THE new Coadjutor Bishop of Armagh Eamon Martin has chosen a St Patrick’s Cross of Carndonagh as his new symbol – in honour of his father who was born there.
He will be the new assistant Archbishop of Armagh to Cardinal Sean Brady, the Primate of All Ireland and will succeed him in 2015.
Monsignor Martin, 52, was inaugurated in Armagh on Sunday.
Before his most recent appointment, Monsignor Martin had served as administrator of the Diocese of Derry since November 2011, following the retirement of the Bishop of Derry, Seamus Hegarty on health grounds.
The new coadjutor Archbishop was born in Derry in 1961 to a family of 12 children.
The new cross and ring that he will wear as coadjutor Archbishop also bears a strong family connection.
The items have been made in his native city by Fallers jewellers and goldsmith Una Carlin has spent many hours designing and making the special commission.
She said: “Because St Patrick was the original Bishop of Armagh, Fr Eamon wanted to represent that within his own pectoral cross, so he chose the St Patrick cross of Carndonagh to be the main feature of the design.
“Carndonagh, which is part of the Derry diocese, is where his father was born, so it has particular relevance to him.”
