Pilgrimage brings American priest back to Mayo heritage

An American priest, whose family roots are in the Taugheen area near Claremorris, is leading a group of around 40 people on pilgrimage from St Louis, Missouri, to Ireland, with a stop in Mayo.

Msgr Patrick Hambrough (pictured) and his entourage are due to arrive from Ennis for Mass at St Michael’s Church, Taugheen, around 10.30 am on Thursday morning, September 4.

His father, Patrick Hamrogue, Ballydaff, Taugheen, known locally as Pake, emigrated from Mayo to America in the 1950s. Somewhere along the way, the name was changed from Hamrogue to Hambrough and appears with both spellings in different Irish Census records.

Msgr Hambrough is a nephew of the late Sonny Hamrogue from Carramore. His aunt, Margaret (Hamrogue) O’Donoghue, still resides in Killarney. His grandparents were John Hamrogue and Molly Sheridan, who are buried in Taugheen Old Cemetery.

The Taugheen that Pake Hamrogue left in the 1950s has seen many changes over the last few decades. The whistle and sounds of the daily trains passing along the Claremorris to Ballinrobe railway line at Gorlough-Ballydaff crossing have long gone as the railway closed on December 31, 1959.

Donnellan’s water mill was a hive of activity during the winter months back then. Henry Dixon was the local legend after winning All Ireland medals with Mayo in 1950 and 1951. All these were part of the harvest of memories Pake brought with him to the shores of Amerikay.

Msgr Patrick is a noted preacher and was the recipient of the Aquinas Institute of Theology  Great Preacher Award back in 2008. Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Louis in 1985, Monsignor Hambrough is the second of nine children born to Patrick and Margaret Hambrough.

He attended St. Gregory, Ascension (Normandy), and St. Ann (Normandy) grade schools and Normandy High School before beginning his formal studies for the priesthood. Hambrough received his BA from Cardinal Glennon College and a Master of Divinity degree from Kenrick Seminary.

During his priestly ministry, Monsignor Hambrough served as associate pastor of St Mary Catholic Parish in Bridgeton (1986-1990) and at St John Catholic Parish in Imperial (1990-1993). He served as the founding pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Cross Catholic Parish in St Louis, which was formed from the merger of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Holy Cross Catholic Parishes (1993-1998).

He also served as pastor of St Timothy Catholic Parish in Affton (1998 - 2003) before becoming the founding pastor of St Mark Parish in South County.

There is an open invitation for locals and anyone who would like to meet Msgr Patrick and his group to come along to Taugheen Church on Thursday morning and all are welcome to join them for the celebration of Mass.