It is with sorrow that the death is announced of Father Dermot Healy, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Glasgow, who died on January 8 2025 at the Holy Rosary Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Greenock. He was 73 years old.

Fr Dermot was born and raised in Glasgow and had his schooling at St George's Primary Glasgow (1956-1959) and St Aloysius' College Glasgow (1959-1968). He studed for the priesthood at St Peter's College Cardross (1968-1974).

He was ordained by then-new Archbishop Winning on July 3 1974 at his home parish of Our Lady and St George’s in Penilee. He was to spend almost half of his active ministry outside the Archdiocese.

His first years of priesthood saw him serve in St Roch’s, Garngad followed by a spell as chaplain to the secure unit at St Mary’s, Kenmure and the Boys’ Hostel at Glengowan.

After two years studying at the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology in Aberdeen and basing himself at Blairs College, he returned as curate at St Matthew’s Bishopbriggs, continuing his involvement with young people in difficulty at St Mary’s Kenmure.

From 1982 he served as Assistant Priest in Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardonald, and chaplain at the secondary school of the same name, before three years as Assistant at St James’ Crookston.

From 1988-1991 he served as a missionary in Latin America with the Society of St James the Apostle – an experience which left a deep impression on him, and which was to be repeated.

On his return he was sent back to his first parish, St Roch’s in the Garngad for a year before returning to Latin America where he ministered from 1992-1997.

After a brief appointment as Administrator at St Bernadette’s Parish in Carntyne he returned for a third and final period of ministry to Latin America from 1998-2006.

On his return he served in various roles, including as chaplain to the CORA Foundation and briefly as Parish Priest of St Albert’s, before retiring in 2016.

The Funeral Mass for Fr Dermot will be celebrated at Our Lady and Saint George’s, Penilee, on Friday 24th January at 12 noon with burial thereafter at Saint Conval’s Cemetery, Barrhead. Fr Dermot’s remains will be received into the church immediately before Mass, in accordance with his wishes.

Requiescat in pace.