It is a great honour for Terenure College and our wider community to learn that Fr. Mícheál O’Neill, O.Carm. has been elected Prior General of the Carmelite Order. Fr. Mícheál is a past pupil and former Prior of Terenure College.
Fr. Míceál is in charge of the Carmelite Order worldwide, so he is in charge of all Carmelites everywhere for the next 6 years. There is a General Council of 7 other Carmelites who are elected by the Order to ‘counsel’ Mícheál or give him advice on his governance of the Order and help him make decisions. Some of that council have specific responsibilities. So it is also a great honour to learn that Fr. Richard Byrne, O.Carm. who is a past pupil (class of ’87) and former Principal of Terenure College school has been elected to the Council where he will be General Councillor for Europe.
It is a great honour for the Irish Province of Carmelites to have 3 members of a relatively small province on the leadership team of 8 at the very top of the Order. The 3rd to which we refer is Fr. Conrad Mutizamhepo from Zimbabwe who is the Councillor General for Africa. Many may not know, but Zimbabwe is part of the Irish Province, meaning the Irish Province punches well above its weight on the world stage.
We congratulate all three of our Carmelites and wish them well in their work leading the Carmelite Order.
