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Very Rev. Patrick canon moss
Born on the 16th March 1926, the youngest of ten children to John and Elizabeth Moss of Tullycar, Aghyaran, Very Rev. Patrick Canon Moss was ordained for the Diocese of Motherwell on 4th June 1950 in St Mary's Cathedral, Killarney, by Bishop Patrick Collier of the Diocese of Ossary.
Following his ordination, his first parish appointment was to Our Lady & St. Joseph's, Glenboig (1950-1955) where he served as an Assistant Priest until 1955. During his time there he served under the Parish Priest, Canon Patrick Kelly, who was later Parish Priest of Holy Family, Mossend when Canon Moss was Parish Priest of St. Gerard's.
From Glenboig he moved just up the road to St. Barbara's, Muirhead (1955-1958) where he served for 3 years as an Assistant. In 1958 he was appointed Assistant Priest of St. Columbkille's, Rutherglen,(1958-1967) a change from his first two parish as this was a large city parish and he was serving alongside another three curates as well as the Parish Priest.
In 1967 he was appointed Parish Priest of the new Parish of St. Gerard's, Bellshill.
During his time in our Parish, it fell to him the responsibilities to form this new parish, over see the building of the new Church and Presbytery which opened in 1971, and help to bring the community together and enable our parish to have its own identity. He was also instrumental in the establishing of St Gerard's Primary School in 1973, working closely with the Head Teacher and Staff.
After ten years in St. Gerard's, he served as Parish Priest of St. James', Coatbridge (1977-1981) and St. Anthony's, Rutherglen (1981-1987). His final appointment, where he was to remain for forteen years until his retirement, was as Parish Priest of Our Lady & St. John's, Blackwood (1987-2001).
In 2000 he celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his ordination to the Priesthood and then in 2001 decided to retire from active ministry and return to his native Ireland.
Canon Moss peacefully died on Good Friday, 18th April 2014 in Omagh, Ireland following a short illness. His Requiem Mass was celebrated in St. Patrick’s Church, Aghyaran, Derry Diocese, by the Parish Priest, Fr. John Gilmore. He was laid to rest alongside his parents and family members in the Church grounds of St. Patrick's, wearing the set of vestments which had been given to him by St Gerard's Primary School.
When celebrating his jubilee, the faithful of St. Gerard's said of Canon Moss: ‘We shall always recall your memory with love and affection, thinking how happy we have been to have had a priest who exemplifies so well what Chaucer said hundreds of years ago:
‘But Christes love, and his Apostles twelve
He taught but first he followed it himself’
May he rest in peace. Amen.