The Rower Inistioge Vocations – An Anthology by Fr Richard Scriven will be launched by Bishop Dermot Farrell in The Rower Hall on Friday 10th May at 8pm. All welcome to a celebration and acknowledgement of over 130 priests and religious from the Parish. The publications lists the lives and endeavours of priests and religious who were born in the parish and who worked in the four corners of the world.

This book had its genesis in the Bicentenary of The Rower Church which was celebrated in 2016. The local committee decided to print this book which celebrates the lives of over 130 natives of the parish of Inistioge who were ordained or who joined religious orders and served the church both locally and internationally. Beginning with the life of Fr John Lyng, Tintine who was born in 1801 (and who died as parish priest of Windgap in 1863) the book records the lives of these native sons and daughters of the parish. They left their native parish, from Ballavarra to Cuffesgrange, Ballyvoole to Trinidad, Kilkieran to Manchester, Ballygub to Bennettsbridge, The Rower to Baker City, Ballycocksuist to Rangoon, Tincurraunne to Rosbercon, Cluen to Australia, Farrentemple to Ballyragget, Inistioge to Portarlington, Coohill to Castlecomer, Coolrainey to Ceylon, Clodiagh to Calcutta. For some, the journey was short, for others further afield. But with common purpose, they all carried the faith of their parish and of their families to the ends of the earth.

In welcoming the book Bishop Farrell wrote: I welcome the publication of Vocations from the Rower Inistioge, An Anthology which documents the names and lives of priests and religious from the parish of Inistioge. It is important not to let information collected in this work be lost, especially at a time when the past so easily gets forgotten. It is an indispensable source of research on priests and religious from the Rower Inistioge. The Book will be launched by Bishop Farrell and will be available for sale on the night and locally.