Galway Bay FM

27 July 2023

~1 minutes read

Galway woman among a handful of Irish people to receive rare Benemeranti medal from Pope

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Galway woman among a handful of Irish people to receive rare Benemeranti medal from Pope

Galway Bay FM Newsroom – 91 year old Marie Callanan from Castledaly in Galway joins just a handful of Irish people to be awarded the Benemeranti Medal.

The medal, established in 1832, is given to people by the Pope for service to the Catholic Church, with Maria von Trapp among previous recipients.

Working as a sacristan for 62 years alongside ten different parish priests at Castledaly Church, Marie has been a strong pillar of the community.

Our reporter Sarah Slevin visited Marie at her home beside the church – where she was surrounded by family, including two of her 27 great-grandchildren.

Sarah spoke to Marie and her granddaughter Ciana about recieving the medal and her years of service:

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