The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, will ordain two men to the priesthood tomorrow (Tuesday 14th November). The ordinations of Deacons James Daly and Bill O’ Shaughnessy will take place on the Feast Day of Dublin’s Saint Laurence O’ Toole in the Pro Cathedral at 11am. Bill and James will be joined by members of their families, priests, deacons and parish pastoral workers from around the Archdiocese along with representatives from parishes and schools.
There are now over 380 Diocesan and Religious priests serving in the Archdiocese of Dublin. Twenty five women and men are working as parish pastoral workers and 22 men have been ordained Permanent Deacons over the past five years. After tomorrow, Archbishop Martin will have ordained 16 men to the Diocesan priesthood since he became Archbishop in 2004.
At Mass last Saturday to remember deceased priests of the Diocese, Archbishop Martin described the ministry of the priest as “a ministry of the saving message of Jesus Christ who wishes that we enter into the fulfilment of life with him through a passage of the good life lived here on earth.”
Remembering fifteen Dublin priests who died in the past year, he spoke of how on the Feast of Saint Laurence O’Toole, he will have the privilege of ordaining two new priests for the diocese. In his homily Archbishop Martin said, “Some will immediately say fifteen dead and only two new priests. Statistics and numbers are important, but they are not the entire picture. We can speak of 78% of Irish people who registered as Catholic at the recent census. We can use the same census figures to note a significant increase in the numbers of young men and women who no longer wish to be recognised as Catholics. Faith is not about numbers. The Church is not a Church triumphant in this life. What is vital is the quality of the life of faith that dwells in our hearts. We pray for the two men who will be ordained on Tuesday that they will experience in their lives the joy that comes from the saving hope of Jesus Christ and that – through word and deed and prayer – they will bring that hope and joy to the world around them tomorrow.”
Bill O’Shaughnessy, who will be ordained tomorrow, is from Castledermot in Co. Kildare. From 2006, Bill studied History and Theology in the Pontifical University Maynooth, and graduated with a Baccalaureate in Arts in 2009. He continued his studies and graduated in 2011 with a Masters in Dogmatic Theology. He entered the Seminary in 2012 and completed a two-year Higher Diploma in Philosophy from N.U.I. Maynooth.
In August of 2013, Bill joined the Irish College Community in Rome earning a BA in Divinity from the Gregorian University. He was ordained a Deacon in St Mark’s Basilica in Rome in March 2016, after which he completed a Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology, again in the Gregorian University. On his return to Ireland in September 2016 he spent a year as a Deacon in St. Matthews Parish, Ballyfermot ministering alongside Parish Priest Fr. Joe Mc Donald. He has since been appointed to Springfield and Jobstown Parishes in Tallaght.
James Daly is from Shanagarry, Co. Cork. James worked for several years in Local Government and in the year 2000 decided to take a career break and work in the United States as a Youth Minister under a Franciscan Lay Ministry programme. On his return to Ireland, James studied at Mater Dei Institute of Education and graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor in Religious Education and English. He worked for one year teaching Religious Education at St. Mark’s Catholic School in Harlow in England.
James was appointed a Parish Pastoral Worker by the Archdiocese of Dublin in 2008 and worked in the parish of Sutton until 2013, when he entered the Irish College Seminary in Rome. James finished his studies in Rome earlier this summer graduating with a License in Spiritual Theology. He is currently appointed to the parish of Skerries. ENDS
