Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on May 27, 2008 10:47:40 GMT
The combined dioceses of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kifenora have a population of around 105,000 Catholics in 38 parishes served by 112 priests, including several religious. The diocese has territory in counties Clare, Galway and Mayo. Its official website is: www.galwaydiocese.com/.
The dioceses of Galway and Kilmacduagh are in the Tuam province, but the historic diocese of Kilfenora is in the Cashel Province. No Catholic bishop may hold simultaneously hold sees which are subject to different metropolitans, so the Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh is Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora. It is a matter of pride in north Co Clare that the Bishop of Kilfenora is Benedict XVI.
Since the implementation of the 1984 indult, there have been three Bishops of Galway and Kilmacduagh/Apostolic Administrators of Kilfenora. Mgr Eamonn Casey became Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh in 1976, resigning for personal reasons in 1992. He was succeeded by Bishop James McLoughlin, who held the position until he retired in 2005. He was succeeded by Bishop Martin Drennan in 2005, who had been an Auxilliary Bishop in Dublin since 1997. John Paul II was Bishop of Kilfenora between 1978 and 2005, when he was succeeded by Benedict XVI.
The SSPX have only had sporadic activity in this diocese, or for that matter anywhere else in the west of Ireland beyond Athlone. Father Tom Cunningham says the traditional Mass privately in a private house in one of Galway City's suburbs.
When asked about the 1984 indult, Bishop Eamonn Casey stated he had no problem allowing any priest in good standing in his diocese say the Mass, but the matter never arose in his time. One parish priest in the diocese is known to have said a requiem Mass in his parish as a result of local petitioning in the past decade but nothing came of that.
Bishop McLoughlin was approached about allowing the Mass, but delayed giving permission until 2003. In August that year, Father James Buckley said Mass at a side altar in St Mary's Cathedral in Galway - the second Irish cathedral used for the traditional Mass since the liturgical changes. Some time later, Bishop McLoughlin designated St Oliver Plunkett's Church in the suburb of Renmore as the centre for the traditional Mass in Galway. This is a modern church and it is somewhat out of the way, but it was the venue for the traditional Mass in Galway ever since. This has only happened a few times every year. The only exception has been the celebration of a few Masses in Shrule, one of the Mayo parishes of the Galway diocese. One of the consequences of Summorum Pontificum is that the parish priest in Renmore stated that he did not want the church there used for the traditional Mass again. No alternative church in Galway City has been found since.
The dioceses of Galway and Kilmacduagh are in the Tuam province, but the historic diocese of Kilfenora is in the Cashel Province. No Catholic bishop may hold simultaneously hold sees which are subject to different metropolitans, so the Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh is Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora. It is a matter of pride in north Co Clare that the Bishop of Kilfenora is Benedict XVI.
Since the implementation of the 1984 indult, there have been three Bishops of Galway and Kilmacduagh/Apostolic Administrators of Kilfenora. Mgr Eamonn Casey became Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh in 1976, resigning for personal reasons in 1992. He was succeeded by Bishop James McLoughlin, who held the position until he retired in 2005. He was succeeded by Bishop Martin Drennan in 2005, who had been an Auxilliary Bishop in Dublin since 1997. John Paul II was Bishop of Kilfenora between 1978 and 2005, when he was succeeded by Benedict XVI.
The SSPX have only had sporadic activity in this diocese, or for that matter anywhere else in the west of Ireland beyond Athlone. Father Tom Cunningham says the traditional Mass privately in a private house in one of Galway City's suburbs.
When asked about the 1984 indult, Bishop Eamonn Casey stated he had no problem allowing any priest in good standing in his diocese say the Mass, but the matter never arose in his time. One parish priest in the diocese is known to have said a requiem Mass in his parish as a result of local petitioning in the past decade but nothing came of that.
Bishop McLoughlin was approached about allowing the Mass, but delayed giving permission until 2003. In August that year, Father James Buckley said Mass at a side altar in St Mary's Cathedral in Galway - the second Irish cathedral used for the traditional Mass since the liturgical changes. Some time later, Bishop McLoughlin designated St Oliver Plunkett's Church in the suburb of Renmore as the centre for the traditional Mass in Galway. This is a modern church and it is somewhat out of the way, but it was the venue for the traditional Mass in Galway ever since. This has only happened a few times every year. The only exception has been the celebration of a few Masses in Shrule, one of the Mayo parishes of the Galway diocese. One of the consequences of Summorum Pontificum is that the parish priest in Renmore stated that he did not want the church there used for the traditional Mass again. No alternative church in Galway City has been found since.