Br Ruaidhri Grieve OP Ordained to the Diaconate

On Saturday 24 November our brother, Ruaidhri Grieve OP, was ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Eamonn Walsh, Emeritus Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin.

As a deacon, Br Ruaidhri’s task will include ‘assisting the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, distributing Holy Communion, assisting at and blessing marriages, proclaiming the Gospel and preaching, presiding over funerals, and dedicating himself to various ministries of charity’ (CCC 1570).

During the ordination, Bishop Eamonn laid hands on Br Ruaidhri and asked God to bless him with “[an abundance of] every Gospel virtue: unfeigned love, concern for the sick and poor, unassuming authority, the purity of innocence, and the observance of spiritual discipline”.

Fr John Harris OP, the Prior Provincial, has assigned Br Ruaidhri to our priory in Tralee, where he will exercise his diaconal ministry before his ordination as a priest.

(Photos by Br Sean Blackwell OP).

Two Irish Dominican Friars Ordained to the Priesthood

Sunday last, September 4, saw the ordination to the priesthood of Dominican friars, Anthony Kavanagh and Kellan Scott. A very large number gathered in St Saviour’s, Dublin, for the joyful occasion, with the crowd spilling out into the street. Dominican friars from across Ireland – and beyond – concelebrated the Mass of Ordination, along with priests from the dioceses of Dublin and Meath.

Bishop Tom Deenihan of Meath the ordaining prelate, preached a homily on the importance of generosity, determination, and sacrifice in the life of a priest today. Drawing on the Gospel of the day (Luke 14:25-33), Bishop Deenihan reminded the ordinands that they were called by Christ to take up their crosses, and to willingly and lovingly make sacrifices each day of their priestly lives.

The newly-ordained priests have received their first assignations from the Prior Provincial, Fr John Harris. Fr Kellan will be going to San Clemente, Rome, to complete his studies, and Fr Anthony will begin work as chaplain at Newbridge College.

We ask your prayers for these brothers of ours as they begin their priestly ministry.

Two Dominican Friars Ordained as Deacons in St Saviour’s, Dublin

On Saturday 5 March in St Saviour’s Church, Dublin, Archbishop Dermot Farrell ordained two Dominican friars, Br Anthony Kavanagh OP and Br Kellan Scott OP, to the order of diaconate.

A large congregation was present to participate in this celebration, along with Dominican friars, sisters, and laity from throughout Ireland. In a sermon rich in references to Dominican authors, the Archbishop outlined the ministry of deacons: they are ‘heralds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ’, their preaching ought to draw on profound prayer, and in carrying out their ministry of service they should ‘live life in response to the needs of others’.

Quoting Pope Francis, Archbishop Farrell called on Brs Anthony and Kellan to be ‘contemplatives, whose closeness to people enables them to proclaim before the wounds of our world the power of the Resurrection at work even now’.

As these brothers advance towards priestly ordination, we invite you to pray for them, that they might live out their diaconal ministry in imitation of ‘the Son of Man, [who] came not to be served but to serve’ (Mt 20:8).

We invite you too to continue to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, especially to the Dominican Order. Our vocations director, Fr Colm Mannion OP, can be contacted at colm.mannion@dominicans.ie and 086-0864420.

(Photos courtesy of Br Sean Blackwell OP).

Ordination of Fr. Matthew Farrell OP

Matthew Farrell, a native of Daingean, Co. Offaly, was ordained priest on Saturday, 6 July, in St Saviour’s church, Dublin, by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, of Dublin. Present at the ceremony were his three sisters, Lorraine, Michelle and Natalie, with their families, and his brother David and his family.

Father Matthew, aged 44, had a varied career before joining the Dominican Order in 2012. Immediately after secondary school he worked in the bar trade in Tullamore and in his native Daingean. Attending Athlone Institute of Technology as a mature student, he gained a degree in applied chemistry, working for seven years as a laboratory analyst. After the death of his father, he returned to Daingean to work in the family business with his brother. As a Dominican he spent a year in the noviciate in Cork before moving to the house of studies at St Saviour’s, Dublin, to study philosophy, Scripture and theology, in preparation for ministry as a priest. He made solemn vows (lifelong commitment) as a Dominican in September 2017.

Later this summer, he will move to Co. Kerry, to join the Dominican community at Holy Cross church, Tralee, and to begin his ministry as a priest there.

Father Matthew explains that by the end of secondary school he had ceased going to Mass and practising the faith in which he had been brought up. He continues: ‘When I was 24, my auntie brought me to a retreat which was ran by a lay association called Youth 2000. This sparked within me an interest in religion in general, but it was not until I was 28 that I made a decision to re-commit myself to the practice of the Catholic faith. I started to go to Mass every Sunday, went to regular monthly confessions and got involved with a Youth 2000 prayer meeting which had started in Tullamore in the parochial house.’ The outcome was, he explains: ‘I started to grow in my faith in the love and mercy of Jesus Christ and faith in the power of prayer and the sacraments to help me grow closer to God.’

At the age of 37, after considering the possibility that he was being called to religious life, he entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), founded 803 years ago.

Diaconate Ordinations 2018

Brother Matthew Farrell and Br Jesse Maingot, members of the Irish Dominican Province, were ordained deacons in St Saviour’s church, Dublin, yesterday, 2 April, by Bishop Denis Nulty.

Matthew Farrell is a native of Daingean, Co. Offaly. Jesse Maingot is a native of Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. Bro. Jesse does his formation as a Dominican in Ireland as the Dominican Priories in Trinidad and Tobago are part of the Irish Province.

Both men joined the Order in 2012, making profession of solemn vows (lifelong commitment) in 2017. Brother Matthew and Brother Jesse will continue their studies in theology as part of the journey towards being ordained priests in the summer of 2019.

First Mass Fr. Philip Mulryne OP

On Monday the 10th of July 2017 newly Ordained Fr. Philip Mulryne OP celebrated his First Mass in his home parish in St Oliver Plunkett Church in Belfast.

It was a great occasion and many family, friends and neighbours joined for the occasion and filled the church to the brim. Please find some photo’s of this great celebration below.

Photo’s can be used for publication once the Irish Province of the Dominican Order and this website http://www.dominicans.ie are credited.

Ordination to the Priesthood of Fr. Philip Mulryne OP

Today in Dublin Reverend Brother Philip Mulryne OP was ordained a priest for the Dominican Order (Order of Preachers) by His Grace Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia OP during the 11.00am celebration of Mass in Saint Saviour’s Church, Dominican Street.  Archbishop Augustine Di Noia is Assistant Secretary at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and he travelled from Rome for today’s special ceremony.

Philip Mulryne was born in Belfast and whilst playing for his parish soccer team: Saint Oliver Plunkett, Philip was spotted by a scout for Manchester United Football Club and invited as a 14 year old to go to Manchester for a trial.  Philip impressed and then signed a schoolboy contract for 2 years.  In 1994 Philip finished secondary school and went to Manchester United full time as a professional on a four-year contract.  Making his debut in 1997 against Ipswich Town Football Club, Philip played five times in total for the first team before being transferred to Norwich City Football Club in 1999, playing 135 times for Norwich City during a period of six years.  Philip made his debut for the Northern Ireland Football Team in 1997 against Belgium and went on to play 27 times for Northern Ireland, scoring three goals.

After short spells at Cardiff City and Leyton Orient, Philip retired officially from football in 2009 and entered the Diocesan Seminary of Saint Malachy’s Belfast, spending two years studying philosophy at Queens University Belfast and at the Maryvale Institute.  Philip completed his studies in philosophy and went to the Pontifical Irish College, Rome, to study theology for one year at the Gregorian University before discerning a call to religious life.  Philip entered the Dominican Novitiate House in Cork in 2012.

We rejoice with Fr. Philip and his family on this beautiful day. Please keep Fr. Philip OP in your prayers as he starts the next step of his life as a Dominican in his priestly vocation!

Please see blow some pictures of the events, and a short video. A more extended video can be viewed here.

The photos and the video are free to be used for publication once the Irish Province of the Dominican Order and this website www.dominicans.ie are credited. The full size of the uploaded pictures can be downloaded when clicking on the picture and using the link at the right bottom. The video file can be downloaded here.

Diaconate of bro Philip Mulryne

Find below some pictures of the Diaconate ordination of bro. Philip Mulryne OP in St. Saviour’s Dublin, which took place on Saturday the 29th of October.

Br Philip was ordained by the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, during a Mass celebrated at 2 pm in St. Saviour’s. Bro. Philip was joined by his family, friends and many Dominican brothers on this joyous occasion.

Bro. Philip will with the help of God be ordained to the priesthood sometime during the coming year, so please keep him in your prayers as he continues his studies.

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Eight Priest Ordained for the Irish Province

The Irish Dominican friars rejoiced as eight of their brothers were ordained to the priesthood in Saint Saviour’s Dominican church, Dominick Street in Dublin. The ordaining prelate was Archbishop Robert Rivas OP of the Diocese of Castries in the Caribbean. Archbishop Rivas is part of the Irish Dominican province and came specially over to ordain our eight brothers in this special year of the 800th Jubilee of the Dominican Order.

The brothers ordained to the priesthood are brs David McGovern OP, Damian Polly OP, Ronan Connolly OP, Pat Desmond OP, Daragh McNally OP, Connor McDonagh OP, Eoin Casey OP and Kevin O’Reilly OP.

Our brothers were joined by many friars of the province, families and friends to witness the joyful liturgy of ordination. Please find some photo’s below. More photo’s and a video account of this tremendous occasion will follow after.