Police on standby as row with Church over burial place erupts
Teresa O'Connor with her children Roisin, Edel, Fiona, Patrick and Vincent and her husband's brothers Liam and Kevin outside Mulleek Cemetery. Picture: Pat Reilly

Wednesday December 29th 2004

A GRIEVING widow was last night being consoled by family and friends after a row erupted with Catholic Church authorities over where her husband could be buried.

Mrs Teresa O'Connor of Scarden, Mulleek Co Fermanagh selected a grave in a new cemetery near her home as his final resting place.

But hours before the funeral of her husband Vincent (62), she was served with a court injunction by a local priest in a bid to prevent her doing so.

The Church claims the graveyard, built by parishioners of St Michael's Church in the village, is in unconsecrated ground.

But local people say it has been blessed by priests.

Tension was running high yesterday morning as the cortege arrived at the church for Mr O'Connor's funeral mass.

To the dismay of Mrs O'Connor, her family and 300 mourners she was told by local curate, Father Ben Hughes he would not be saying the mass.

After a tense stand-off the coffin was carried into the church, the rosary was said and the congregation addressed by a member of the family.

The coffin was then carried to the new graveyard and Mr O'Connor was buried as uniformed members of the PSNI stood by.

Afterwards the heartbroken widow said she could not understand why the priest had refused to say the mass for her late husband.

She added: "Vin died on Christmas Eve in very distressing circumstances which delayed his funeral until yesterday. "Father Ben told us that my husband could not be buried in the new graveyard because it is unconsecrated ground, but he said he would say the mass in the chapel.

"He hinted that if we did bury my husband in unconsecrated ground that the body could be exhumed and buried elsewhere.

Mrs O'Connor said: "He arrived at our house with a court injunction which stopped me from going into the graveyard a matter of hours before the funeral. "This was an attempt to force us into burying my husband in the existing graveyard which is full up."

"I wasn't even allowed to say goodbye to the man I had shared my life with for the past 26 years.

"But I was determined to honour his wishes. Vin wanted to be buried in this new graveyard. I will be having a mass said for my husband in our house shortly."

Mr O'Connor's daughter Edel said the family was under enormous stress because of the "shocking episode".

"We were told by the priest that we could not even bring our father's remains into the chapel.

"But the church isn't just about the priests it is also about the people and we brought him in and said some prayers.

"But why would a priest refuse to say mass for man who was a good parishioner," she said.

Father Hughes declined yesterday to comment on the O'Connor family's claims. The Bishop of Clogher Dr Joseph Duffy was also unavailable.

Gerry McLaughlin

? Irish Independent
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/ & http://www.unison.ie/