St Columba’s Long Tower Church parish will be hosting events in the run up to and during St Columba’s Day in Derry, while marking the 80th anniversary of the consecration of the restored historic church.

St Columba’s Church stands where Derry’s cathedral stood back over 1,000 years ago in the Middle Ages and is reputed to be in the vicinity of where St Columba founded his first monastery centuries earlier in the 6th Century A.D.

Today, Friday, there will be a free family fun day at Long Tower School Playground from 1pm to 3pm, followed by a Céilí Mor in the Lower School hall tonight from 8pm, admission £5.

Tomorrow, Saturday, there will be a Corpus Christi Procession after the 6pm Vigil Mass at St Columba’s Church. All P4 children who recently made their First Communion and their families are being invited to walk with the Blessed Sacrament around the church, ending in the Benediction at the Calvary.

A statue of St Columba at the Calvary scene outside St Columba’s Church, Long Tower. DER2320GS - 003

placeholder image — A statue of St Columba at the Calvary scene outside St Columba’s Church, Long Tower. DER2320GS - 003

There will be all night Vigil of Adoration on Monday night from 8pm, followed by events on Tuesday marking St Columba’s Feast Day, June 9.

The day begins with Mass at the Hawthorn Tree at 7am, followed at 10am by a Mass for Schools and Families. At 6.30pm there will be Vespers at the Lumen Christi College Bell Tower, followed by the Rosary in Irish at the Calvary at 7pm. At 7.30pm, the Mass of St Columba will be celebrated, followed by a Procession to St Columba's Well and a celebration event.