Home

Church of Ireland Home

Diocesan News

Book of Condolence opened for Bishop James Mehaffey

A Book of Condolence has been opened at the Guildhall in Derry in memory of the former Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Dr James Mehaffey, who died yesterday evening. The book was officially opened this lunchtime by the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Cara Hunter, on behalf of the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Michaela Boyle. Dr Mehaffey’s most recent successor, Bishop Andrew Forster, was among the first to sign it.

Bishop Andrew Forster signs the Book of Condolence for Bishop James Mehaffey.
Bishop Andrew Forster signs the Book of Condolence for Bishop James Mehaffey.

The Mayor extended her sincere condolences to the Mehaffey family at this sad time and said the Book of Condolence was an opportunity for the people of Derry and Strabane to extend their sympathy and show their respect for the Bishop who officiated in the city and district for more than 20 years.

The Mayor, who is currently out of the country on holiday with family, said she was deeply saddened on hearing the news and described Dr Mehaffey as “a genuinely holy person, a peace–maker and a risk–taker who was committed to working across the political and religious divide to make a real difference during difficult times”.

Cllr Boyle said Dr Mehaffey would be greatly missed: “Bishop Mehaffey was a very warm and kind–hearted man who touched the hearts of everyone who met him. He was a very religious and gentle person with a warm heart who was genuinely interested in talking to and listening to every person he met. He will be remembered very fondly by the people of Derry, Strabane and the wider North West region for his commitment to peace, his courage and commitment to building bridges.”

The Mayor extended heartfelt sympathy to Bishop Mehaffey’s wife, Thelma, to his children and to the extended family circle.  

People who wish to do so can also record their tributes online here and messages of condolence will be passed on to the Mehaffey family.

 

Our use of cookies

Some cookies are necessary for us to manage how our website behaves while other optional, or non-necessary, cookies help us to analyse website usage. You can Accept All or Reject All optional cookies or control individual cookie types below.

You can read more in our Cookie Notice

Functional

These cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Analytics cookies

Analytical cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on its usage.