Saturday, 4th February 2012

Chaplains to the Deaf Community

Chaplaincy Team – Armagh Metropolitan                                                                                    
 
The Chaplaincy team can be contacted at the following address:

St Joseph's Centre for Deaf People
321 Grosvenor Road
BELFAST
BT12 4LR
Tel. 028 9044 8211

Click on bold fonts for external links.

 
Denise Flack - Coordinator of Northern Chaplaincy to the Deaf                                         
 
Denise Flack is a native of Belfast. After graduating from Queen's University in 1980 with a B.A. in Scholastic Philosophy, she worked in Holland for a year, before  further study in Wales and England, qualifying first as a mainstream teacher and then as a teacher of the deaf. During the remainder of the 1980s, Denise taught deaf children in Strabane, Bradford, Craigavon and Tecconnaught.

In 1990, Denise headed to Bolivia as a member of Viatores Christi, spending over two years as a Pastoral Worker in the parish of Coroico. On returning to Ireland, she was appointed to the staff  of Jordanstown Schools in 1993. In mid 1995 Denise returned to Bolivia. Her arrival coincided with funding for a new rural school for deaf students and she took up the dual position of first principal and administrator of the Centro Audiologico Multifuncional (CAM, situated in Punata in the Archdiocese of Cochabamba). Other  activities there included teacher training and prison visitation.

Denise returned to her post in Jordanstown in December 1997. She participated in the two year part-time Living Faith introductory theology course from 1998 to 2000. She also completed an M.Ed in the field of deaf education.

She took up her present position as a Chaplain with the Deaf Community in August 2007 and is a member of the Northern Ireland Healthcare Chaplains' Association.  She continues to be an active member of Viatores Christi, and maintains links with Bolivian colleagues as they develop services to deaf people in that country. 

Denise is a member the National Chaplaincy for Deaf People Team with responsibility for the Northern Dioceses.  She works closely with clergy throughout the North and is always happy to hear from parishes that may need her assistance in ministering to the Deaf Community.

Mob.        078 7764 3961
Fax.         028 9068 7010
Address:   St John's Presbytery, 470 Falls Road, Belfast, BT12 6EN

Send Denise an Email

  
Very Rev. Paul Strain P.P. (Parish of St. John)                                                                           

 
Fr. Paul Strain is a native of the Parish of St Colmcille's, Dundonald.  He entered St. Joseph Seminary in Belfast 1977 and after completing a B.A. he continued his Theological studies in Rome for a year before transferring to St Patrick's College, Maynooth to complete his B.D. He was ordained in 1985 and was appointed to assist in the Parish of St John the Evangelist on the Falls Road whilst studying for a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in St Mary's University College.

In 1986 he was appointed full time chaplain with deaf people in the Diocese of Down and Connor and worked from St Joseph's Centre along with Sr Rose and Brother Jennings.  In 1989 he was appointed to work in the Cathedral (St Peter's) on a part-time basis whilst continuing as Chaplain with deaf people. In 1995 he received an appointment in St Paul's as a part-time curate.  In the year 2000 he was installed as Parish priest of Killyleagh where he ministered for eight years.  On the 23rd of October 2008 he returned to St John's Parish, this time as Parish Priest, where he currently ministers.

Tel.           028 4482 8211
Fax.          028 4482 1521
Address:   St John's Presbytery, 470 Falls Road, Belfast, BT12 6EN

Send Fr Paul Strain an Email

 
Sr. Maeliosa Byrne O.P.                                                                                                                        

 
 Sr. Maeliosa Byrne:

Tel.         028 9044 8211 (St Joseph's)
Address: St Joseph's Centre for Deaf People, 321 Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 4LR

 
 
 
Very Rev. Patrick Devlin P.P. (Parish of St Vincent De Paul, Ligoniel)                          

 
 Fr. Patrick Devlin is a native of St Michael the Archangel Parish, Belfast.  He was educated at St John the Baptist Boys' School and La Salle Boys' School.
Fr Devlin commenced his seminary studies at St Joseph's Seminary whilst studying philosophy at Queen's University, Belfast.  He then continued his studies with theology at St Patrick's College, Maynooth.  He was ordained to the priesthood in the Church of St Michael the Archangel on the 12th of October 1998 by  the Most Reverend  Michael Dallat.

His first appointment was to St Patrick's Parish, Belfast followed by St Anne's.  In August 2002 he was appointed to the Parish of St Oliver Plunkett, Belfast.  In October 2008 he was appointed as curate in the Parish of Downpatrick, residing at St Colmcille's. On 2nd August 2010, he was appointed as Parish Priest of St. Vincent De Paul, Ligoniel.

 

Tel.          028 9071 3401
Address:  St. Vincent de Paul Presbytery, 169 Ligoniel Road, Belfast, BT14 8DP.  

 

Very Rev. Darach Mac Giolla Catháin P.P. (Parish of Corpus Christi)                           

 
Fr. Darach Mac Giolla Catháin is a native of St Michael the Archangel Parish, Belfast.  He received his primary education at Bunscoil Phobal Feirste and St Oliver Plunkett Primary School and secondary education at La Salle Boys' School, Belfast.

He studied Accountancy at the University of Ulster at Jordanstown before studying Philosophy at the Queen's University of Belfast and commencing formation for the priesthood at St Joseph's Seminary.  His formation continued in the Pontifical Irish College, Rome where his Undergraduate Theological studies were at the Gregorian University and Postgraduate studies in Spirituality were at the Angelicum University.

Following a Deaconate year in the parish of Upper Mourne (Kilkeel), Fr Darach was ordained to the Presbyterate of Down & Connor in the Church of St Michael the Archangel by Most Reverend Patrick Walsh D.D. on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, 13th of May 2000.

His first appointment was as a curate to St Paul's Parish on the Falls Road and as a chaplain to the Deaf community.  On the 9th of August 2002 he was appointed as a curate in the Parish of St Luke. On the 2nd August 2010, he was appointed as Parish Priest of Corpus Christi in Belfast  He continues to minister to the Deaf Community as well as being  a Chaplain to the Irish Medium Schools in the Diocese.

Tel.         028 9024 6857
Address: Corpus Christi Presbytery, 4-6 Springhill Grove, Belfast, BT12 7SL

 
 
Rev. Gary Toman (Catholic Chaplain at Queen's University of Belfast)                         

 

Fr. Gary Toman is a native of Loughinisland Parish.  He was educated at St Patrick's Grammar School, Downpatrick.

He began his undergraduate studies in Biochemistry  at Queen's University, Belfast in 1991.  He continued his studies in this area after entering St Joseph's Seminary a year later.  Following completion of a an M.A. in Philosophy he moved on to St Patrick's College, Maynooth where he studied theology.  He was ordained to the priesthood in St Macartan's Church, Loughinisland on the 12th of June 1999 by Most Reverend Anthony Farquhar D.D.

His first appointment was to St Colmcille's parish, Belfast.  Since the 13th of August 2003 he has been the Catholic Chaplain at the Queen's University of Belfast.

Tel.         028 9066 9737
Fax.        028 9068 7010
Address: Catholic Chaplaincy, Queen's University of Belfast, 28 Elmwood Avenue, Belfast, BT9 6AY

Website: www.qubcc.org