On the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Sunday 29 June 2014, Rev. Dominic McGrattan was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Down and Connor at a ceremony held in Saint Patrick’s Church, Portaferry by Most Rev. Noel Treanor, Bishop of Down and Connor.
Father Dominic McGrattan (30), the youngest of seven children, is a native from the parish of Portaferry. Following his early studies at Saint Mary’s Primary School, Portaferry and St Columbas’ College, Portaferry, he pursued undergraduate studies in Law at Trinity College, Dublin followed by postgraduate studies specialising with a Masters (LLM) in Commercial Law at St Edmund’s College, Cambridge.
In August 2008, Father Dominic entered St Malachy’s College Seminary, Belfast where he began his formation for the priesthood and studied scholastic philosophy at Queens University Belfast. In August 2009, Father Dominic continued his formation programme in the Pontifical Irish College, Rome where he completed a degree in Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Following his ordination as a deacon in Rome in April 2013, Father Dominic returned to St Edmund’s College, Cambridge where he is currently completing a Masters (M. Phil.) in Christian Theology.
Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, Bishop Treanor said: “We wish you God’s grace and blessing for your future ministry in the priesthood. We pray that you will find Christian joy and peace in your service of the Kingdom of God and its values. We pray too that you will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to seek out with gentleness and compassion those in need of God’s loving-kindness”.
29 June 2014