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  • <p>Priests in the Parish from 1872 - 1939:</p><p><em>(From&nbsp;Top to Bottom)</em></p><p><em>Left Column:</em></p><p>1 - Very Rev. L Canon Byrne, ADM. And P.P. (1872 - 1907);</p><p>2 - Rev. F. Kerr, C.C (1889 - 1919);</p><p>3 - <em>(Bottom Left) </em>Rev. E. O&#39;Connor, C.C. (1919 - 1920)</p><p><em>Middle Column</em></p><p>1 - Rev B. O&#39;Connor, C.C. (1888 - 1905)</p><p>2 - Canon Grimes, P.P. (1907 - 1921)</p><p>3 - Rev. E. Murphy, C.C. (1920 - 1939)</p><p><em>Right Side</em></p><p>1 - Thomas Canon McDonald (1921 - 1937)</p><p>2 - <em>(Far Right)</em> Rev P.J. Toner, D.D. C.C. (1921 - 1930)</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
  • <p>Letter from Canon MacLarnon on the Opening of St John the Baptist Church (1977)&nbsp;</p><p><em>Original Text:</em></p><p align="center"><em>c&eacute;ad mile f&aacute;ilte</em></p><p align="left"><em>&quot;Today the people of Drumcree celebrate a day which has been long looked forward to and ardently prayed for. They are profoundly thankful to God as the prepare to welcome the 133th successor of St Patrick, Archbishop Tom&aacute;s O&#39;Fiaich, to Portadown for the first time, just a few days after his Episcopal Ordination in Armagh.</em></p><p align="left"><em>They welcome also their friends from many places who have encouraged them and materially helped them in the building of Drumcree&#39;s new Church. Especially do they welcome those Priests who have laboured among them in years gone by, as well as their own native priest sons who have come home today to con-celebrate Mass with their new Archbishop. </em></p><p align="left"><em>It is out prayer today that this new Church of Drumcree will be a bulwark of the faith as was the old, and a testimony of future generations that the Drumcree people of 1977, in all their trials and difficulties, were not found wanting.&quot; </em></p><p align="center"><em>Francis MacLarnon P.P.</em></p>
  • <p>Letter from Cardinal Tom&aacute;s&nbsp;O&#39;Fiaich on Opening of St John&#39;s Church in 1977&nbsp;</p><p><em>Original Text:</em></p><p align="right"><em>Ara Coeli</em></p><p align="right"><em>Armagh</em></p><p align="right"><em>7th October 1977</em>&nbsp;</p><p><em>&quot;I am very happy that the first liturgical function which I have been invited to carry out since my episcopal ordination as Archbishop of Armagh is the blessing and dedication of the Church of St John the Baptist, Drumcree. </em></p><p><em>From what I have already seen of the new Church at the construction stage, it promises to be one of the outstanding examples of modern ecclesiastical architecture in the Archdiocese of Armagh. It will serve an area of the Parish which has witnessed considerable growth in population in recent years, including a large influx of Catholic families. Great credit is due to the illustrious Parish Priest, my old friend Canon MacLarnon, and his curates. And a special word of thanks and praise must be given for the generous support of the parishioners who, despite the difficulties of recent years, have brought this undertaking to a successful conclusion. </em></p><p><em>I look forward to meeting the Priests and People of the Parish on Sunday 16th October, which will surely be a long day to be remembered by the Catholic people of Portadown and the surrounding area. </em></p><p><em>Go gcuire Naomh Eoin Baiste a bheannacht oraibh go leir. </em></p><p><em>+ Tom&aacute;s O&#39;Fiaich&quot;</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
  • <p>A Message from Fr Larkin (P.P. at that time) on the Occasion of the Re-opening of St John the Baptist Church, Drumcree - 28th November 2004:</p><p><em>Original Text</em></p><p><em>&quot;I am delighted to be able to celebrate the rededication of our Parish Church of St John the Baptist. In medieval times, there probably was a Church at Drumcree - in Irish Droim Cr&iacute;che - &#39;meaning the ridge of the boundary&#39; referring to the elevated position&nbsp;of the Church near the River Bann at the boundary of the Archdiocese of Armagh. (Place Names of County Armagh by Kay Mhur). We know little about the silent church of Penal times, but local tradition has it that a Mass box was kept and used in Foy Lane. Ols Saint John&#39;s was probably built in 1777 and served as a place of worship for many generations until it was dismantled and rebuilt at the Ulster Folk Museum, Cultra, Holywood, County Down in 1986. In modern times, the new Church of Saint John the Baptist was built two hundred years after the old Church, in 1977. It was blessed and dedicated by Archbishop Tom&aacute;s O&#39;Fiaich on Sunday 16th October of that year. </em></p><p><em>When I was appointed to the Parish of Drumcree, it soon became clear that Saint John&#39;s was in need of refurbishment. The flat roof had begun to leak, the lighting and ceiling needed attention and the Sanctuary required remodelling. So here we are today with a refurbished Saint John&#39;s. I extend my sincere thanks to so many who have made this dream come true - our refurbishment committee, our Parish Finance Committee, our Architect Daly O&#39;Neill and Associates, our contractor Brian McAleer and Son, our Clerk of Works Gerry Gribben and all those who helped with fund raising in any way. My thanks go also to the parishioners not only for their financial support but also for the inconvenience involved during the refurbishment work. Thanks also to Saint John the Baptist Primary School for their hospitality during the months our church was closed.&nbsp;</em></p><p><em>The renovated Church is a sacred place at the very heart of our community. This is the place where we worship as a parish: where our children growing in faith celebrate First Confession and First Holy Communion; where our young people receive the sacrament of Confirmation; where couples exchange their vows in the sacrament of Marriage; where we bring our dead as we pay our last respects in the rituals of Christian Death and Burial. This church is the still centre of our faith where the sanctuary light continues to burn as a sign of God&#39;s continual presence among us.&nbsp;</em></p><p><em>Every weekend over many years people have been drawn to our church in response to the invitation of Jesus - &#39;Do this in memory of Me.&#39; I hope and pray that we all discover a fresh appreciation of the Risen Lord Jesus, present and powerful in Word and sacrament when we come here to celebrate the Eucharist in our refurbished church.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p>
 
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