Twenty-seventh Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

The twenty-seventh monthly Mass was cancelled.

Twenty-sixth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

This afternoon, fourteen persons attended the twenty-sixth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin celebrated by Revd. Fr. Simon Leworthy, F.S.S.P. It was announced that December will be the last time that a Priest of the F.S.S.P. celebrates a monthly Mass in the Diocese.

Twenty-fifth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

This afternoon, ten persons attended the twenty-fifth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin celebrated by Revd. Fr. Simon Leworthy, F.S.S.P. The return to double figures marked the second anniversary of the first Mass, which was celebrated in October, 2008, by Revd. Fr. Brendan Gerard, F.S.S.P.

Over the course of the last two years, the attendance has been in single figures on only three occasions (or four, if you count January, 2010, when the Mass was cancelled without notice). On a further sixteen occasions the attendance has been between 10 and 19. On five occasions, the last one being March, 2009, was the attendance 20 or more.

Twenty-fourth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

This afternoon, eight persons attended the twenty-fourth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.

Twenty-Third Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

In a triumphant reversal of fortune, sixteen people attended the twenty-third Monthly Mass offered by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, a full 60% increase upon the ten who attended in July and the ten who attended in June. This is the highest attendance since March and the third-highest attendance in more than a year.

August appears to be a fortunate month for the monthly Masses in that lower attendances in June and July of 2009 and 2010 are followed by higher attendances in August. However, last year's August high was followed by a slide for three successive months and the August 2009 peak was not be be exceeded until six months later.

After almost two years of opportunities to prove their own mettle, we can but hope that this Winter holds something different.

22nd Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

There were 10 in the congregation this afternoon for the 22nd monthly Mass. The Priest was assisted by a single server. It was a Low Mass concluded with the Salve Regina sung in the Simple Tone.

Summorum Pontificum - Kildare and Leighlin

Since it has not provided a weekly Sunday Mass in the Gregorian Rite, the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin does not feature in the statistics that I referred to yesterday. However, that does not fully reflect the situation in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin since Summorum Pontificum.

As already mentioned, the International Federation Una Voce is compiling a third annual report on the implementation of Summorum Pontificum for the Holy See to coincide with the third anniversary of its coming into force, and to coincide with the returns that every Diocese in the World has been asked to make to the Holy See to coincide with that third anniversary.

We have already provided details of the groundwork for the Gregorian Rite in the Diocese, the progress of the Gregorian Rite in the Diocese, and the interest in the Gregorian Rite in the Diocese. All these can be summarised as follows.

Before Summorum Pontificum

Before Summorum Pontificum, St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association had been consistently requesting for more than a decade, the provision of Mass in the Gregorian Rite on Sundays and Holydays. One single Mass was permitted in the Gregorian Rite each year in one Parish (Kildare Town).

After Summorum Pontificum

-Regular Masses-

Immediately following Summorum Pontificum, seven Parish-based groups of members of St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association requested that Mass in the Gregorian Rite be provided in their Parishes on Sundays and Holydays. The result was a single monthly Mass provided in one Parish (Newbridge) a year later.

At least one other group requested Mass in the Gregorian Rite be provided in their Parish (Carlow Town) on Sundays and Holydays. No Mass was provided in response to that request.

That is, of the 56 Parishes of the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, 8 Parishes, or ONE SEVENTH of the Parishes in the Diocese, have received requests for the provision of a Sunday and Holyday Mass. NOT ONE has acceeded to those requests. Only one has made any provision at all for a regular Mass (monthly in Newbridge). The annual Mass continues (in Kildare Town).

-Occasional Masses-

Of the 56 Parishes of the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, 24 Parishes (including most of the 8 Parishes above) have received requests for single once-off Masses in the Gregorian Rite. Of those, 10 have given permission for single once-off Masses in the Gregorian Rite. However, of those 10, once-off sometimes meant just that and subsequent requests were refused or ignored.

That is, of the 56 Parishes of the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, 10 Parishes, or ONE FIFTH of the Parishes in the Diocese have tolerated (with varying degrees of hospitality or hostility) Mass in the Gregorian Rite at least once since Summorum Pontificum. Of the 56 Parishes in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, at least 14 Parishes, or ONE QUARTER of the Parishes in the Diocese WILL NOT TOLERATE even a single Mass to be celebrated there, even since Summorum Pontificum.

Summorum Pontificum - Tempora Mutantur

Someone once wrote (was it Ovid?) that Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis - Times change and we change with them. The excellent blog Rorate Caeli has an analysis of the progress of the cause of the Gregorian Rite in the time since Summorum Pontificum. You can read it here.

The survey is necessarily limited in its scope to Sunday Masses and so doesn't reflect the growth of daily, monthly or occasional Masses. However, the exercise is valid and its analysis is well-grounded.

Here are the details for Ireland, first giving the number of Dioceses in 2005 and in 2010 giving an every Sunday provision:

Ireland: 4, 6 (like Canada and the Philippines, Ireland is a 'treading water' country with ups and downs).

14. IRELAND (26 sees)
2005 - Regularised: 4 sees
2008 - Regularised: 4 Masses in 4 sees; S.S.P.X: 6 Masses in 4 sees
2010 - Regularised: 6 or 7 Masses in 6 or 7 sees (status of Tuam uncertain); S.S.P.X: 6 Masses in 5 sees

In an earlier post, we showed that Ireland has 1 every-Sunday Gregorian Rite Mass per 694,000 Catholics, in contrast to Canada (1:568,000), Germany (1:539,000), Austria (1:523,000), Australia (1:308,000), the United States (1:223,000), Switzerland (1:152,000), Britain (1:129,000), and New Zealand (1:79,000).

If every Diocese in Ireland had one single every-Sunday Gregorian Rite Mass it would be change the proportion to 1:160,000.

St. Gregory the Great, pray for us!

Twenty-First Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

A congregation of 10 attended the Twenty-First Montly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.

20th Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

I've been asked to stick to the bare facts about the 20th monthly Mass and to avoid editorial. There were 15 in the congregation and the Priest was assisted by a single server.

19th Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

Thomas asked me to attend the monthly Mass in Newbridge because he was away this month. I was happy to do so as it makes a change from the Latin Mass in Dublin. It's also nearer to me. I had attended twice previously and knew that the attendances are generally fairly low but I was unprepared for the attendance of 9 at a Sunday Mass, especially when the Priest celebrated alone in the sanctuary without even a single server. There was a general invitation to tea after Mass on previous Sundays, which I didn't accept because I wasn't comfortable walking right past the tabernacle (within inches) to have tea in a chapel directly behind the Blessed Sacrament. However, even the invitation to tea was absent on this occasion. This is all very disappointing after nearly two years. I don't think that the ('traditional') split at the beginning can entirely explain why things have gone from bad to worse. At any rate, I think there is no excuse for not having a server present. Katherine will add the statistical table later.

Eighteenth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

The Eighteenth Monthly Mass took place today. A congregation of seventeen was present. It is the second-highest attendance in 10 months (since May, 2009) and the joint eighth-highest attendance overall.

St. Brigid of Kildare - Seventh Annual Pilgrimage

This afternoon the seventh Annual Latin Mass Pilgrimage to the Shrine of St. Brigid of Kildare took place. The procession to and from St. Brigid's Well, Tully, Co. Kildare, took place as usual at 12.30 p.m. After the procession, at 2.30 p.m., Revd. Fr. Desmond Flanagan, Ord. Carm., celebrated Mass in the Gregorian Rite in the Parish Church of St. Brigid, Kildare Town. Three servers and a congregation of forty four were also in attendance.

In his sermon, Fr. Flanagan said that we are extremely lucky in this Country to have so many associations with the Faith everywhere we look. Kildare is a great centre of the Faith in Ireland but is neglected today. St. Brigid is perhaps our greatest native Saint who founded a great ecclesiastical city in Kildare that she ruled with St. Conleth as Bishop. Her glorious example of sanctity and religious life spread throughout Ireland. The Irish missionaries brought the great tradition of religious life begun by St. Brigid to the rest of Europe and later to the whole world.

Another fine heritage we have from St. Brigid is the sanctuary lamp. It was she who began the perpetual flame of Kildare to signify the presence of God who is always with us. Every time that we come into a Church and see the flame of the Sanctuary lamp, we know that Jesus Christ, True God and True Man is really, truely and substantially present in the Tabernacle under the appearance of bread. What a glorious gift to countless generations of Catholics this is. How many of us have been consoled in this vale of tears by the sight of St. Brigid's lamp ever-burning before the Blessed Sacrament? This is another gift of St. Brigid to the Church and another great example for us, that of devotion to the True Presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

Ireland was indeed the Island of ancient Saints and Scholars but is is still so today? St. Brigid was a sterling Saint, a woman of Faith and a woman of prayer but she also was a woman who lived the Faith by her example of charity towards her neighbour. He said that the Faith was very much in decline today but that the answer is in our own hands. If each of us in our own lives lives is able to live truely Christian lives not just on pilgrimage and not just on a Sunday morning but seven days a week, we would have made a great start towards bringing our Country back to the Faith.

After Mass, Fr. Flanagan gave Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the traditional form. Adoremus in Aeternum Sanctissimum Sacramentum!

St. Brigid of Kildare, pray for us!

Latin Mass Statistics

Rorari Caeli has pointed out recently released statistics for the availability of the Traditional Latin Mass across the World (except Ireland, for some reason) as of February 2010. The raw statistics and methodology are available here (in French).

A few headlines are that:

The United States has 289 episcopally authorized every Sunday Latin Mass sites out of a total of 359 (approved + SSPX) with a total Catholic population of 64.6 million. That is 1 episcopally authorised every Sunday Latin Mass site per 223,000 Catholics.

Switzerland has 21 episcopally authorized every Sunday Latin Mass sites out of a total of 45 (approved + SSPX) with a Catholic population of 3.2 million. That is 1 episcopally authorised every Sunday Latin Mass site per 152,000 Catholics.

Britain has 37 episcopally authorized every Sunday Latin Mass sites out of a total of 53 (approved + SSPX) with a total Catholic population of 4.8 million. That is 1 episcopally authorised every Sunday Latin Mass site per 129,000 Catholics.

Germany has 49 episcopally authorized every Sunday Latin Mass sites out of a total of 88 (approved + SSPX) with a Catholic population of 26,297,000. That is 1 episcopally authorised every Sunday Latin Mass site per 537,000 Catholics.

Austria has 11 episcopally authorized every Sunday Latin Mass sites out of a total of 19 (approved + SSPX) with a Catholic population of 5,755,000. That is 1 episcopally authorised every Sunday Latin Mass site per 523,000 Catholics.

Canada has 23 episcopally authorized every Sunday Latin Mass sites out of a total of 39 (approved + SSPX) with a Catholic population of 13 million. That is 1 episcopally authorised every Sunday Latin Mass site per 568,000 Catholics.

Australia has 17 episcopally authorized every Sunday Latin Mass sites out of a total of 28 (approved + SSPX) with a Catholic population of 5,239,000. That is 1 episcopally authorised every Sunday Latin Mass site per 308,000 Catholics.

New Zealand has 6 episcopally authorized every Sunday Latin Mass sites out of a total of 10 (approved + SSPX) with a Catholic population of 459,000. That is 1 episcopally authorised every Sunday Latin Mass per 79,000 Catholics.

Population figures are as in the Pontifical Year Book for 2005.

Ireland had a Catholic population of 4.2 million according to the same statistics. Ireland has 6 episcopally authorised every Sunday Latin Mass sites out of a total of 11 (approved + SSPX). That is 1 episcopally authorised every Sunday Latin Mass site per 694,000 Catholics.

Holy Patrons of Ireland, pray for us!

Seventeenth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

In a spectacular reversal of fortune, eighteen people attended the monthly Mass this month. This is the highest attendance since May, 2009, and it stabalises the monthly average attendance for the past 7 months at 12. It is the second time in the past 9 months that the attendance has exceeded 15. It is also the first time that our consultant statistician has had to adjust the trend upwards.

Sixteenth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

Five unfortunates made their way through hazardous conditions today to attend the regular monthly Mass in the Gregorian Rite celebrated by a Priest of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, to be told that it had been cancelled the day before, although nobody bothered to tell even those local people who have attended faithfully for many months. It was the only Mass cancelled today in the Parish of Newbridge.

If consolation can be drawn from these figures, it is that the new low is only slightly lower than previous lows. 8 persons attended the Mass in November. 10 persons attended the Mass in October. 10 persons attended the Mass in June.


Approaching the town of Newbridge from the Bog of Allen, one crosses the Railway at Mooney's Bridge. The first sight is the distant clock tower of Newbridge College run by the Dominican Order since 1852, the same year as the completion of the Parish Church. The Dominicans have a long and proud association with the area since the year 1356. The FitzEustace family were the first patrons of the Dominicans in Kildare, which is one source of the devotion to St. Eustace, who is the patron of the Dominican Church. The symbol of St. Eustace, the stag with the cross between its antlers, familiar to patrons of Jägermeister beer, is found in several places in the Church and adjoining Priory.


This is a closer view of the same scene. It looks down towards the clock tower from the west from the top of Mooney's Bridge, which crosses the Railway Tracks between Mount Carmel Estate and Ailsbury Park Estate.


The Church of St. Eustace staffed by the Dominican Order is the third to stand on the site, having been consecrated in 1966 by Michael Cardinal Brown, O.P., who had been Rector Magnificus of the Angelicum, Master of the Sacred Palace, Master General of the Dominicans, and who served the Church with great credit during the Second Vatican Council. The Church was built in a traditional plan with the choir at the 'eastern end. The High Altar has as much space in front as behind, indicating that it was built to accomodated Masses celebrated both versus Deum and versus populum.

The Church has a set of stained glass windows depicting scenes from the book of the Apocalypse and has a large number of works by Fr. Henry Flanagan, O.P., who was a member of the Dominican Community in Newbridge for many years. He is responsible for the Stations of the Cross, the Calvary scene above the High Altar, the Statues of Our Lady within and of St. Dominic and Blessed Peter O'Higgins, O.P. without the Church. Five Sunday Masses were celebrated here today - none were cancelled.

Walking towards the Parish Church along the River Liffey, looking back upstream towards the Dominican Church and Newbridge College.


A view of Newbridge College from 'The Bridge' of Newbridge. The Church tower can just be seen over the trees to the left. The clock tower of Newbridge College can just be seen over the trees to the right.


The campanile of the tower of St. Conleth's Parish Church, Newbridge, County Kildare, where five Sunday Masses were celebrated today - none were cancelled.


St. Conleth's Parish Church, was built close to the banks of the River Liffey (from where this photo is taken). St. Conleth himself lived not far from here until called to become Bishop at the nearby Ecclesiastical City of St. Brigid at Kildare.


St. Conleth's Church Parish Church was built on land donated by the local Mansfield family in a very prominent spot, unlike so many Irish Catholic Churches of the period that are hidden away in back streets our outside the centre of towns on account of the prejudice of the powerful Protestant minority.

Construction began in 1847, at the height of the Great Irish Famine, and was completed in 1852. The Transepts and Sanctuary are later additions. The stone was carried by the local people by horse-drawn cart from the hill of Boston several miles away. The local people of Newbridge know how to thrive in difficult circumstances.

Next to the Parish Church is the Patrician Brothers' Primary School. The Congregation was founded in the Diocese by Bishop Daniel Delaney of Kildare and Leighlin in 1808. The school, in red brick, was completed in 1914. The Patrician Brothers took over the Boys National School in 1939.


Cill Mhuire (The Church of Our Lady) where three Sunday Masses were celebrated today - the only Mass to be cancelled there was the monthly Gregorian Rite Mass, cancelled without warning to the Congregation.

You are welcome to use the images in this post but please credit this blog when doing so.

Our Lady of the Snows, pray for us!

Fifteenth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

The fifteenth monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin took place this afternoon. Appropriately enough, there were 15 in the resignation, including a number of small children. This is the second highest attendance in the last six months.



Last year, in response to requests from members of St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association in SEVEN Parishes across the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin for the provision of Mass celebrated according to 1962 Missal on Sundays and Holydays, Bishop James Moriarty, the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, provided ONE Mass each Month in ONE Parish.

Bishop Moriarty (b. 13th August, 1936) was ordained a Priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin on 21st May, 1961. On 26th June, 1991, he was appointed as an Auxiliary Bishop in the Archdiocese of Dublin and consecrated a Bishop by Desmond, Cardinal Connell, on 22nd September, 1991, with the title of Bishop of Bononia. On 4th June, 2004, Bishop Moriarty was appointed Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. He was installed as Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin in Carlow Cathedral on 31st August, 2004. Bishop 'Jim's Christmas Letter for 2009 to the faithful of the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin is entitled Message of Hope.

In his Message of Hope, Bishop Jim states: "Christmas 2009 comes to us in tough times. As this economic winter bites people are worried about money, jobs, the roof over their heads, and the future of their families." As a Diocesan effort at "reaching out," 45,000 fridge magnets will be distributed to the Churches in the Diocese during the course of Advent. In previous years, the Diocese distributed a similar number of Christmas decorations, representations of the crib, icons and candles (45,000 in 2003 and 45,000 in 2004) to the people of Kildare and Leighlin.

Last year, in response to requests from groups in SEVEN Parishes across the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin for the provision of Mass celebrated according to 1962 Missal on Sundays and Holydays, Bishop James Moriarty, the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, provided ONE Mass each Month in ONE Parish.
[UPDATE: Bishop Moriarty offered his resignation to the Holy Father on Wednesday, 23rd December, 2009, saying: "However, with the benefit of hindsight, I accept that, from the time I became an Auxiliary Bishop, I should have challenged the prevailing culture... I will endeavour to continue to do my best, as I have throughout my 48 years of ministry, to share Christ’s light and hope for the world."]

St. Conleth of Kildare pray for us!

Fourteenth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

The fourteenth monthly Mass took place this afternoon in the presence of a congregation of eight. The Mass did not take place in the Church as was usual but in the room behind the tabernacle where some of the congregation usually have tea after Mass. The reason for the change was a display in sand in front of the Altar.

St. Conleth of Kildare, pray for us!

Thirteenth Monthly Mass in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin

The thirteenth Mass took place today, the third Sunday instead of the second Sunday, and only 25 minutes late. There was a congregation of 10, including two small children. That is a joint lowest attendance with June.

However, if all of the 6 people who turned up last Sunday had attended this Sunday as well, the congregation would have been a respectable 14. That would have been the third lowest attendance after June (lowest: 10) and February, July and September (joint second lowest: 13).