Fr Stuart McGovern was ordained a Catholic priest for the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore on 23 November, just four weeks before the Christmas season, the busiest period in the liturgical calendar.
First assignment and early ministry
The 52‑year‑old will celebrate his inaugural Christmas serving the parish of Tramore and Carbally, near Waterford City, before moving to his first curacy in Lismore in the new year.
“It is very exciting to have my first Christmas as a priest and it is a great time of hope,” McGovern told the Irish Examiner, adding that a family cousin, missionary Fr Martin McGowan in Zambia, had been a key inspiration.
Path to the priesthood
Before his vocation, McGovern lived in Wicklow and worked as a mechanical engineer for Ericsson after graduating from Trinity College. He later ran a home‑maintenance business for almost twenty years, traveling widely in Australia, Europe, the United States and Africa.
He says the death of his father when he was fifteen unsettled his faith, leaving him “without trust” and prompting a long search for deeper peace, which eventually led to his decision to pursue religious life.
Despite a long‑term relationship and a successful engineering career, he felt a “deep desire for more than what the world had to offer,” and after years of inner struggle he committed to the priesthood without remaining doubts.
Ordination ceremony
Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan celebrated the ordination at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Waterford City, joined by more than 60 clergy and a family crowd that included McGovern’s mother, Yvonne, and three siblings.
During the same weekend, over 20 men attended a “Come and See” discernment event at St Patrick’s College, hosted by the Council for Vocations of the Irish Bishops’ Conference and supported by the Knights of Saint Columbanus.
The ceremony took place just days before the launch of the new volume *Priesthood in Ireland Today*, edited by Bishop Cullinan, highlighting the diocese’s emphasis on fostering new vocations.
In his homily, Bishop Cullinan described the ordination as “a joyful and hopeful moment for the diocese … a strong sign of ongoing vocations within the Church in Ireland today.”
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Fr Stuart McGovern begin his curacy?
He will move to his first appointment as a curate in Lismore in the new year following his Christmas service in Tramore and Carbally.
What inspired Fr McGovern to become a priest?
He cites the example of his cousin, missionary Fr Martin McGowan in Zambia, whose work demonstrated the Church’s hopeful impact, as well as his own lifelong search for deeper peace after his father’s death.
How many clergy attended the ordination?
More than 60 clergy were present at the ceremony, which the diocese described as “a significant moment in the life of the local Church.”
How might Fr McGovern’s ordination influence the future of vocations in Waterford and Lismore?
