Fr John O’Laverty has been appointed Spiritual Director to the Immaculata Comitium. He succeeds Fr Martin Graham, who steps down after twenty years at Our Lady’s service in Down & Connor.
What the Comitium is
The Comitium is the Legion’s council for a city or part of a diocese — in our case the Immaculata Comitium, which every praesidium in Down & Connor comes under. Its Spiritual Director is the priest appointed to guide the council and the legionaries who belong to it. How the Legion is organised →
Fr John comes to the Comitium already knowing the Legion from the inside: he is Spiritual Director to Our Lady of Good Counsel Praesidium in North Belfast, and he first sat in on a Legion meeting in 2024. We would rather he introduced himself, so what follows is his own letter to the members, in full.
Hello, my name is Fr John O’Laverty. I was ordained to the priesthood in July 2022, and I serve as a curate in Holy Family Parish, Belfast. I am also Spiritual Director to Our Lady of Good Counsel Praesidium. The members of the Praesidium do incredible work in North Belfast and across the city and I am proud to be associated with them.
This summer, I was delighted to be asked to be Spiritual Director to Comitium. Since attending my first Legion of Mary meeting in 2024, I have been struck by the strong faith, hard work, and good humour of the members of the Legion of Mary in Down and Connor and now I feel privileged to be part of it.
Growing up in Bright
I grew up in the Parish of Bright, just outside Downpatrick, in quite a typical Christian home with my parents and siblings. We prayed the rosary each evening and attended Mass on Sundays. So, faith was part of our family’s everyday life, woven into my earliest memories.
The first week at university
I would say a major turning point came when I went to university at the age of eighteen. I moved to Belfast and I shared student accommodation with friends from school. Within the first week at university, I found my faith was being challenged. I was confronted by a question: did I want to continue living the faith my parents had handed on to me, or did I want to go my own way?
As I began to reflect on my faith, I realised that it had largely been shaped by the faith of my parents. I went to Mass because my parents brought me, and I prayed the rosary because my parents would pray the rosary and expected me to join them. On reflection, it had never felt like it was my faith. I felt as though I had been pulled along by the faith of my parents, as if I were caught in their gravitational pull. In a sense, up to that point in my life, it was really my parents’ relationship with God, not mine.
So, living away from home for the first time, I was struck by the realisation it was now just God and me. I was free to decide if I would go to Mass or not, or whether to pray the rosary. No one was there to drag me along – I had to take responsibility. That was the moment I realised it was now my relationship with God. I had the choice either to take a full and active part in my relationship with God or not. Yet I was unsure what to do or even how to make a decision.
“I was struck by the realisation it was now just God and me.”
Fr John O’Laverty
A hidden treasure
By a twist of good fortune, or by providence, I found myself in the Catholic Chaplaincy at university, where I noticed there was daily Mass. So, I went to Mass the following day, and the day after, and then every day. Attending daily Mass gave me a sense of peace and purpose. I had found something good. I had found a hidden treasure, and I was determined not to lose it (cf. Mt 13:44).
As I learnt more about my faith and my relationship with God developed, the overall goal of becoming a saint became firmly established in my life. I found fulfilment and happiness in my relationship with God. I wanted to share my faith with others and so they might find the same fulfilment and happiness that I had found. I believe my role will allow me to serve the members of the Legion of Mary as best I can, encourage them in their personal sanctification, and support them in their mission of evangelisation. I am really looking forward to getting started.
A tribute to Fr Martin Graham
Finally, I would like to pay a personal tribute to Fr Martin Graham as he steps down as Spiritual Director to Comitium. I have known Fr Graham for many years, and I have always admired his dedication, generosity, and tireless work. I’m conscious that Fr Graham has been an invaluable support to Comitium over the years, and I wish him every blessing for the future.
The years ahead
I really look forward to working closely with the Legion of Mary in the years ahead. I’m very conscious of the vital role of the Legion of Mary in our diocese. Through street contact, personal contact, and initiatives in the local community, the Legion often reaches people who are most in need of spiritual support and guidance. Please be assured of my continued prayers and encouragement.
To Jesus through Mary,
Fr John