Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on May 23, 2008 9:26:32 GMT
The Diocese of Down and Connor covers the greater part of counties Antrim and Down and a portion of Co Derry. It has approximately 325,000 Catholics in 88 parishes served by over 200 priests making it the second largest diocese in Ireland. It is one of two dioceses whose territory is entirely within the political entity of Northern Ireland (the other is Dromore). Its website is www.downandconnor.org/.
Since the 1984 indult, Quattuor Abhinc Annos, there have been two bishops of Down and Connor, with a third due to take office later this year. Bishop Cahal Daly was Bishop of Down and Connor between 1982 and 1991 when he became Archbishop of Armagh, succeeded by his auxilliary Bishop Patrick Walsh, who is due to be succeeded by Monsignor Noel Traenor on 29 June this year. The auxilliaries of the diocese are Bishop Anthony Farquhar and Bishop Donal McKeown. The late Bishop Michael Dallat served as auxilliary in Down and Connor between 1993 and 2000.
Soon after the 1984 indult, (the then) Bishop Daly instituted a Sunday Mass in Belfast, which already had a Mass Centre operated by the Society of St Pius X and their supporters (to date, adherents of the SSPX attend Sunday Mass in an ersatz chapel in Andersonstown). The Indult Mass was served by several older clergy of the diocese and alternated month by month between two chapels, one in West Belfast and the other in South Belfast. As priests died and retired, only one celebrant (Canon Cunningham) was left and the Masses in South Belfast were cancelled. The Mass was moved to the Poor Clare convent on Cliftonville Road in North Belfast and was celebrated on every Sunday of every second month (i.e. February, April, June, August, October and December, but not on the other months). The Mass was subsequently moved to the St Matthias' Chapel on the Glen Road in West Belfast. Canon Cunningham's health was failing and the Mass was discontinued in 2001.
Traditionalist activity in Belfast was confined to the work of a political party named Pobal na hEireann homepage.ntlworld.com/j.caughey/pobal.htm whose policies include restoring the High Kingship, restoring Irish as the spoken language of Ireland and implementing Catholic social teaching in legislation. Its leader is Sean Mac Eochaidh, who was actively involved in running the Belfast Mass until 2001. When the Latin Mass Society of Ireland was founded in 1999, Down and Connor traditionalists continued to support Ecclesia Dei Ireland.
In August 2005, the LMSI hosted Father James Buckley FSSP who offered the traditional Mass in St Paul's Church on the Falls Road. The following March, Father Richard von Menshengen Thernberg ICRSS, offered Mass in St Paul's in the course of a visit to Ireland. In August 2006, Father John McCallion of the Armagh Diocese offered Mass in St Paul's. The following year, Father Gerard Deighan of the Dublin Diocese offered Mass in St Paul's in both March and September. The LMSI picked up a number of members in Belfast and initiated a campaign to re-instate a regular Mass in Belfast.
In April 2008, the inaugural First Saturday Mass in St Paul's was offered by Father Martin Graham of the Down and Connor Diocese. At present, he is the only priest of the diocese available to say Mass in the extraordinary form, but following the initiation of courses in the extraordinary form for priests, it is hoped that enough priests will soon be available to man a weekly Mass in the Down and Connor Diocese.
Since the 1984 indult, Quattuor Abhinc Annos, there have been two bishops of Down and Connor, with a third due to take office later this year. Bishop Cahal Daly was Bishop of Down and Connor between 1982 and 1991 when he became Archbishop of Armagh, succeeded by his auxilliary Bishop Patrick Walsh, who is due to be succeeded by Monsignor Noel Traenor on 29 June this year. The auxilliaries of the diocese are Bishop Anthony Farquhar and Bishop Donal McKeown. The late Bishop Michael Dallat served as auxilliary in Down and Connor between 1993 and 2000.
Soon after the 1984 indult, (the then) Bishop Daly instituted a Sunday Mass in Belfast, which already had a Mass Centre operated by the Society of St Pius X and their supporters (to date, adherents of the SSPX attend Sunday Mass in an ersatz chapel in Andersonstown). The Indult Mass was served by several older clergy of the diocese and alternated month by month between two chapels, one in West Belfast and the other in South Belfast. As priests died and retired, only one celebrant (Canon Cunningham) was left and the Masses in South Belfast were cancelled. The Mass was moved to the Poor Clare convent on Cliftonville Road in North Belfast and was celebrated on every Sunday of every second month (i.e. February, April, June, August, October and December, but not on the other months). The Mass was subsequently moved to the St Matthias' Chapel on the Glen Road in West Belfast. Canon Cunningham's health was failing and the Mass was discontinued in 2001.
Traditionalist activity in Belfast was confined to the work of a political party named Pobal na hEireann homepage.ntlworld.com/j.caughey/pobal.htm whose policies include restoring the High Kingship, restoring Irish as the spoken language of Ireland and implementing Catholic social teaching in legislation. Its leader is Sean Mac Eochaidh, who was actively involved in running the Belfast Mass until 2001. When the Latin Mass Society of Ireland was founded in 1999, Down and Connor traditionalists continued to support Ecclesia Dei Ireland.
In August 2005, the LMSI hosted Father James Buckley FSSP who offered the traditional Mass in St Paul's Church on the Falls Road. The following March, Father Richard von Menshengen Thernberg ICRSS, offered Mass in St Paul's in the course of a visit to Ireland. In August 2006, Father John McCallion of the Armagh Diocese offered Mass in St Paul's. The following year, Father Gerard Deighan of the Dublin Diocese offered Mass in St Paul's in both March and September. The LMSI picked up a number of members in Belfast and initiated a campaign to re-instate a regular Mass in Belfast.
In April 2008, the inaugural First Saturday Mass in St Paul's was offered by Father Martin Graham of the Down and Connor Diocese. At present, he is the only priest of the diocese available to say Mass in the extraordinary form, but following the initiation of courses in the extraordinary form for priests, it is hoped that enough priests will soon be available to man a weekly Mass in the Down and Connor Diocese.