Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin
Archdiocese of Dublin Archidioecesis Dublinensis Ard-Deoise Bhaile Átha Cliath | |
---|---|
Laurence O'Toole | |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Archbishop | Dermot Farrell, Archbishop of Dublin |
Auxiliary Bishops | Paul Dempsey (bishop), Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin |
Vicar General | Fr. Gareth Byrne Msgr. Ciarán O'Carroll Fr. Donal Roche |
Bishops emeritus | Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin Raymond Field, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin Éamonn Walsh, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin |
Map | |
Website | |
dublindiocese.ie |
The Archdiocese of Dublin (
As of 2021, the incumbent
Province and geographic remit
The Province of Dublin is one of
Large population centres include the city of Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Tallaght and Malahide. The archdiocese also contains several large towns: Arklow, Athy, Balbriggan, Bray, Celbridge, Greystones, Leixlip, Maynooth and Swords. Altogether it covers an area of 698,277 statute acres (2,825 km2). The suffragan dioceses of the province are:
History
Pre-diocesan ecclesiastical history
The Dublin area was Christian long before the formal establishment of the diocese. There are vestigial remains and memory of monasteries that were famous before that time at Finglas, Glasnevin, Glendalough, Kilnamanagh, Rathmichael, Swords, Tallaght, among others. They witness to the faith of earlier generations and to a flourishing Church life. Several of these functioned as "head churches", the most important of which was Glendalough.
The monastic basis of the early church power vested the greatest authority in the abbots of the major communities. While there were bishops, they were not organised dioceses in the modern sense. In many cases, the offices of abbot and bishop were often comprised in one person. Although Ware's Antiquities of Ireland mentions "Bishops of Dublin" dating as far back as 633, the Diocese of Dublin per se is not considered to have begun until 1038. When formal organised dioceses began to emerge in Ireland, all of the current Diocese of Dublin, and more, was comprised within the
The Danish Diocese of Dublin
Following a reverted conversion by one
At the
Synod of Kells (1152) and elevation
In 1151,
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 exercised his episcopal office within the city walls only, a very small area) 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. The new archdiocese had 40 parishes grouped in deaneries that were based on the old senior monasteries. All dependence by Dublin upon English churches, such as Canterbury, ended.
Early archbishops
The founding Archbishop – Gregory – was consecrated at Lambeth. His suffragan sees were
Norman period
Ireland's political scene was changed permanently by the coming of the
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 situated today) the archbishop had his castle at Swords. The abbot of Saint Mary's Abbey had his castle at Bulloch Harbour near Dalkey, where he levied customs duties on all imported goods. At that time, Dalkey was 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
Reformation period
Dublin religious martyrs included
As persecution eased in the latter eighteenth century, Mass houses were opened. Some are marked on maps 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."[6]
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,
Dr. Murray played a special role when the
The restoration of Catholic education led to missionary work, the
Modern times
Since the 1950s, an increase of population to more than a million adherents doubled the number of parishes to the present total of 200. In all parishes, lay men and women are being trained to take an increased role in the running of Church affairs in future years.[citation needed]
Governance
The archdiocese is led by
(1) the archbishop, assisted by three (as at 2007) auxiliary bishops, each with a titular see,
(2) the
(3) two episcopal vicars,
(4) a vicar for priests,
(5) a vicar for religious (in 2007, a nun) and
(6) other senior clerics.
Additionally, there is a Council of Priests, various consultative committees and each Deanery has a Vicar Forane.
The Chapter
The Metropolitan Chapter still exists. While the Church of Ireland had two Chapters for many years, the Roman 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
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.
The parishes are clustered into the following Deaneries: Blessington, Bray, Cullenswood, Donnybrook, Dún Laoghaire, Fingal North, Fingal South East, Fingal South West, Finglas, Howth, Maynooth, North City Centre, South City Centre, South Dublin, Tallaght, Wicklow.
A Parish Pastoral Council and a Parish Finance Committee have been established 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 priests minister in parishes, with a small number involved in administrative roles or serving on special diocesan projects. The table below enumerates priestly ordinations in recent years.
Year | Number Ordained |
---|---|
2006 | 3 |
2005 | 0 |
2004 | 1 |
2003 | 5 |
2002 | 2 |
2001 | 1 |
2000 | 2 |
1999 | 1 |
1998 | 3 |
1997 | 2 |
1996 | 6 |
1995 | 4 |
1994 | 7 |
1993 | 4 |
1992 | 8 |
1991 | 6 |
1990 | 5 |
A further 8 ordinations were expected in 2007 from a student cohort totalling 67.
Other services
The archdiocese, in addition to the work within the 200 or so parishes, operates some services centrally. Among these are Crosscare (the Diocesan Agency for social care) and the Catholic Youth Care (CYC). Crosscare runs food programmes for the under privileged, a drugs awareness programme, homeless services, and support for migrants.[7]
The diocese is also home to a branch of Accord, the national Catholic Marriage Care Agency.[8]
There is also the independent child protection service.[citation needed]
See also
- Archbishop of Dublin, which lists of the pre- and post-Reformation archbishops
- Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin – that caused the Irish government to publish the 2009 Murphy Report.
References
- ^ "Archdiocese of Dublin", Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved on 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Dublin archbishop who helped Ireland heal from abuse retires". Associated Press. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- ^ McGarry, Patsy (29 December 2020). "Successor to Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin announced". Irish Times. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
- ^ Dublin: Catholic Truth Society, 1911: Bishop of Canea: Short Histories of Dublin Parishes, Part VIII, p. 162
- ^ "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
- ISBN 9781853905803.
- ^ Crosscare Official Website
- ^ ACCORD Catholic Marriage Care Service.
External links
- Official Diocesan website
- Archdiocese of Dublin
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Archdiocese of Dublin". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.