Clergy

Rev. James Butler Born: 2nd December 1904, Donagh-more, Co. Limerick Education: St. Munchin's, Sacred Heart College, Limerick, St. Patrick's College, Carlow Knockbeg College, the Junior Seminary of the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. Ordained: 9th June 1929 Assistant Priest: Sacred Heart, Bridgeton 1929-1943 Assistant Priest: Holy Family, Mossend 1943-1949 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart, Bellshill 1949 Died: 10th October 1958 Buried: St Patrick’s Cemetery, New Stevenston

Born: 25th November 1901 at Glasgow Education: St. Mary's College, Blairs (1918-1922) and Scots College, Rome (1922-1929). Ordained: 6th May, 1928 in Rome. Assistant Priest: St Bridget’s Baillieston 1929-1932 Assistant Priest: St John’s Barrhead 1932-1934 Assistant Priest: St John the Baptist’s Uddingston 1934-1949 Parish Priest: St Isidore’s Biggar 1949-1950 Parish Priest: Our Lady and St John’s Blackwood 1950-1953 Parish Priest: St Kevin’s Bargeddie 1953-1958 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart Bellshill 1958-1967 Installed as a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter: 1964 Died: 20th May 1967, Bon Secours Hospital, Langside Buried: St Patrick’s Cemetery New Stevenston

Born: 16th March 1926 Tullycar, Aghyaran, Ordained: 4th June 1950 in St Mary's Cathedral, Killarney Assistant Priest: Our Lady & St. Joseph's, Glenboig 1950-1955 Assistant Priest: St. Barbara's, Muirhead 1955-1958 Assistant Priest: St. Columbkille's, Rutherglen 1958-1967 Parish Priest: St. Gerard's, Bellshill 1967-1977 Parish Priest: St. James', Coatbridge 1977-1981 Parish Priest: St. Anthony's, Rutherglen 1981-1987 Parish Priest: Our Lady & St. John's, Blackwood 1987-2001 Retired: 2001 Died: Good Friday, 18th April 2014, Omagh, Ireland Buried: St. Patrick’s Church, Aghyaran, Derry Diocese

Born: 2nd January 1913, Baillieston Education: St Aloysius’ College Glasgow, Pontifical Scots College Rome Ordained: 1935 Vice Rector: Pontifical Scots College, Rome, 1938-1958 Rector: Royal Scots College, Valladolid, 1958-1960 Rector: Pontifical Scots College, Rome, 1960-1967 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart, Bellshill 1967-1978 Parish Priest: St Aloysius’, Chapelhall 1978-19 Died: 22nd November 1983 Buried: St Patrick’s Cemetery, New Stevenston

Born: 27th March 1927 Keady Co. Antrim Education: St Patrick’s College, Carlow Ordained: 7th June 1953at Carlow College Assistant Priest: St Barbara’s, Muirhead 1953-1958 Assistant Priest: St Bride’s, Cambuslang 1958-1967 Assistant Priest: St Clare’s, Easterhouse 1967-1972 Parish Priest: St Paul’s, Hamilton 1972-1977 Parish Priest: St Gerard’s, Bellshill 1977-1984 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart, Salsburgh and St Catherine’s, Harthill 1977-1992 Parish Priest: St Thomas’, Wishaw 1992-2002 Retired: 2002 Died: 30th March 2016, Newry

After his ordination in 1945, Father Thomas McGurk spent four years studying at Cambridge where he was a blue (football) and for 14 years was a professor at Blair's. He came to Bellshill in 1978 after having been the Director of Religious Education for Motherwell Diocese since 1969. During his time in Sacred Heart parish, the Saturday Vigil was introduced replacing the Sunday Evening Mass. In 1980, Fr McGurk founded, along with the Rev. Barr and others, the Bellshill Cross Centre, a drop-in centre for people with drink related problems. Sacred Heart SVDP gave financial aid to help it survive before it became state funded. Fr McGurk was Parish Priest at the time of the historic Papal Visit of 1982 and led the parish in preparation for those wonderful days and Murrayfield and Bellahouston. In 1983, Fr McGurk moved to become Parish Priest of Christ the King in his home town of Holytown and was made a Canon in 1988. Canon McGurk died on 17th May 1991 aged 69. After his Requiem Mass in Motherwell Cathedral, he was buried in St Patrick's Cemetery, New Stevenston. Fr McGurk's sister was the first head teacher of St Gerard's Primary School, Bellshill when the school opened in 1973.

Born: 20th August 1931, Co Kerry Education: St Kieran's Kilkenny Ordained: 6th June 1954, Kilkenny. Assistant Priest: St Brigid’s, Newmains 1954-1963 Assistant Priest: St Bernadette’s Motherwell 1963-1970 Assistant Priest: Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell 1970-1975 Parish Priest: Christ the King, Holytown 1975-1983 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart, Bellshill 1983-1992 Parish Priest: St Serf’s, Airdrie 1992-2012 Installed as Canon of the Cathedral Chapter: 2001 Retired: 2012 Died: 21st September 2019 Buried: St Joseph’s Cemetery, Airdrie

Timothy Brosnan was born in Knockanimiris, Headford, Killarney, one of six children to Timothy and Hannah Brosnan. He studied for the priesthood at St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny, and was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Motherwell on 2nd June 1957 in St Mary’s Cathedral, Killarney, by Bishop Patrick Collier of the Diocese of Ossary. His brother, Father Patrick Brosnan, also became a Priest for Motherwell Diocese and was ordained in 1953, serving in various parts of the Diocese. Father Patrick sadly died on 26th March 1995 whilst serving as Parish Priest of St Patrick’s, Coatbridge. May he rest in peace. Father Timothy Brosnan arrived in Scotland in the summer of 1957 and took up his first appointment as curate in St Mungo’s Garthamlock (1957-1960) before moving to be curate of St Margaret’s Airdrie (1960-1971). It was in 1971 that Father Brosnan came to Bellshill for his first appointment in the town, as Assistant Priest of Sacred Heart Parish (1971-1976). During his time in Sacred Heart he got to know many of the families, marry many of the couples and baptise many of the babies whom he would later serve as Parish Priest in St Gerard’s Parish. He remained in Bellshill until1976 when he moved to Chapelhall to serve as curate of St Aloysius’ Parish. In 1981, in his 24th year of the Priesthood, Father Brosnan received his first Parish Priest appointment when he was appointed to St Benedict’s, Easterhouse (1981-1984), an appointment which he spoke very fondly of for many years. On Sunday 21st October, 1984, Father Brosnan arrived in St Gerard’s Parish as he took up appointment as the new Parish Priest. This was his second appointment in Bellshill and where he was to remain for the following 27 years of his active ministry until his retirement. Continuing the work of his predecessors, Father Brosnan helped to build St Gerard’s up to be an active and thriving parish with a wonderful spiritual and devotional life. He introduced many new groups and initiatives into the parish including the Choir and Care Group. A man of great faith with a strong devotion to Our Lady, Father Brosnan encouraged parishioners to enter into a deeper relationship with Christ by fostering a greater prayer and spiritual life. Father helped to encourage this through the many prayer groups, Missions and retreats which he offered as well as the wonderful devotional life which he helped to establish and grow in the parish through daily Adoration, Rosaries, Benediction, Devotions and Novenas. Each day Father Brosnan paid a visit to St Gerard’s Primary where he would spend time in each class and was a great support to both pupils and staff. It is often commented on that he knew every single child in the school by name. Father Brosnan also had a great love for the sick, spending time each week visiting the sick and housebound parishioners of the parish at home and hospital. He also spent a few hours each day visiting the homes of parishioners with every family in the parish receiving a visit at least twice a year, something which was greatly appreciated by parishioners. And he still managed to find time to maintain his gardens which were his pride and joy and brought great pleasure to both parishioners and passers-by alike. In 2007, Father Brosnan celebrated with, no fuss, the Golden Jubilee of his Ordination. The following year, on 17th April 2008, Father Brosnan was installed as a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter in Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell, by Bishop Joseph Devine. Canon’s time in the Parish came to an end in March 2011 when he retired from active ministry due to ill health and returned home to Ireland. His time with us may have ended but his memory and legacy lives on to this day as does the love and affection which the parishioners have for him. Canon Brosnan spent 54 years in active ministry in the Diocese of Motherwell, 32 of which were spent in Bellshill and more than half of his ministry was spent in St Gerard’s Parish. Canon Brosnan was resident Our Lady of Lourdes Care Home, Kilcummin, Killarney, where he died on Tuesday 13th March 2018. His Requiem mass was celebrated on Friday 16th March in the Church of The Sacred Heart, Barraduff. May he rest n peace.

Andrew Reen was born in Kerry, Ireland and was ordained a Priest for the Diocese of Motherwell in 1953. Fr Reen arrived at Sacred Heart in 1992 from St Bride's Bothwell where he had been Parish Priest from 1984. Fr Reen initiated perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in Sacred Heart Church in October 1996, visited the homes in the parish, particularly the housebound and the lonely and each Easter & Christmas led the delivery of leaflets to all homes in the parish. The Lenten & Advent faith sharing groups and the Legion of Mary were both very close to his heart. He was installed as a Canon of the Cathedral Chapter in 1997 by Bishop Joseph Devine in Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell. Canon Reen retired as Parish Priest in September 2011, moving into residence in St Gerard's Parish for over a year before returning to his native Ireland.

Born: 9th January 1964, Chryston Education: St Ambrose’s High School, Coatbridge, Chesters and Scotus Colleges, Bearsden. Ordained: 24th June 1998, St Barbara’s, Muirhead Assistant Priest: St Bride’s, East Kilbride 1998-2003 Army Chaplain: 2003-2005 Assistant Priest: Sacred Heart, Bellshill 2005-2011 Parish Priest: St Gerard’s, Bellshill 2011-2013 Parish Priest: St Brendan’s, Motherwell 2013-2019 Parish Priest: Holy Family, Mossend 2019-2024 Parish Priest: Our Lady and St Joseph’s Glenboig 2024-Present

Born: 24th August 1967 Education: Scotus College, Bearsden Ordained: 26th June 1999, St Columbkille’s, Rutherglen. Assistant Priest: St Thomas’, Wishaw 1999-2001 Assistant Priest: St Aidan’s Wishaw 2001-2005 Assistant Priest: Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral, Motherwell 2005-2011 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart, Bellshill 2011-2018 Parish Priest: St Gerard’s, Bellshill 2013-2018 Parish Priest: Sacred Heart and St Gerard’s, Bellshill 2018-2020 Parish Priest: St Patrick’s, Coatbridge 2020-Present