Hundreds turn out for parish vigil in Collinstown as Bishop agrees to meeting

Despite the bitter cold, hundreds of parishioners from Collinstown, Drumcree, Fore, Glenidan and other areas of north Westmeath turned out at the grounds of St Mary's Church, Collinstown tonight, for a candlelit vigil as part of their ongoing campaign to convince the Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith, to allow Fr Michael Walsh to stay on as their parish priest.

Prayers and hymns were followed by the news that two delegates from the parish community will meet with Bishop Smith tomorrow morning (Tuesday) to raise concerns about Fr Walsh's proposed move from Collinstown/Fore to Kilcormac/Killoughey.

The vigil – a prayer service for Fr Walsh, Bishop Smith and the people of Collinstown/Fore parish – followed a meeting attended by over 400 people on Saturday night (see tomorrow's paper), at which parishioners expressed their desire to have their beloved parish priest remain in Collinstown, as well as their concerns about the impact which a move to Kilcormac could have on Fr Walsh's health.