Scottish Catholic Observer

Queen Elizabeth II made her first visit to a Catholic church in Northern Ireland this week as part of a historic two-day visit that included a meeting with the former IRA commander Martin McGuinness.

On Tuesday the Queen (right) made the short walk across the street from the St Macartin’s Anglican Cathedral’s deanery in Eniskillen—where she had attended a service of thanksgiving for her diamond jubilee to St Michael’s Church—which was filled with local community groups that had gathered to meet her alongside and Canon Peter O’Reilly and Cardinal Seán Brady.

The Queen is making her 20th visit to Northern Ireland since first arriving on its shores in 1953, but had never previously entered a Catholic place of worship there, Buckingham Palace confirmed.

Churches unite

Representatives from schools, sports clubs and organisations from both Catholic and Protestant backgrounds stood among flower displays and briefly chatted to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during their 30-minute stay.

Canon Peter O’Reilly, from St Michael’s, and the Rev Kenny Hall, Dean of St Macartin’s, had co-operated to deliver the historic cross-community event at their churches which are directly opposite each other.

Canon O’Reilly said it was a significant event.  “My reading of the significance of today is that it is an expression of the unity that there is in this place,” he said, “A Fermanagh welcome, a gracious Queen, a lovely lady.”

Canon O’Reilly stressed the significance of ‘the Queen coming out of St Macartin’s Cathedral and walking up the street and across into St Michael’s.’

“It’s a bit like what Jesus said in the Gospel,” he added. “‘I have set you an example for you to copy.’”

Canon O’Reilly said he had presented the Queen, in a ‘special introduction’, to Cardinal Brady, who was among the attendees.

The Rev Hall said the event had been a symbol of ecumenical co-operation.

“We have worked together to make this a success,” he said. “And what we are really sending out is a message that we really are one community.”

Historic first

Much of the attention of the trip was on Wednesday’s meeting between the Queen and Sinn Fein MP Mr McGuinness, who is now deputy first minister in the Stormont assembly but was an IRA commander when the group killed the Duke of Edinburgh’s uncle, Earl Mountbatten, in 1979.

The Queen shook hands with Mr McGuiness, a moment that will be seen as significant to the peace process as her official visit in Dublin last year.

Mr McGuiness said it was an important moment.

“This is about stretching out the hand of peace and reconciliation to Queen Elizabeth who represents hundreds of thousands of unionists in the north,” he said. “I am an Irish republican now. After I meet with Queen Elizabeth, I will still be an Irish republican, and just as passionate about freedom, justice and peace, and reconciliation, as I was the day before.”