Papal award for Edenderry’s Fr Liam Lawton
Edenderry-born priest Fr Liam Lawton was conferred with one of the highest honours of the Catholic Church for his remarkable contribution to musical liturgy at a special appreciation night which took place in Maynooth earlier this month.
The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award was presented to the award-winning composer by Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Denis Nulty, on behalf of Pope Leo XIV, at a deeply personal and moving evening which was attended by fellow clergy, choirs, musicians, family and close friends.
The appreciation night took place against the backdrop of Fr Liam having being diagnosed just over a year ago with a rare, progressive neurological disorder known as Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), which affects balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing.
The papal award bestowed on Fr Lawton is the highest medal that can be presented by the Catholic Church to clergy, laypeople, or members of religious orders who have dedicated their lives to advancing the church's mission. It is normally bestowed on those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, engaged in charitable works, or contributed significantly to the spiritual life of the community.
In addition to the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award, Fr Liam was also presented with a special recognition from Chicago-based publisher of sacred music, GIA Publications, for his collaborative work with them on several albums. The publishing house described the compositions of the gifted composer as having brought “faith, hope and comfort to countless people in Ireland and throughout the world”.
Best known for iconic musical compositions such as 'The Cloud's Veil' 'Voice of an Angel' and several Mass settings such as his 'Mass of St. Patrick' 'The Glendalough Mass' and 'The Mass of St Brigid' as well as a countless back catalogue of well-known liturgical compositions which have been performed all over the world, Fr Liam Lawton's musical legacy was front and centre at the special celebration in Maynooth University, which took place in St. Patrick's College Chapel.
Among those who performed the compositions of the Edenderry priest were former Eurovision Song Contest winner Eimear Quinn; baritone Karl McGuckin; Carlow Cathedral Choir; The Choir of the National Seminary and Fr Liam's long-time musical director and friend, Mark Cahill. All the members of Fr Liam's band from the last two decades also came together for the special appreciation night, at which former RTE presenter, Mary Kennedy, acted as MC.
Eimear Quinn performed a very moving rendition of two of Fr Liam's best-known compositions 'Voice of an Angel' and 'There is a Heart (Ave Maria) as well as performing 'The Hermit Song' with the male voices from the Carlow Cathedral Choir. Following his ordination in 1984, Fr Lawton spent many years ministering in Carlow town and Graiguecullen and also served in Knockbeg College prior to his return to serve in the parish of his hometown of Edenderry in 2021.
In a heartfelt Facebook post, Eimear Quinn said it was both “a pleasure and an honour” to celebrate the music of Fr Liam Lawton and described the “joy and peace” that his music has brought to so many people with its “moving melodies and soulful poetry” as being “immeasurable.”
Edenderry Parish Church also posted a warm tribute to their local priest, and said “on behalf of the parish of Edenderry we congratulate Father Liam on his special night and how very proud we are of him”. They described the appreciation night as having “a warm and emotional energy, with an understated beauty” and added that it was possible to feel the way his music “connects people.”
Born into a deeply musical family, Liam Lawton's early musical talent was nurtured by his parents, the late May and Tommy, and his grandparents and uncles had their own band. As well as being a gifted musician, singer and composer, he is also an accomplished artist and writer who has published several books.
He has recorded 20 musical collections, a number of which have achieved platinum status, and he has performed in venues across the world, including The Vatican, Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall; the Malmo Arena in Sweden and the National Concert Hall in Dublin.
His composition 'The Cloud's Veil' was sung at many commemorative services which were held across the United States in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York.
In a message to the Offaly Independent, Fr. Liam Lawton extended a special word of thanks to everyone who performed at the music appreciation night in Maynooth, which he described as “a night to remember.” He clarified that he had “nothing to do” with the organisation of the event, and said it was organised by Hannah Evans and her team in Maynooth and and the music was coordinated by his MD for many years, Mark Cahill.
He also spoke of his shock at receiving a special award for his music from GIA Publications in Chicago, and said it was lovely to be “in the beautiful setting” of the College Chapel in Maynooth to meet “family and old music friends.”
Fr Liam acknowledged that the appreciation night probably would not have taken place had he not been struck down by PSP, but he expressed the hope that those suffering from what he described as “this awful disease” will “take courage and have the support and love that I have”.