Caption Monsignor Séamus Horgan greeting Pope Francis in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City (Catholic Communications Office archive)
- Pope Francis appointed Monsignor Séamus Horgan, a priest of the diocese of Killaloe, as the Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan on 14 May 2024
- At 11.00am this Saturday the Ordination Mass will be live-streamed via the Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral webcam. To access click here.
- Principal Consecrator Cardinal Pietro Parolin, with Co-Consecrators Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and Bishop Fintan Monahan
You, or a representative, are invited to the celebration of Mass for the Episcopal Ordination of Papal Nuncio-elect Monsignor Séamus Horgan. Details:
Date and time Saturday 27 July, 11.00am
Venue Cathedral of Saint Peter and Paul, Ennis, Co Clare, Diocese of Killaloe
In attendance Laity, religious, clergy, family and guests
Media arrangements
As space is limited, journalists wishing to attend should make contact with the Diocesan Communications Officer, Father Brendan Quinlivan by Friday 26 July, for accreditation on +353 (0) 87 273 6310 or [email protected]
At 10.00am on Saturday 27 July, Father Brendan will be available to brief journalists at the dedicated media centre located in the nearby, in the Cathedral Presbytery beside the Cathedral. The media centre will be open until after the Mass and will offer internet access and refreshments. Hard copies of the homily to be delivered by Papal Nuncio-elect Monsignor Horgan and other addresses from the Mass, the ordination booklet which contains details of the liturgy and the biography of Monsignor Séamus Horgan and related information on the Diocese will be available here.
Following the conclusion of the Mass, the new Archbishop Horgan will greet members of the congregation and assembled guests in the parish hall.
The diocese has retained the following photographers for the Ordination. Photographs from the ceremony for publication purposes will be available to media by contacting:
Pat Hanrahan +353 (0) 86 875 8723 [email protected]
John O’Neill +353 (0) 86 226 1041 [email protected]
Details on the Ordination Ceremony
The Principal Consecrator will be Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State.
Co-Consecrators will include: Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation and Bishop Fintan Monahan, Bishop of Killaloe.
Concelebrants will include:
- Cardinal Christophe Louis Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States
- Archbishop Eugene Nugent, Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain
- Archbishop Michael Crotty, Apostolic Nuncio to Burkina Faso and Niger, just been appointed as Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria in the past week.
- Archbishop Luis Montemayor, Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
- Archbishop Kevin Randall, Apostolic Nuncio to Bangladesh
- Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly SMA, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly
- Archbishop Francis Duffy, Archbishop of Tuam
- Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore and a classmate of Monsignor Horgan
- Bishop Tom Deenihan, Bishop of Meath
- Bishop Ger Nash, Bishop of Ferns and native of Killaloe
- Bishop Willie Walsh, Bishop Emeritus of Killaloe
In addition, members of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, both serving and retired, and other clergy from the Diocese of Killaloe will be present. Family members and friends of Monsignor Horgan, along with lay representatives from across the Diocese, will also be present and involved in the ceremony. Representatives of other Christian denominations are also expected to be in attendance as well as civic leaders and local and national public representatives.
The Ennis Cathedral Choir will perform the music throughout the liturgy under the direction of Fiona Walsh. The Master of Ceremonies will be Father Ger Jones, Diocesan Secretary.
Fiona Walsh: Director of Cathedral Choir
Eoin Shanahan: Organist
Master of Ceremonies: Father Ger Jones
The new Archbishop’s chaplains are Father Robert McCabe and Father Ignatius McCormack.
Father Roland Colhaun, CC of Ardstraw (the location of the Titular diocese of the New Archbishop) will also be present.
Local public representatives in attendance
CEO Clare County Council Pat Dowling
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council Councillor Alan O’Callaghan
Cathaoirleach of Ennis Municipal District Councillor Colleran Molloy
West Clare MD Councillor Rita McInerney
Killaloe MD Councillor Joe Cooney
Shannon MD Councillor Pat O’ Gorman
ENDS
Life and Ministry of Monsignor Séamus Horgan
Born in 1968 in Ennis, Co Clare, in the Diocese of Killaloe, Ireland, Monsignor Séamus Horgan attended the local primary school, before completing his secondary schooling at Saint Flannan’s College, Ennis.
He entered Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth in 1987. After completing a BA (National University of Ireland) in 1990 and a Baccalaureate in Theology (Pontifical University, Maynooth) in 1993, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Killaloe on 11 June 1994.
Following six years of pastoral ministry in his Diocese, he was sent to Rome in the year 2000 for further studies. After completing a Licence in Canon Law (Pontifical Gregorian University), he joined the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome to prepare for the service of the Holy See.
Upon completion of his doctoral studies in Canon Law in 2005, he entered the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See and has served in the following capacities:
- Attaché and then Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Kampala (2005-2008);
- Secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature in Berne (2008-2012);
- Secretary and then Counsellor of the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila (2012-2015);
- Minutante (Desk Officer) in the II Section of the Secretariat of State in Rome (2015-2020);
- First Counselor at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington (2020-present).
In 2008, he was appointed a Chaplain of His Holiness and in 2019 a Prelate of Honour. Monsignor Horgan speaks English, Italian and French, and he has a working knowledge of German.
