President Eamon de Valera of Ireland was present for the first public Mass celebrated by an Irish priest, Father Michael J. Hogan, who has been assigned to the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

After the Mass at St. James Church in Dublin, President and Mrs. de Valera received Father Hogan’s blessing and met him and members of his family in the sacristy.

The priest’s father, Thomas Hogan, was one of the president’s escorts from 1939 until he retired in 1964.

Serving Father Hogan’s Mass was his brother, Brother Claran Hogan O.P., and he was assisted by Very Rev. H. Cunningham, P.P., St. James and by Father P. Murphy, O.P., master of studies at Tallaght.

Present at the Mass was Msgr. Patrick J. O’Connor, pastor of St. Thomas More parish in Atlanta and episcopal vicar for vocations for the archdiocese. Msgr. O’Connor preached the sermon.

The large congregation attending the Mass including Father Hogan’s mother and father, another brother, John, and his sisters, Mrs. Martin Colliney, Misses Lena, Teresa, Brigid and Mary Hogan.

Father Hogan is expected to return to Atlanta about Jan. 15 for assignment.