Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin has paid tribute to his late mother as a “humble woman” who never forgot her upbringing or values.
Catherine Martin (90), a mother-of-twelve, died on Wednesday.
The archbishop was joined at St Patrick’s Church, Pennyburn by his predecessor, Cardinal Sean Brady, as well as Papal Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo.
Up to 40 priests took part in the Requiem Mass along with Bishops Donal McKeown (Derry), Noel Treanor (Down and Connor), Alan McGuckian (Raphoe), Philip Boyce (bishop emeritus, Raphoe).
Church of Ireland bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Ken Good attended as well as SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and former SDLP leader Mark Durkan.
Archbishop Martin, who was chief-celebrant at the funeral Mass, said his mother saw parenthood as her vocation in life.
“For her this was no secondary vocation, no lesser a calling. On the contrary, it was a challenging daily vocation to love; a generous yes after yes to God,” he said.
Archbishop Martin said his mother passed on her faith to her children.
“As a young woman, Catherine was beautiful, bright, talented and good humoured. She was an avid reader, broadening her mind by gobbling up knowledge and understanding and she had the additional talent of being able to pass on that learning; she was a born teacher.”
He provoked laughter when he recalled: “Anytime leaving the house, she reminded us to put holy water on you and say your prayers; and that didn’t stop even when you became an archbishop.”
Archbishop Martin said God granted his mother’s wish of for a “happy death” in the presence of her family.
“In recent days like chicks coming back to snuggle under the wings of the mother hen, we all gathered from across the world. We were all finally home by midnight on Tuesday so God called her at dawn on Wednesday morning just as the sun was rising and the birds were singing,” he said.
Following Requiem Mass, Mrs Martin was laid to rest at Iskaheen cemetery in the parish of her youth in County Donegal.
