A priest who dedicated 70 years of his life to the church was yesterday remembered at his funeral as an "inspiration".
Requiem Mass for Fr Brendan McGee (96) was celebrated at St Patrick's Church in Belfast city centre, where he had spent most of the last two decades as an assistant curate.
The priest, who was originally from Trillick in Co Tyrone, died peacefully at Nazareth Care Village in the south of the city last Tuesday.
He was ordained in 1950 and served in St Anne's in Dunmurry and St Agnes' in Andersonstown before moving to nearby St Michael's.
He also served in Greencastle and St Luke's in Twinbrook before he became a canon in 1990 and was appointed to serve in Portaferry in Co Down.
In 2000, Fr McGee retired and became an assistant curate at St Patrick's on Belfast's Donegall Street.
He was made a Dean of the Diocesan Chapter and celebrated his last Mass at St Patrick's in November 2019 before moving into Nazareth Care Village.
Bishop of Down and Connor Noel Treanor yesterday officiated at the funeral Mass, which was concelebrated by Fr John McManus and Fr Eugene O'Neill, administrator of St Patrick’s.
Bishop Treanor told mourners that Fr McGee had "touched and cared for so many", while Fr McManus said the priest had a "gift of humanity".
Fr McManus told the congregation that Fr McGee had spent 70 years "working before Christ", adding that he "was there for tragedy and celebration, but he was always there".
"It all centred back to his belief that he saw Jesus in those places," he said.
Reflecting on Fr McGee's legacy, Fr McManus told mourners that the cleric was a "force of nature".
"He was full of love, he was full of action," he said.
Fr McGee was cremated at Roselawn Crematorium and his ashes to be placed in St Joseph's Columbarium in St Patrick's Church.
