Mother Anna Grace O.P., the Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia, Nashville, joined the congregation’s sisters in Ireland for Mass celebrated by Fr John Harris O.P. last April. Photo: Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia in Ireland. At the Provincial Chapter of 2016, the Irish Dominican Province faced a painful but necessary decision. Owing to a lack of vocations over the previous fifty years, it was decided that several communities—both in Ireland and abroad—would have to close. Some of these houses had histories stretching back almost eight centuries. It was a deeply difficult chapter to attend, not least because the brethren voted to close my own home priory in Limerick.
Presence
The Dominicans first arrived in Limerick in 1227, and through centuries marked at times by persecution and hardship, they had never abandoned their presence there. Whether in small numbers, in humble country cottages, or hidden away in the city’s back lanes, they endured. My own life of faith was rooted in that place. I grew up in the church, began serving Mass just two days after my First Holy Communion, and ten years later left from there to join the Order. It was in that priory and church that my vocation was born, nurtured, and brought to fruition. The decision to close a Dominican community in a vibrant university city was one I found difficult to comprehend.
Yet, as Scripture reminds us, God’s ways are not our ways. Following the decision, it emerged that the Bishop of Limerick had invited the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia to establish a community in the city. In response, the Provincial Council offered the sisters the use of the church and priory. To the glory of God, they accepted both invitations. Thus, although the Irish Province would no longer maintain a presence, the Dominican charism would continue in Limerick through the sisters from Nashville.
Recently, the Prioress General of the Congregation visited Limerick to mark the tenth anniversary of the sisters’ arrival. It was a profound joy for me to be present and to witness how God’s providence has blessed this renewed Dominican presence in my home city. The sisters are well supported by the local clergy, who celebrate daily Mass and administer the sacraments. I wish specially to acknowledge and thank Canon Donough O’Malley, whose stalwart support of the sisters and the worshipping community has been invaluable over these years.
Responsibility
The sisters have assumed responsibility for the parish, with one serving as parish administrator. Others are engaged in various roles within the diocesan curia, particularly in the fields of education and the promotion of priestly vocations in the Diocese of Limerick. Their apostolate extends far beyond the immediate parish. They have fostered a vibrant network of families and faithful supporters, established youth groups for different age ranges, and organised prayer and study groups for both men and women. They have also encouraged the formation of a local chapter of the Fraternities of St Dominic. Through their work, they have built connections with individuals and communities across the country.
The Dominicans continue to serve the people of Limerick, and next year will mark 800 years of unbroken service in the city and diocese”
Reflecting on these past ten years fills me with deep gratitude. What once seemed a moment of sorrow—the departure of the Dominican brethren after 789 years—has, in God’s providence, become the beginning of a new and fruitful chapter in the life of the Diocese of Limerick and the wider Dominican Family. None of us who participated in the 2016 Chapter could have foreseen what God had in store for the church, the priory, the parish, or the diocese.
Sadness
Not long ago, while visiting home, I encountered an old family friend who expressed sadness that there were “no Dominicans left” in the city and asked whether they might one day return. I was glad to reassure him that this is not the case. The Dominicans continue to serve the people of Limerick, and next year will mark 800 years of unbroken service in the city and diocese.
Things are not as they once were, but the mission endures. The community of sisters now forms the heart of a vibrant worshipping body, supported by dedicated priests and committed lay faithful. What I have witnessed in Limerick over the past decade gives me renewed hope: God remains faithful to His Church, and His work continues to unfold in ways we could never have imagined.
Piece of wisdom I picked up
“We pray to God in our time and he answers in his time.”
“As I get older, I come to realise just how wise and connected my parents were.”