25 January 2020

Yippee!!!

Wonderful news! After all these years, the ambition of S John Henry Newman that there be an Oratory in Dublin will be realised.

Visitors to Dublin will not need to be told about S Kevin's Harrington Street, the home of fine liturgy and superb preaching and Dublin's Latin Mass community. The Administrator, Fr Gerard Deighan, a Classicist, will be the Superior of the Oratory-in-formation, together with Fr Nevin and two (fairly advanced) seminarians. The Oratorian leitmotif of Sung Sunday Vespers will mark the change. And Candlemass day will be when it all becomes official.

I am told that the Latin Mass community at  S Kevin's continues to grow. I was there a few years ago on my way to read a paper to the Irish Confraternity of Catholic Clergy at Knock; despite the worst onslaughts of the Celtic Tiger, I think Dublin is my favourite European Capital City ... unless it ties with Copenhagen ...

Sometimes people do me the honour of sharing with me their despondency at the state of the whole Catholic Church. And of the Irish Church. But there are the same signs of growth and vigorous renewal as in so many other places. And the fact that most of these are generated from below, by faithful laity and devout presbyters, is all to the good.

Mighty are the prayers of the great Abbot of Glendalough! And of S John Henry! And of S Philip!!

6 comments:

Jhayes said...

Latin Mass Directory keeps track of the number of locations at which the traditiinal rite is celebrated in each country.

In Ireland, there are 23 reported locations which have at least an occasional traditional Mass - of which 10 have a traditiinal Mass every Sunday and 2 celebrate exclusively in the traditional rite.

For the UK, the corresonding numbers are 164, 57, and 4

For the US, they are 601, 380, and 53

For other countries, see

https://www.latinmassdir.org/explore-countries/

Tom said...

They will be very welcome in the Fair City. I hope they will inspire a move towards greater reverence and piety. I wonder whether this a sign that +Dermot is changing or merely acknowledging that he hasn't got long to go (as Archbishop)? I remember he did wear a biretta once or twice.

Ceile De said...

His Grace occasionally celebrates the TLM. Annually at the Capuchins, as I understand it, and at World Youth Day in Poland.

Joshua said...

Excellent news: God willing, I will be in Dublin at the end of Whitsuntide, and will be staying close enough to easily attend Mass at St Kevin's.

Prayerful said...

It is a way of ensuring that the Mass of Ages, via the Dublin Diocesan Latin Mass Chaplaincy, will still be there, even with a new local Ordinary for Dublin. The old diocesan TLM venue was St Audeon's church on High St nearly beside one of Dublin's pair of Anglican cathedrals. The danger wasa new Ordinary could move the Mass of Ages to anywhere. This mix of daily TLM, including High Mass on Sunday, plus ad orientem NOM can now survive, hopefully, changes of Archbishop and even Fr Deighan, should circumstances take him elsewhere. Very good news.

Christoph Hagen said...

Leitmotiv would be written with v in German, Father.