Longford MEP Ciarán Mullooly gifts Pope Leo XV a Lehery crucifix

Midlands MEP, Ciarán Mullooly, this week shared a photo of the moment he presented His Holiness, Pope Leo XV, with a beautiful wooden crucifix that had been carved from the wood of an ash tree grown on the grounds of the Longford ancestral home of Fr. Joseph Mullooly.

The gift was presented as part of a celebration in St. Peter’s Square, Rome, in which Fr. Mullooly, the Irish Dominican priest from Lehery near Lanesboro was honoured for his incredible work in excavating the Basilica San Clemente in the 1860's. 

Read more: Legacy of amazing Longford priest continues to fascinate and inspire Europeans

The discovery of the underground archaeological complex continues to be regarded as one of the most significant excavations in Europe.

Addressing the occasion on his Instagram page, MEP Mr. Mullooly wrote, "Our family was deeply honoured to be in St. Peter’s Square for this special personal occasion - ending a weekend of commemoration for Fr. Joseph led by the European Commission Ambassador to the Holy See and Her Excellency, Frances Collins, the Irish Ambassador to the Holy See. Thank you to everyone who flew in from Ireland for a truly memorable event. We had dozens of family connections there and special thanks to Bishop Paul Connell of the diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise and Fr Turlough Baxter PP."