1999.

Fr O'Donnell was asked by the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Joseph, based in Paris, to help secure a Romanian Orthodox priest for their community in Ireland.[2] In 2000 Godfrey was instrumental in the establishment of Romanian Orthodox services in Dublin, which began in the Chapel in Belvedere College in 2001.[3] In 2004 Fr. Godfrey O'Donnell became the first Irish born person to be ordained a Romanian Orthodox priest.[4] He was ordained in the Chapel of Jesuit, Belvedere College, where Romanian Orthodox services were held each weekend.

Fr. O'Donnell was elected President of the Irish Council of Churches in 2008. In 2013 Fr. O'Donnell was awarded the accolade of ‘Stavrophore’ by the Romanian Orthodox Church.[5]

Rev. Dr. O'Donnell, serves as head of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Ireland, and attends ecumenical and inter-faith, state services such as the National Day of Commemoration in this capacity.

References

  1. ↑ Resurrection and Renewal Lenten Voices Podcast, www.jesuit.ie
  2. 1 2 Orthodox Christians of all shades now have a significant presence in Ireland Patsy McGarry, Irish Times, May 14, 2008.
  3. ↑ Istoric Romanian Orthodox Church Ireland Website
  4. ↑ First Irishman ordained into Romanian church by Kitty Holland, Irish Times, February 16, 2004.
  5. ↑ ICC President Honoured by Romanian Orthodox Church Irish Council of Churches, www.irishchurches.org


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