Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on May 26, 2008 14:13:49 GMT
The Elphin Diocese has approximately 69,000 in 38 parishes served by 83 priests. Its territory comprises of most of counties Sligo and Roscommon and parts of counties Galway and Westmeath. Its official website is: www.elphindiocese.ie/ .
When the papal indult Quattuor Abhinc Annos came into force in 1984, Bishop Dominic Conway had been Bishop of Elphin since 1971. He was replaced by Bishop Christopher Jones in 1994 who is still in office.
The Society of St Pius X own a former Anglican church on the west bank of the Shannon in Athlone and two priests and a lay brother are assigned to this chapel.
In 1990, the late Bishop Conway permitted a Sunday Mass in the Nazareth House chapel in Sligo Town. One priest of the diocese undertook to say it, but when he died the following year the Mass was discontinued. Efforts to reinstate this failed.
When Mgr Christy Jones became Bishop of Elphin in 1994, traditionalists in the Elphin Diocese were disappointed as Bishop Jones had a reputation for liberalism and he initially showed hostility. He permitted an Extraordinary Form Mass at Tobarnalt, a Mass Rock at a holy well outside Sligo Town in 2005. This was repeated on 7 July 2007, the day the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum was released. Though the bishop had forbidden publicity, an RTE camera crew arrived on the scene with Joe Little, the RTE religious affairs correspondent to cover the reaction to the papal document. The next Mass in Tobarnalt is scheduled for 5 July.
Since the Motu Proprio came into force, Bishop Jones permitted an annual Mass in the Nazareth House in Sligo and has agreed in principle to a weekly Mass but clergy are lacking. The Elphin Diocesan website has a section which deals with the traditional Mass: www.elphindiocese.ie/services/LatinMassSociety.htm
When the papal indult Quattuor Abhinc Annos came into force in 1984, Bishop Dominic Conway had been Bishop of Elphin since 1971. He was replaced by Bishop Christopher Jones in 1994 who is still in office.
The Society of St Pius X own a former Anglican church on the west bank of the Shannon in Athlone and two priests and a lay brother are assigned to this chapel.
In 1990, the late Bishop Conway permitted a Sunday Mass in the Nazareth House chapel in Sligo Town. One priest of the diocese undertook to say it, but when he died the following year the Mass was discontinued. Efforts to reinstate this failed.
When Mgr Christy Jones became Bishop of Elphin in 1994, traditionalists in the Elphin Diocese were disappointed as Bishop Jones had a reputation for liberalism and he initially showed hostility. He permitted an Extraordinary Form Mass at Tobarnalt, a Mass Rock at a holy well outside Sligo Town in 2005. This was repeated on 7 July 2007, the day the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum was released. Though the bishop had forbidden publicity, an RTE camera crew arrived on the scene with Joe Little, the RTE religious affairs correspondent to cover the reaction to the papal document. The next Mass in Tobarnalt is scheduled for 5 July.
Since the Motu Proprio came into force, Bishop Jones permitted an annual Mass in the Nazareth House in Sligo and has agreed in principle to a weekly Mass but clergy are lacking. The Elphin Diocesan website has a section which deals with the traditional Mass: www.elphindiocese.ie/services/LatinMassSociety.htm