Some of the people in a Donegal parish have rallied behind a local priest who was convicted of a sexual offence in Derry earlier this month.
Fr Patrick McGarvey (37) received a standing ovation when he made a surprise appearance at last Saturday night's Mass in St Mary's church in Stranorlar.
A number of parishioners to whom The Irish Times spoke said the community was behind him and a local politician has called on church authorities to let him remain in St Mary's. Fr McGarvey, originally from Creeslough, was before Derry Magistrates Court on June 2nd, charged with observing a person for the purposes of sexual gratification in a public place in August last year.
Fr McGarvey pleaded guilty to the charge and was given a two-year conditional discharge. He appeared in court dressed in civilian clothes. The offence took place at the gents toilets of the Foyleside Centre in Derry.
Local politician and businesswoman Cllr Alice Bonnar has called on parishioners to "speak out" for Fr McGarvey and campaign for him to be allowed to stay in St Mary's Parish. "Fr Pat worked exceptionally hard in the parish with people who had very difficult life experiences and who had lost loved ones through suicide, miscarriages and so on," she said.
"At the end of the day, he was only found guilty of looking. Two months prior to this happening, this so-called crime did not exist and does not even exist in the Republic of Ireland."
One woman who was at the Mass last Saturday said that the congregation had no idea that Fr McGarvey was going to make an appearance.
"On Saturday night we had Mass as normal with Fr [ Kieran] McAteer," said the woman, who did not wish to be named.
"He said a few prayers after Holy Communion and then he told us to take a seat as Fr Pat wanted to say a few words. As he stood up on the altar, the crowd gave him a massive round of applause," she said.
"He began by thanking us all for the support we had shown to him throughout the past year, and that he does not know what he would have done without it or where he would be. He apologised up and down to his family, his parents, to Fr Kieran, to the Sisters of Mercy, to 'the boy and his family', to all the people of the parish, and to Bishop Boyce.
"He said he didn't know where he was going to be placed but that he wished to remain a priest. He got a standing ovation and massive applause . . . It was awful sad."