Kilkenny priest followed in the footsteps of former Bishop of Ossory

A Kilkenny priest recently completed the world famous Camino and traced the life of a former Bishop of Ossory to his resting place in the cloister of Santiago De Compostella.
Fr Willie Purcell followed in the footsteps of pilgrims as he took on the famous trek and, with it, remembered the life of Bishop Thomas Strong.
The diocese of Ossory has a strong link with the Cathedral of St James in Santiago De Compostella through Bishop Strong.
Having received his early education in his native city of Waterford, Bishop Strong proceeded to the Continent, where he spent several years in the colleges of France and Spain.
A few days after his appointment to Ossory, Bishop. Strong was consecrated in Rome, on April 5. He was anxious to proceed at once to the Diocese of Ossory, but the crushing disasters that had just then befallen the Irish Catholic Confederate cause, under the Earl of Desmond, made him pause for a while on the way.
In the Summer of 1583 he went to Lisbon, under the assumed name of Philip Fitz Thomas, but in the following autumn he succeeded in landing, in disguise, on the Munster coast.
During his brief stay in Ossory, he endured very many and great hardships for the Catholic Faith, and the Church.
After less than a year in Ossory he was forced to fly from his native land, never to see it again. Bishop Strong spent the remaining years of his life in the Archdiocese of Compostella, where he discharged the duties of the Episcopal office as Auxiliary of the Archbishop and was appointed Dean of the Chapter of the Cathedral of Santiago De Compostella.
Monument
He died at the age of 55 and was buried in the Cloister of the Cathedral church dedicated to St James, under a noble marble monument.
Bishop Strong is remembered in the archives of the Cathedral as a kind, gentle and prayerful pastor said Fr Willie.
“It was amazing to stand and pray at the tomb of Bishop Strong who became Bishop of Ossory in 1582 and was a native of the city of Waterford and was born in 1547,” said Fr Purcell.
“It was great to meet the archivist of the Cathedral and make the connection with Ossory,” he added.
A number of years ago Fr Willie Purcell was honoured by the Cathedral as the 100th person to research Bishop Strong.
Fr Willie celebrated Mass in the Cathedral with the Archbishop and fellow Kilkenny pilgrims Larry and Teresa Carroll, Agnes Hickey and Ella Dunphy. Also at the Mass were Helen and Noel Nugent from Piltown.
“It was great to remember Bishop Strong and his connection with the thousands of pilgrims who have walked the Camino from Kilkenny,” said Fr Willie.
Bishop Strong’s name appears on the plaque containing the names of the Bishops of Ossory in St Mary’s Cathedral Kilkenny.