Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin

The Archdiocese of Dublin (Irish: "Ard-Deoise Bhaile Átha Cliath" ), also known as the See of Dublin, is the largest Roman Catholic diocese in Ireland, headed by the Archbishop of Dublin.

Jurisdiction

The archdiocese of Dublin covers all of County Dublin, nearly all of County Wicklow, with much of County Kildare and fragments of counties Carlow, Wexford and Laois.

History

Before the Diocese

The Dublin area was Christian long before Dublin had a distinct diocese, and the remains and memory of monasteries famous before that time, at Finglas, Glasnevin, Glendalough, Kilnamanagh, Rathmichael, Swords, Tallaght, among others, are witness to the faith of earlier generations, and to a flourishing Church life in their time. Several of these functioned as "head churches" and the most powerful of all was Glendalough.

In the early church in Ireland, Christianity had a monastic basis, with greatest power vested in the Abbots of the major communities. There were bishops but not organised dioceses in the modern sense, and the offices of abbot and bishop were often comprised in one person. Though some early "Bishops of Dublin," back to 633, are mentioned in Ware's "Antiquities of Ireland", and some may have exerted some authority in the city, the Diocese of Dublin is not considered to have begun until 1038, and when Ireland began to see organised dioceses, all of the current Diocese of Dublin, and more, was comprised within the Diocese of Glendalough.

The Danish Diocese of Dublin

Following a reverted conversion by one Norse King of Dublin, Sitric, his son Godfrey became Christian in 943, and the Kingdom of Dublin sought to have a bishop of their own in the eleventh century, notably under Sitric MacAulaf, who had been on pilgrimage to Rome. He sent his chosen candidate, Donat (or Donagh or Donatus) to be consecrated in Canterbury in 1038, and the new prelate had his Diocese of Dublin as a small territory within the walled city, over which he presided until 1074. This new diocese was not part of the Church in Ireland but rather part of the Norse Province of Canterbury. Sitric also provided for the building of Christ Church Cathedral in 1038 "with the lands of Baldoyle, Raheny and Portrane for its maintenance." [Dublin: Catholic Truth Society, 1911: Bishop of Canea: Short Histories of Dublin Parishes, Part VIII, p. 162]

At the Synod of Rathbreaasil, convened in 1118 by Gillebert (Gilbert), Bishop of Limerick, on papal authority, the number of dioceses in Ireland was fixed at twenty-four. Dublin was not included, the city being described as lying in the Diocese of Glendalough, but the Danish Bishops continued, still attached to Canterbury.

The Reorganisation of the Church in Ireland, 1152

Then, in 1151, Pope Eugene III commissioned Cardinal Paparo to go to Ireland and establish four ecclesiastical provinces, appointing to each a metropolitan, and at the general synod of Kells in 1152, Armagh, Dublin, Cashel, and Tuam, were created archiepiscopal sees.

In a document drawn up by the then Archbishop of Tuam in 1214, the cardinal is described as finding both a bishop based in Dublin, who at the time exercised his episcopal office within the city walls only, and "He found in the same Diocese another church in the mountains, which likewise had the name of a city [Glendalough] and had a certain chorepiscopus. But he delivered the pallium to Dublin which was the best city and appointed that the diocese (Glendalough) in which both these cities were should be divided, and that one part thereof should fall to the metropolitan." The part of northern County Dublin known as Fingall was taken from Glendalough Diocese and attached to Dublin City. The new Archdiocese had 40 parishes, in deanaries based on the old senior monasteries. All dependence by Dublin upon English churches such as Canterbury was ended.

The Early Archbishops

The founding Archbishop of the new, large Dublin Diocese, consecrated at Lambeth, was Gregory, with the Bishops of Kildare, Ossory, Leighlin, Ferns, and Glendalough reporting to him. The second Archbishop, from 1161 to 1179, was Saint Laurence O'Toole, previously Abbot of Glendalough, who had previously been elected as Bishop of Glendalough but had declined that office. During his time in office, the presence of the Church grew in Dublin city (by 1170 there were six churches other than the cathedral within the walls ["dedicated to St. Michael, St. Olave, St. John, St. Mary del Dam, St. Martin and St. Nicholas (Within) - Dublin: Catholic Truth Society, 1911: Bishop of Canea: Short Histories of Dublin Parishes, Part VIII, p. 162] ) and religious orders from the continent came to Ireland (Augustinians, Dominicans, Franciscans and Carmelites had houses in Dublin, and the great convent of Grace Dieu, near Donabate, was also founded). As part of this trend, Laurence installed a community of canons to minister according to the Aroasian (reformed Augustinian) Rule in the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, later known as Christ Church. Abbey of Saint Mary, one of the most important religious houses in Ireland for centuries, was founded in Dublin at that time, first under the Benedictine Rule, then passing to the Cistercians.

Ireland's political scene was changed permanently by the coming of the Normans and the influence of the English Crown. Saint Laurence's successor was a Norman, and from then onward to the time of the Reformation, Dublin's Archbishops were all either Norman or English. In 1185, the Pope had granted a petition to merge the Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough, to take effect on the death of the then Bishop of Glendalough. The union took effect in 1216, with the approval of Innocent III, and the dioceses have remained merged ever since.

Dublin acquired a second cathedral, St Patrick's, built outside the city walls by an Archbishop anxious to keep his freedom of action from the city's government, and chartered in 1191. In addition to his palace of Saint Sepulchre (where Kevin Street Garda station is today) the Archbishop had his castle at Swords, as the abbot of Saint Mary's Abbey had his castle, too, at Bulloch Harbour near Dalkey, where he levied customs duties on all goods in what was then a busy commercial port.

Medieval parish churches can be traced outside the city and towns. Tully, which dated from very ancient times, Kilgobbin, Kill of the Grange, Kilbarrack, Raheny, Howth, Grange Abbey, are examples. Their ruined walls seem small to modern eyes, but population was sparse in those days and simple buildings were adequate, many roofed with thatch.

Medieval times also saw many pilgrimages and in addition to Glendalough, pilgrimages were made regularly to Our Lady's Shrine at Trim in County Meath, and overseas, for example to Rome, and to the great shrine of Saint James, at Compostella in Spain, assembling at Saint James' Church and leaving the city by Saint James' Gate, as was the custom in other European cities as well.

Reformation

The Reformation in the sixteenth century, and the subsequent Penal Laws, led to persecution and deprivation for the church in Ireland, with churches and other property lost, priests driven into hiding, martyrs and terrible restrictions on aspects of ordinary life for those who remained loyal Catholics (such as limitations on ownership of land and horses).

Dublin had its martyrs, such as Blessed Francis Taylor, Mayor of Dublin, and Blessed Margaret Bermingham - Mrs. Ball - and Archbishop Peter Talbot, who died in prison for the Faith, a contemporary of Saint Oliver Plunkett. Others from outside Dublin were martyred here for the Faith, such as Blessed Dermot O'Hurley, Archbishop of Cashel who is buried in the little churchyard of Saint Kevin's, off Camden Street, Blessed Conor O'Devaney of the Diocese of Down and Connor, and Blessed Patrick O'Loughran, a priest of County Tyrone. These deaths for the Faith made a great impression on Dublin's people, and strengthened their attachment to the faith of their ancestors for generations to come.

As persecution eased, little Mass houses were opened here and there, usually off the beaten track. Some which have since entirely disappeared are marked on maps as far back as the eighteenth century, and the memory of "Mass paths" in certain country places has lasted until today. The buildings were usually of very simple design, of mud walls and thatch roofs, with the most primitive of furnishings, and similar tales were repeated all over Ireland - as the saying went "The King born in a stable held court in a shack."

18th and 19th centuries

The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were a time of reconstruction and revival, as the Penal Laws were gradually relaxed. In the 1770s and 1780s Archbishop Carpenter issued instructions about prayers to be said in the diocese in Irish and English, both languages being in common use among ordinary people. The 1800s saw the great work of the new religious congregations, such as the Sisters of Charity under Mary Aikenhead, Catherine McAuley with her House of Mercy in Baggot Street, and Margaret Aylward with the Holy Faith Sisters, Blessed Edmund Rice from Waterford, with O'Connell Schools in Richmond Street and the School in Hannover Street which later moved to Westland Row.

Daniel O'Connell was the leader of many initiatives to regain Catholic freedom of worship. In these years Archbishop Daniel Murray oversaw the ongoing work of renewal.

Dr. Murray played a special role when the Loreto Sisters, the Irish branch of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was founded by his devoted friend Mother Frances ("Fanny") Ball, as a name associated with so much suffering for the Faith came back three centuries later to rejoice in its restoring.

The restoration of Catholic education led to missionary work, the Jesuits at the Catholic University and at Milltown Park, the Holy Ghost Fathers at Kimmage Manor and Blackrock must be remembered among many others.

20th century

An increase of population to more than a million Catholics has brought a doubling of the Dublin's parishes in the last fifty years, to reach the present total of 200. In all of them laymen and women are training to take an increased role in the running of the Church in future years.

ervices

The Archdiocese, in addition to the work within the 200 or so parishes, operates some services centrally. The best known of these are probably Crosscare, the Diocesan Agency for social care, and CYC, Catholic Youth Care. Crosscare also created the Drugs Awareness Programme.

The Diocese is also home to a branch of Accord, the national Catholic Marriage Care Agency.

There is also the independent Child Protection Service.

Governance

The Archdiocese is led by the Archbishop, assisted by a number of Auxiliary Bishops (one for many years, in 2007, 3), each with a titular See, the Vicar-General, two Episcopal Vicars, a Vicar for Priests and a Vicar for Religious (in 2007, a nun), and other senior clerics.

In addition, each Deanery has a Vicar Forane, there is a Council of Priests, and there are various consultative committees.

The Chapter

The Metropolitan Chapter still exists; while the Church of Ireland had two for many years, the Catholic Church has only one, descended from that of St. Patrick's Cathedral, as Christ Church was reconstituted without papal authority, in 1539-1541. The members of the Chapter today have a ceremonial and advisory role.

There are places for 32 Canons, comprising 4 dignities, 2 archdeacons, and 26 prebendaries for 24 prebends (the two lowest-ranked have two parts each).

Administration

The Diocesan administration, based at Archbishop's House and adjacent buildings at Clonliffe College, includes the Chancellery, the Offices for Priests, Religious and Human Resources, the Finance and Education Secretariats, Offices of Communication and Public Affairs and Diocesan Archives. There are also developmental and liturgical support groups such as the Vocations team and Liturgical Resource Centre, and initiatives for continued development of priests and parishes. Finally, there are ecclesiastical panels such as the Marriage Tribunal.

Parish governance

There is a Parish Pastoral Council and a Parish Finance Committee in each parish.

Priesthood

The Archdiocese is served by around 700 priests, about one quarter of whom are "on loan" from religious orders (along with a few from the Archdiocese of Cashel). Most work in parishes, with a small number in administrative roles or within special diocesan projects.

Recent trends in ordination in Archdiocese of Dublin

Ordinations in 2006

Three men, all aged 40+, Pádraig O'Sullivan ("an Artane native; former nurse and nurse tutor"), Robert Coclough ("a Dundrum native; former engineer") and Joseph McDonald ("a Belfast native; former teacher") were ordained by Dr. Diarmuid Martin, Lord Archbishop of Dublin, on July 9 2006. They will serve in the Archdiocese of Dublin.

A further 8 ordinations are expected in 2007 from a student cohort totallying 67.

Ordinations during 1990 - 2005

ources

* New York, 1909: The Catholic Encyclopedia; Robert Appleton Company

References

External links

* [http://www.dublindiocese.ie/ Official Diocesan website]
* [http://www.gcatholic.com/dioceses/diocese/dubl0.htm Archdiocese of Dublin]
* [http://www.catholicity.com/encyclopedia/d/dublin.html Profile] Catholic Encyclopedia