User:Max Woodvine

Canon Eugene Dolan

Fr. Dolan was born in Aghyaran, County Tyrone and studied for the priesthood at All Hallows Seminary in Dublin. He was ordained on 17th June 1962, along with forty-three other priests. He enjoyed eight years in Salford  before coming, albeit with some reluctance, to St. Edward's with the title "Vicarious Co-Adjutor" (curate) on 10th June 1970. He  was appointed parish priest in the summer of 1974 and in 1995 was appointed one of only ten Canons in the Salford Diocese. Before Fr. Dolan's arrival, the parish had been unsettled and in some disarray for many years; under his stewardship it has developed into a lively and healthy parish.

A continuing feature of Fr. Dolan's ministry is his desire to encourage everyone to "get involved" whether it is by providing refreshments after Mass, planning and building a new church, repairing and refurbishing the old building to provide a parish centre, forming new parish groups, reading at Mass or supporting any of the varied activities the parish offers. We are particularly encouraged to become involved in projects to help the underprivileged, both here and in the "Third World" (Our Justice & Peace groups have an enviable record in this respect) and to be aware of what it means to belong to a Christian community.