O Spem Miram – CD Launch

On Friday the 26th of November 2021 the Dominican Friars of the Province of Ireland launched a CD with recordings of chants in honour of the the eighth centenary of the Dies Natalis of our Holy Father St. Dominic. The recording was carried out under the direction of Dr John O’Keeffe (Maynooth University), and features new music alongside ancient Dominican chant, including a new setting of the Creed by Dr John O’Keeffe, and a setting of the ‘Ubi Caritas’ by Fr Peter O’Kane.

The CD will be available through St Martin’s Apostolate, either by going to the website or the shop on Parnell Square, Dublin 1.

A Life of Love: The Dominican Vocation

Three friars of the Irish Province of Dominicans, Finian Lynch OP, Jesse Maingot OP, and Conor McDonough OP, reflect on the Dominican mission. Filmed and edited by Andrew Ascough. To explore a vocation with the Irish Dominicans, contact Colm Mannion OP, colm.mannion@dominicans.ie, and visit irishdominicanvocations.com.

Launch of CD of Dominican hymns and chants

As part of the Dominican Jubilee 21 celebrations in honour of St. Dominic, a group of Friars of the Province of Ireland has recorded a CD of hymns and chants from the Dominican liturgical repertory. The CD, O Spem Miram (O Wonderful Hope) will be launched in St. Mary’s Priory Church, Tallaght, on Friday, November 26 at 8.00 pm. Unfortunately, due to the current situation with the Covid-19 pandemic, the launch and performance will not be open to a public audience. However, it will be livestreamed via our webcam, which can be accessed onthe St. Mary’s Priory website or on Church Services TV (St. Mary’s Tallaght).

Copies of the CD will be available for €15.00, and can be purchased at the Priory reception, the Retreat Centre Bookshop or online from St. Martin’s Apostolate (www.stmartin.ie

Dominican Pilgrimage to Knock

On Sunday 10 October, the annual Dominican Pilgrimage took place again after last year’s pilgrimage was cancelled due to the pandemic. While smaller then other years many associated with the Dominican Family gathered in Knock on a very sunny day to celebrate together.

Fr John Harris OP, the newly elected provincial, was the main celebrant of the Mass. Fr John spoke about the apparition at Knock and drew attention to the fact that the official witnesses to the apparition were witnesses in a similar way to how we witness the apparition. While at other pilgrimage sites revelations were given to visionaries, in Knock the apparition was visible to all present. So as the apparition was present then, it is available to us now though the scene as depicted in the apparition chapel. We are now as much as then all called to be witnesses to the apparition as were the official witnesses!

It was a joy to gather again at Knock, and with God’s help we will be back in full force next year in October!

Video of the Habit Receptions and Professions 2021

This short video shows the highlights of two recent ceremonies held in St Mary’s Priory, Cork: the Reception of the Habit of our four new novices (September 14, the Feast of the Holy Cross), and the Simple Professions of the three novices who have completed their noviciate year (September 15, the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows).

Accompanying the images is the Te Deum, an ancient hymn of praise, sung by the schola cantorum from St Saviour’s Priory, Dublin. It’s opening words sum up the attitude of these men who are offering their very selves to God: “We praise you O God, we acknowledge you to be the Lord”.

Simple Professions 2021

The day after the new Novices received their habits, the Novices who have completed their noviciate year make their Simple Profession. This is their official entry into the Order as Dominicans, and the brothers have made this profession for three years.

Bro Philip OP, bro Sean OP and bro Desmond OP

They will now go to Dublin to start their studies in our Studium in St. Saviour’s priory. They will study philosophy and theology for the next few years and, with the help of God, and subsequently to be ordained priests.

Please keep our brothers who have joined the Order yesterday and the three brothers who have now made profession into the Order in your prayers.

Habit Receptions 2021

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross is the Feast Day of the Irish Province of the Dominicans. This is also the day that new novices start with their noviciate and receive the Dominican habit. The noviciate – the first stage of formation for a Dominican friar – is a year-long period during which, as our Constitutions explain, novices ‘experience the Order’s way of life, and are formed in the Dominican spirit in mind and heart’. During this time they are under the care of the Master of Novices, Fr Philip Mulryne OP.

This year four men joined the noviciate and received the habit during the 11 o’clock Mass in St. Mary’s, Popes Quay, Cork. In his homily, the Prior Provincial, Fr John Harris OP, reminded the new novices of their union with Christ in baptism, and encouraged them to grow in friendship with Christ. “During this noviciate year”, he said, “you must endeavour yourselves, with the help of your Novice Master, and the community here in St Mary’s, to live more deeply your baptismal calling as a beloved child of God”.

Please keep the brothers in you prayers as they start this new journey as part of the Dominican Order.

Please find a few of the photos below:

Solemn Profession

On the 11th of September, Fr. Columba Mary Toman OP made his Solemn Profession as a Dominican of the Irish Province. A native of Co. Down, Fr Columba Mary took his final vows in the St Malachy’s Church, Dundalk, where he has ministered for several years. His years of formation also saw him complete a PhD at Queen’s University, Belfast, on the ethics of end-of-life care, as he continued to carry out a fruitful preaching ministry.

In Solemn Profession, a Dominican friar vows obedience until death to God, to Blessed Mary, to Blessed Dominic, and to the Master of the Order. In this way, as our Constitutions explain, a friar is “consecrated totally to God, dedicated in a new way to the universal Church, being appointed entirely for the evangelization of the Word of God”.

On this happy occasion, we ask your prayers for the continued success of Fr Columba Mary’s preaching ministry, and that of the whole Province.

Please find below some pictures of the event:

The new Irish Provincial and Diffinitors

During the first week of the Provincial Chapter of the Irish Province of the Dominicans a new Provincial and Diffinitors were elected.

The Chapter will continue next week, please continue to keep the work of the Chapter in your prayers.

Seated from left to right: Fr David Tohill OP, Fr Benedict Moran OP, Fr Joseph O’Brien OP, Fr Donal Sweeney OP.
Back row: Fr David Barrins OP, Fr Conor McDonough OP, Fr John Harris OP (Prior Provincial), Fr Joseph Bulman OP and Fr Maurice Colgan OP.

Provincial Chapter 2021

The Provincial Chapter of the Irish Province of the Dominicans is currently taking place in the Convent of St. Mary’s in Tallaght.

Please remember the work of the Chapter in your prayers.

The Provincial Chapter 2021