A POPULAR priest who served his parish in Market Harborough for more than 55 years has passed away, aged 80.
Canon Owen O’Neill hailed from Cappawhite in Co. Tipperary, but had served parishes in the Leicestershire district for an impressive 55 years.
The past 19 years had been spent as the parish priest of Our Lady of Victories Roman Catholic Church on Fairfield Road, before he retired on September 16, 2020.
He passed away “peacefully in the gentle and loving care of the staff of Peaker Park Care Home, Market Harborough” on April 10, it was confirmed.
Fr O’Neill’s funeral took place Our Lady of Victories Church on Monday, April 26.
His body was then flown back to his hometown in Ireland, where a second funeral Mass was held, followed by his burial.
Fr O’Neill’s funeral cortege left White's Funeral Home in Cappawhite at 10.45am on Saturday, May 1 and travelled by Philipstown, via his home in Drumwood, through Toem to arrive in Our Lady of Fatima Church, Cappawhite for Mass at 11.30am, which was followed by burial in Cappawhite Cemetery.
Predeceased by his parents Thomas and Mary, his brother Joe and his brothers-in-law Aidan and Sean, Fr O’Neill leaves behind his sisters Una McGrath, Peggy Costello, and Nellie Fitzgerald, sister-in-law Breda O’Neill, brother-in-law Dick Fitzgerald, nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grandnieces, relatives and many good friends and neighbours.
