Post by Alaisdir Ua Séaghdha on May 29, 2008 10:05:27 GMT
Dublin is by far the largest diocese in Ireland with a Catholic population just slightly shy of 1.1 million Catholics in 200 parishes served by 1,432 priests, the greater proportion of whom are religious. It is also the second primatial see of Ireland - the Archbishop of Armagh enjoys the distinction 'Primate of All Ireland' where the Archbishop of Dublin is 'Primate of Ireland'. As a metropolitan see, its suffragan sees are Kildare & Leighlin, Ossory and Ferns. The Archdiocese of Dublin comprises of Dublin City, almost all of Co Dublin, most of Co Wicklow, a substantial part of Co Kildare and some parishes in counties Wexford, Carlow and Laois. Its official website is: www.dublindiocese.ie/.
The indult Quattuor Abhinc Annos came into force shortly after Archbishop Dermot Ryan resigned as ordinary to become Pro-Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of the Peoples (that's Propaganda Fidei to you and me). The then senior Auxilliary Bishop in Dublin, Mgr Joseph Carroll, was Apostolic Adminstrator of the diocese, until Bishop Kevin McNamara of Kerry became Archbishop of Dublin in 1984. Mgr Carroll became Apostolic Administrator again following Mgr McNamara's death in 1987 and held the positon until Mgr Desmond Connell became Archbishop in 1988. Archbishop Connell became a Cardinal in 2001 and retired in 2004 when he was succeeded by Mgr Diarmuid Martin who was Coadjutor Archbishop since 2003. The current serving Auxilliary Bishops are Mgr Eamonn Walsh, Mgr Fiachra O Ceallaigh OFM and Mgr Raymond Field, with one retired Auxilliary, Mgr Dermot O Mahony. Bishop Donal Murray of Limerick, Bishop James Moriarity of Kildare & Leighlin, Bishop Martin Drennan of Galway & Kilmacduagh all served as auxilliaries in Dublin in this period, as did the retired Bishop Brendan Comiskey SS.CC. of Ferns. Other auxilliary bishops of Dublin at the same time were Mgr James Kavanagh, Mgr Patrick Dunne and Mgr Desmond Wilson. The recently retired Bishop of Ossory, Mgr Laurence Forristal served as an auxilliary bishop in Dublin shortly before the period under discussion (1979-1981).
Dublin has had the longest history of an SSPX presence in Ireland, begining with visiting SSPX priests saying Masses in hotels and in the Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society hall in the late 1970s. They moved into a temporary ersatz chapel on Crawford Avenue, Dublin 9 in the early 1980s before buying the former Anglican church on the Mounttown Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin in 1984. This has been the centre of the SSPX apotolate in Ireland ever since.
The Palmarian movement also had a following in Dublin, centred around a custom built oratory in Santry, Co Dublin.
The story of the indult Mass in the archdiocese is several stories, which I will try to recall. But let me first state that there is considerable anectdotal evidence of older priests continuing to say the traditional Mass 'privately', particularly in religious houses in the archdiocese - until at least 1974 or 1975. In that way, it is quite possible that there was no break in the liturgy in the Archdiocese of Dublin.
The first indult Masses in the archdiocese were instituted by Archbishop McNamara in 1985. These were two First Friday Masses, one in a convent chapel in Tivoli Road, Dun Laoghaire (the nearest chapel to the SSPX chapel on Mounttown Road) and the other in Delgany, Co Wicklow. The Tivoli Road Mass was moved to the chapel of St Gabriel's Hospital, Cabinteely every Sunday shortly afterwards. There was a bar on publicity and as long as this Mass lasted, the congregation was rarely more than 25. The attendance in St John's was consistently considerably higher, but it dipped considerably following the departure of Fr John Emerson in 1987 and his replacement by Fr Daniel Couture. Fr Emerson was later among the founder members of the FSSP.
Following the Econe consecrations and the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei Adflicta, Archbishop Connell moved the Sunday Mass into a city centre church, appointing the then parish priest of Rathgar, Mgr John Moloney, to head this apostolate. After an amount of agitation, largely led by the then Religious Affairs correspondent of RTE, Kieron Wood, Ss Michael's and John's, Wood Quay, Dublin 2 was designated as the centre of the indult Mass in Dublin. This chapel was under control of Franciscans in Merchants' Quay (Adam's and Eve's). A panel of several priests, most of whom were members of several religious orders (Franciscan, Dominican, Augustinian, conventual Carmelite, Discalced Carmelite, Holy Ghost missionary and later Oblate of Mary Immaculate, Jesuit, Marist and on a few occasions, the late Father Ronald Huot SSS - an American who had been superior general of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers) was drawn up to say the Mass. The Mass took place in Ss Michael's and John's from 1989 to 1991 and in contrast to the attendance at St Gabriel's Hospital, attendance was as high as 500 in the initial weeks, largely thanks to Kieron Wood. It filtered down a little, but rarely sank below 250.
In summer 1991, Ss Michael's and John's closed (subsequently becoming a Viking Museum) and the congregation moved to St Paul's, Arran Quay, Dublin 7. This church was part of the Capuchin parish of Arran Quay and Halston St. The church design, following earlier re-ordering was less sympthetic to the traditional Mass, but there was some improvisation. The church was notable for a magnificent fresco of the conversion of St Paul and was the venue of the marriage of Eamon de Valera and Sinead Ni Fhlanagain in 1910. Cardinal Connell was baptised in this church and he retains a particular affection for it. The congregation was here until November 1995.
The congregation moved to St Audoen's, High St, Dublin 8 on the first Sunday in Advent 1995 as a result of the initiative of one of the congregation members. The number of celebrants were dwindling, but there were still enough to staff the Mass and from time to time newer priests, including younger clergy, came forward. The high point of St Audoen's was on the first Sunday in July 1998 when a newly ordained Fr William Richardson FSSP said his first public Mass in Ireland in the presence of Archbishop Desmond Connell. About 600 people attended this Mass. However, the average congregation was rarely more than 300.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said Mass in St Audoen's on the first Sunday in Advent 2005 but soon afterwards designated the church as the centre of the Polish chaplaincy in Ireland (occasioning an outburst at one Sunday Mass in St Audoen's by a few members of the congregation). He later moved the congregation to St Kevin's, Harrington St on the 1st Sunday of Advent 2007, establishing a Latin Mass chaplaincy under Father Gerard Deighan in the diocese. The chaplaincy website is: www.latinmass.dublindiocese.ie/. Father Deighan is assisted by Fr Geoffry Nevin, who spent some time in the monastery in Fontgombault and Fr William Richardson, who transferred from the FSSP to the Archdiocese in 2000.
Outside Dublin, there have been a few other issues. Following the demise of the Mass in Delgany, an elderly Holy Ghost missionary, Fr Gerald Ellis, was saying Mass privately in a convent in Greystones, Co Wicklow. In 1998, the parish priest of Roundwood, Co Wicklow, Fr Sean Smith initiated a weekly Mass in Roundwood following consultation with the then auxilliary bishop with responsibility for Wicklow, Mgr Martin Drennan. To establish there was a demand for the Mass, Fr Smith commenced a series of Thursday evening Masses at 11 pm where the congregation would have to access the church through the sacristy door. It was soon established there was a potential congregation, so the Mass time was moved forward to 8pm with open doors. Later, Fr Smith changed this to 10 am on Saturday mornings. Fr Smith was transferred to Lusk, Co Dublin in 2004 (occasioning an adverse commentary on Archbishop Martin's style of governance in The Phoenix Magazine). He allowed a First Saturday devotion begining with the traditional Mass at Midnight there, but Archbishop Martin brought this to an end in 2005 in the same week he said Mass in St Audoen's. Fr Smith reverted to curacy and moved to Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow. In Autumn 2007, he initiated a Saturday morning Mass at 11 am in Newtownmountkennedy. This is Fr Smith's personal initiative and is independent of the Dublin chaplaincy.
The Sodality of Our Lady run a First Saturday Mass with Marian Devotions in the University Church, St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2. Their website is: www.sodality.ie/
One bone of contention in the Archdiocese has been the issue of requiem and nuptial Masses. Prior to the establishment of the chaplaincy, only one nuptial Mass is known to have taken place in the Archdiocese. With requiem Masses, the pattern was extremely uneven, with established members of the congregation often denied them and a few unknown people received them. Even among applicants, some were granted permission and others were denied them. This seems to have been resolved since the establishment of the chaplaincy, especially since it has been announced that Mgr Martin will administer confirmation there on 29 June this year. This seems to cover all the sacraments except Holy Orders.
Both Ecclesia Dei Ireland and the Latin Mass Society of Ireland are active in the archdiocese. Ecclesia Dei Ireland holds Mass in the Capuchin church, St Mary of the Angels, Church St, Dublin 7 prior to its AGM in November. The Latin Mass Society of Ireland has organised Masses in several venues in the city as well as in Co Wicklow, concentrating of a pilgrimage walk between South Dublin and Glendalough, Co Wicklow: www.latinmassireland.org/bealach/index.html.
One corrollary of Latin Mass activity in the Archdiocese of Dublin was the commencement of the Byzantine divine liturgy in St Paul's, Arran Quay in 1996, moved to St Kevin's Oratory of the Pro-Cathedral. This currently serves a growing number of Eastern rite Catholics from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. Its website is: ugcc.ie/
The indult Quattuor Abhinc Annos came into force shortly after Archbishop Dermot Ryan resigned as ordinary to become Pro-Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of the Peoples (that's Propaganda Fidei to you and me). The then senior Auxilliary Bishop in Dublin, Mgr Joseph Carroll, was Apostolic Adminstrator of the diocese, until Bishop Kevin McNamara of Kerry became Archbishop of Dublin in 1984. Mgr Carroll became Apostolic Administrator again following Mgr McNamara's death in 1987 and held the positon until Mgr Desmond Connell became Archbishop in 1988. Archbishop Connell became a Cardinal in 2001 and retired in 2004 when he was succeeded by Mgr Diarmuid Martin who was Coadjutor Archbishop since 2003. The current serving Auxilliary Bishops are Mgr Eamonn Walsh, Mgr Fiachra O Ceallaigh OFM and Mgr Raymond Field, with one retired Auxilliary, Mgr Dermot O Mahony. Bishop Donal Murray of Limerick, Bishop James Moriarity of Kildare & Leighlin, Bishop Martin Drennan of Galway & Kilmacduagh all served as auxilliaries in Dublin in this period, as did the retired Bishop Brendan Comiskey SS.CC. of Ferns. Other auxilliary bishops of Dublin at the same time were Mgr James Kavanagh, Mgr Patrick Dunne and Mgr Desmond Wilson. The recently retired Bishop of Ossory, Mgr Laurence Forristal served as an auxilliary bishop in Dublin shortly before the period under discussion (1979-1981).
Dublin has had the longest history of an SSPX presence in Ireland, begining with visiting SSPX priests saying Masses in hotels and in the Rathmines and Rathgar Musical Society hall in the late 1970s. They moved into a temporary ersatz chapel on Crawford Avenue, Dublin 9 in the early 1980s before buying the former Anglican church on the Mounttown Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin in 1984. This has been the centre of the SSPX apotolate in Ireland ever since.
The Palmarian movement also had a following in Dublin, centred around a custom built oratory in Santry, Co Dublin.
The story of the indult Mass in the archdiocese is several stories, which I will try to recall. But let me first state that there is considerable anectdotal evidence of older priests continuing to say the traditional Mass 'privately', particularly in religious houses in the archdiocese - until at least 1974 or 1975. In that way, it is quite possible that there was no break in the liturgy in the Archdiocese of Dublin.
The first indult Masses in the archdiocese were instituted by Archbishop McNamara in 1985. These were two First Friday Masses, one in a convent chapel in Tivoli Road, Dun Laoghaire (the nearest chapel to the SSPX chapel on Mounttown Road) and the other in Delgany, Co Wicklow. The Tivoli Road Mass was moved to the chapel of St Gabriel's Hospital, Cabinteely every Sunday shortly afterwards. There was a bar on publicity and as long as this Mass lasted, the congregation was rarely more than 25. The attendance in St John's was consistently considerably higher, but it dipped considerably following the departure of Fr John Emerson in 1987 and his replacement by Fr Daniel Couture. Fr Emerson was later among the founder members of the FSSP.
Following the Econe consecrations and the motu proprio Ecclesia Dei Adflicta, Archbishop Connell moved the Sunday Mass into a city centre church, appointing the then parish priest of Rathgar, Mgr John Moloney, to head this apostolate. After an amount of agitation, largely led by the then Religious Affairs correspondent of RTE, Kieron Wood, Ss Michael's and John's, Wood Quay, Dublin 2 was designated as the centre of the indult Mass in Dublin. This chapel was under control of Franciscans in Merchants' Quay (Adam's and Eve's). A panel of several priests, most of whom were members of several religious orders (Franciscan, Dominican, Augustinian, conventual Carmelite, Discalced Carmelite, Holy Ghost missionary and later Oblate of Mary Immaculate, Jesuit, Marist and on a few occasions, the late Father Ronald Huot SSS - an American who had been superior general of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers) was drawn up to say the Mass. The Mass took place in Ss Michael's and John's from 1989 to 1991 and in contrast to the attendance at St Gabriel's Hospital, attendance was as high as 500 in the initial weeks, largely thanks to Kieron Wood. It filtered down a little, but rarely sank below 250.
In summer 1991, Ss Michael's and John's closed (subsequently becoming a Viking Museum) and the congregation moved to St Paul's, Arran Quay, Dublin 7. This church was part of the Capuchin parish of Arran Quay and Halston St. The church design, following earlier re-ordering was less sympthetic to the traditional Mass, but there was some improvisation. The church was notable for a magnificent fresco of the conversion of St Paul and was the venue of the marriage of Eamon de Valera and Sinead Ni Fhlanagain in 1910. Cardinal Connell was baptised in this church and he retains a particular affection for it. The congregation was here until November 1995.
The congregation moved to St Audoen's, High St, Dublin 8 on the first Sunday in Advent 1995 as a result of the initiative of one of the congregation members. The number of celebrants were dwindling, but there were still enough to staff the Mass and from time to time newer priests, including younger clergy, came forward. The high point of St Audoen's was on the first Sunday in July 1998 when a newly ordained Fr William Richardson FSSP said his first public Mass in Ireland in the presence of Archbishop Desmond Connell. About 600 people attended this Mass. However, the average congregation was rarely more than 300.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said Mass in St Audoen's on the first Sunday in Advent 2005 but soon afterwards designated the church as the centre of the Polish chaplaincy in Ireland (occasioning an outburst at one Sunday Mass in St Audoen's by a few members of the congregation). He later moved the congregation to St Kevin's, Harrington St on the 1st Sunday of Advent 2007, establishing a Latin Mass chaplaincy under Father Gerard Deighan in the diocese. The chaplaincy website is: www.latinmass.dublindiocese.ie/. Father Deighan is assisted by Fr Geoffry Nevin, who spent some time in the monastery in Fontgombault and Fr William Richardson, who transferred from the FSSP to the Archdiocese in 2000.
Outside Dublin, there have been a few other issues. Following the demise of the Mass in Delgany, an elderly Holy Ghost missionary, Fr Gerald Ellis, was saying Mass privately in a convent in Greystones, Co Wicklow. In 1998, the parish priest of Roundwood, Co Wicklow, Fr Sean Smith initiated a weekly Mass in Roundwood following consultation with the then auxilliary bishop with responsibility for Wicklow, Mgr Martin Drennan. To establish there was a demand for the Mass, Fr Smith commenced a series of Thursday evening Masses at 11 pm where the congregation would have to access the church through the sacristy door. It was soon established there was a potential congregation, so the Mass time was moved forward to 8pm with open doors. Later, Fr Smith changed this to 10 am on Saturday mornings. Fr Smith was transferred to Lusk, Co Dublin in 2004 (occasioning an adverse commentary on Archbishop Martin's style of governance in The Phoenix Magazine). He allowed a First Saturday devotion begining with the traditional Mass at Midnight there, but Archbishop Martin brought this to an end in 2005 in the same week he said Mass in St Audoen's. Fr Smith reverted to curacy and moved to Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow. In Autumn 2007, he initiated a Saturday morning Mass at 11 am in Newtownmountkennedy. This is Fr Smith's personal initiative and is independent of the Dublin chaplaincy.
The Sodality of Our Lady run a First Saturday Mass with Marian Devotions in the University Church, St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2. Their website is: www.sodality.ie/
One bone of contention in the Archdiocese has been the issue of requiem and nuptial Masses. Prior to the establishment of the chaplaincy, only one nuptial Mass is known to have taken place in the Archdiocese. With requiem Masses, the pattern was extremely uneven, with established members of the congregation often denied them and a few unknown people received them. Even among applicants, some were granted permission and others were denied them. This seems to have been resolved since the establishment of the chaplaincy, especially since it has been announced that Mgr Martin will administer confirmation there on 29 June this year. This seems to cover all the sacraments except Holy Orders.
Both Ecclesia Dei Ireland and the Latin Mass Society of Ireland are active in the archdiocese. Ecclesia Dei Ireland holds Mass in the Capuchin church, St Mary of the Angels, Church St, Dublin 7 prior to its AGM in November. The Latin Mass Society of Ireland has organised Masses in several venues in the city as well as in Co Wicklow, concentrating of a pilgrimage walk between South Dublin and Glendalough, Co Wicklow: www.latinmassireland.org/bealach/index.html.
One corrollary of Latin Mass activity in the Archdiocese of Dublin was the commencement of the Byzantine divine liturgy in St Paul's, Arran Quay in 1996, moved to St Kevin's Oratory of the Pro-Cathedral. This currently serves a growing number of Eastern rite Catholics from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. Its website is: ugcc.ie/