Fr Gerry Reynolds: faith and the peacemaker

My new biography, Unity Pilgrim: The Life of Fr Gerry Reynolds CSsR, tells the story of Fr Gerry Reynolds, a Redemptorist priest who served more than three decades in Belfast’s Clonard Monastery. His role in peacemaking is not as well-known as that of his Redemptorist colleague, Fr Alec Reid, who was the pivotal broker in the secret Hume-Adams talks, which are considered to be the first steps in bringing the IRA into the peace process.

Reynolds assisted Reid behind the scenes and also developed a public ecumenical (Christian unity) ministry. This was important at a time when the Rev Ian Paisley was using a ferocious blend of religion and politics to foster division.