Fr Ninian's Mass at Everest base camp

An Edinburgh-based priest has celebrated Holy Mass at Everest base camp as part of a pilgrimage for peace.

Fr Ninian Doohan, of St Patrick's Church in The Cowgate, had an eight day trek to reach the iconic location, which is 17,598ft above sea level (for comparison, Ben Nevis is 4,413 ft).

He said: "This is day eight of trekking by foot, and my cassock has seen better days having been worn continuously from Edinburgh.

"(It's) certainly the first Holy Mass offered here in the nascent Pontificate of Pope Leo XIV. Heaven has once again come down to Earth at its highest point.

"The Mass was the Missa Pro Pace, offered for the intention of Peace in the World.

"With limited information of the outside world in this Himalayan region we were still able to read a little of Pope Leo XIV’s first Regina Coeli address as he appealed to the leaders of the world: Never again war!"

Fr Ninian arrived in Nepal on 2 May to assist a community project at St Ignatius' Church in the Nepalese capital.

The project is part of a Jesuit Mission and a broader network of activities supporting mobile clinics, special schools, and the general material welfare of the people.

The pilgrimage was inspired following the baptism of Gele Bishokarma by Fr Ninian at St Patrick’s Church in 2023.

He said: "I promised him that I’d meet him on his own native soil, and I’d like to help the Church there in any way I can with a small mission, at least to just see our Catholic Faith lived out in the highest point on Earth."

Gele, who runs a trekking company, accompanied Fr Ninian on the journey. Fr Ninian is now back in Kathmandu after a four day trek back down the mountains and a helicopter journey back to the Nepalese capital.

He said: "Please pray that the Holy Spirit guides further the initiative to have a Catholic church in the region for the use of both locals and visitors alike.

"We left a strategically placed Miraculous Medal (of the Immaculate Conception) at Namche, the Sherper Capital, hoping Maternal help will be forthcoming."

Follow Fr Ninian's journey on Facebook and Instagram. To donate to the community project at St Ignatius' Church in Nepal click here

Edinburgh priest's pastoral support after Sydney tragedy

An Edinburgh-based priest is in Sydney offering pastoral support following the shopping centre stabbings that saw six people murdered.

Fr Ninian Doohan, of St Patrick's in The Cowgate, was among those on the scene shortly after the attack in Bondi Junction on Saturday 13 April, emerging from Bondi Junction train station minutes after the chaos had taken place, writes The Catholic Weekly.

A delay in catching public transport to go shopping meant he missed the attack at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping complex by less than 15 minutes, arriving to see a large crowd and emergency response presence.

Parishioners pray and grieve at St Patrick’s Church, Bondi, in the wake of the horrific knife attack. Photo: Patrick Lee/The Catholic Weekly.

Fr Doohan is in the city, where he previously studied at the University of Sydney, as a holiday replacement for the parish priest of St Patrick’s Church in Bondi.

Several members of the congregation wept as he offered words of comfort in his homily at the 10am Sunday Mass.

At least two parishioners knew 38-year-old victim Ashlee Good (below)—the mother of the nine-month-old baby currently recovering from the attack at Sydney Children’s Hospital.

Despite the best attempts of bystanders and doctors to save her life, Good died from her wounds at St Vincent’s Hospital, after pushing her baby into the arms of strangers.

While he felt “totally inadequate to the task” of pastoral support in the face of such horror, Fr Doohan urged the congregation to reach out for support and offered to be available to anyone who wished a pastoral visit.

“The only thing that sounds clear in my mind is that God put me in the close proximity of horror and tragedy so that therefore I can be with one with you, and with them, and not an outsider to it,” he said.

Fr Ninian posted this update on Instagram after the incident.

“I ask that we would all be prepared to ask God for forgiveness and also be prepared to give forgiveness and to participate in his mercy.”

“That challenge to live in and with and through his compassion, even when it is beyond our comprehension and even when injustices have been committed against us.”

The man responsible for the stabbings Joel Cauchi, 40, was shot dead by police at the scene.