One could say, theoretically, that organised traditionalist activity in Ireland goes back to the 1980s, but that would be stretching the truth. The first attempt at founding a national Latin Mass Society here was in the Ormond Hotel in Dublin on the evening of 31 December 1989. I think the time and date was chosen as there was a solemn sung Te Deum scheduled for Ss Michael's and John's just across the Liffey later that evening.
So a small number of people assembled and founded the Latin Mass Society of Ireland. The initial acting chairman was David McEllin and the members were substantially, but not exclusively, drawn from members of the congregation in Dublin. That being said, there were not a lot of people at the meeting.
Nevertheless, this did represent progress. Lay organising is not a forte in the Irish Church, despite models such as the Legion of Mary and the Knights of Columbanus. As observed previously on this blog, there was a very well attended Ordinary Form Latin Mass in Dublin's Pro-Cathedral since the 1970s, but no one ever set up a Latin Liturgy Association. These were things to do with the clergy and the laity took the back seat. Thus, the Latin Mass Society of Ireland came into being in 1989, taking as its inspiration the much larger, older and more successful Latin Mass Society of England and Wales. And few people noticed.
HALLOWE'EN: THREAT OR OPPORTUNITY?
9 years ago
2 comments:
Surely some attention ought to be paid to Lefebvrist activity in Ireland in this context, which dates back to the early 1970s? (Bear in mind the Lefebvrists were not formally schismatic until 1988.) Also, if I remember correctly an indult Mass began at SS Michael and John's in Dublin almost immediately after John Paul II's first relaxation of the restrictions on the TLM. (I think this was in 1984 but it may have been after the Econe consecrations in 1988.) Who organised it?
I suppose I should have said organised lay activity. I have some description of SSPX activity in earlier posts, as I give the history of the Indult Mass in Dublin, which began in the Sacred Heart Convent, Tivoli Road, Dún Laoghaire in 1984; moved to St Gabriel's Hospital, Cabinteely in 1985; and moved to Ss Michael's and John's in 1989. The desciption is in earlier posts.
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