Father figure; CELEBRATIONS MARK PRIEST'S 50-YEAR MILESTONE.

Byline: By PETER YOUNG

IT'S a double celebration for Father Michael Conaty, who came to the North East from Ireland as a young priest half a century ago and won the hearts of local people.

His life's work has been devoted to helping the underprivileged and the disadvantaged and he has set up a series of projects for the elderly, deprived youngsters and Tyneside's unemployed.

This week he celebrates 50 years in the priesthood with his congregation at St Anthony of Padua RC Church in Walker, Newcastle, along with family from Ireland and his brother John, who is a priest in Gateshead.

There'll be a special mass and the St Anthony of Padua community association, which he founded in 1979, is planning celebrations to mark his golden milestone.

Meanwhile, it was revealed today that Father Conaty, 75, is to be honoured by civic leaders for his outstanding work on behalf of the community.

He will be the first person to receive the new Lord Mayor's Award, launched by Newcastle Council, to recognise the achievements of some of the city's largely unsung heroes.

The announcement was made today by the city's new Lord Mayor, Coun David Wood, who represents Walker and has known Father Conaty for more than 30 years. Coun Wood, who will present the award at a ceremony later in the year, said: "I can't think of another man who is as well-respected in the East End by people of all denominations.

"He has worked tirelessly on behalf of the whole community and there is no more deserving recipient of the first Lord Mayor's award. He's unique." Father Conaty said: "I'm delighted.

It's a great honour and I'm certain it will be appreciated by people in Walker." Father Conaty came to England from Cavan in 1958 and worked in the County Durham mining communities of Langley Park and Sacriston until 1963, when he moved to Heaton, Newcastle.

In 1973 he took over the St Anthony of Padua RC Church in Walker and has been there ever since.

Walker is one of the city's most deprived areas and as well as his spiritual and pastoral work, Father Conaty has been involved in the regeneration of the East End and has helped many people into work through job training schemes.

His mission included the local shipyards and he continued to help the employed and the disadvantaged when the East End was hit by the closure of the yards.

In recent years he's been closely involved in ambitious plans to regenerate Walker and the East End.

Father Conaty's projects include a training firm and open learning centre to help local people find work, a daycare centre for children, a youth centre, and a day and domiciliary care centre for elderly people.

His achievements were recognised by the Queen when he was awarded an honorary MBE in 1998, a medal he dedicated to the people of Walker.

One of the highlights was the visit by Prince Charles and Princess Diana to the St Anthony of Padua Community Centre in 1982.

In his spare time Father Conaty is a keen golfer and Newcastle United supp orter.

"I've got an enormous amount of satisfaction and great joy from my work in Walker over the years," he said.

"There is a tremendous amount of love in this community. People are coming together and we can celebrate that.

"But there's also pain when you see some of the people we have not yet managed to touch. We must keep striving to reach them.

"The modernisation of Walker is brilliant, but it's important that it does not just involve bricks and mortar.

Local people need to be part of the development.

"I would like to be remembered as a facilitator who was able to help people help themselves and helped build a stable community in Walker."

CAPTION(S):

HONOURS: Father Michael Conaty is not only celebrating 50 years in the priesthood, but also winning a civic award PICTURE: TONY HALL www.icNewcastle.co.uk/buyaphoto ref: 01308523; ACHIEVEMENTS: Left, Father Conaty being ordained in 1958 and, right, pictured with his MBE and MP Nick Brown in 1998