Athanasian Creed.

Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

The Shield of The Trinity.

A visual representation of The Doctrine of The Trinity, derived from The Athanasian Creed.

The Latin reads: "The Father is God, The Son is God, The Holy Spirit is God. God is The Father, God is The Son, God is The Holy Ghost; The Father is not The Son, The Son is not The Father, The Father is not The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is not The Father, The Son is not The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit is not The Son."

English: Compact version of a basic minimal (equilateral triangular) version of

The Shield of The Trinity, or "Scutum Fidei", diagram of Traditional

Christian symbolism, with original Latin captions.

Français: Le « bouclier » ou l' « écusson » de la Trinité, un

symbole traditionnel dans le christianisme occidental.

Source: Own work.

Author: AnonMoos.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Athanasian Creed, or Quicunque Vult (also Quicumque Vult), is a Christian Statement of Belief focused on Trinitarian Doctrine and Christology. The Latin name of The Athanasian Creed, Quicunque vult, is taken from the opening words "Whosoever wishes". The Athanasian Creed has been used by Christian Churches since the 6th-Century. It is the first Creed in which The Equality of The Three Persons of The Trinity is explicitly stated. It differs from The Nicene-Constantinopolitan and Apostles' Creeds in the inclusion of anathemas, or condemnations, of those who disagree with The Creed (like the original Nicene Creed).

Widely accepted among Western Christians, including The Roman Catholic Church and some Anglican Churches, Lutheran Churches (it is considered part of The Lutheran Confessions in The Book of Concord), and ancient, Liturgical Churches, generally, The Athanasian Creed has been used in public worship less and less frequently, but part of it can be found as an "Authorised Affirmation of Faith" in the recent (Year 2000) Common Worship Liturgy of The Church of England [Main Volume, Page 145].

The Athanasian Creed has never gained much acceptance in Liturgy among Eastern Christians. It was designed to distinguish Nicene Christianity from the Heresy of Arianism. Liturgically, this Creed was recited at The Sunday Office of Prime in The Western Church, It is not in common use in The Eastern Church. Today, The Athanasian Creed is rarely used, even in The Western Church. When used, one common practice is to use it once a year on Trinity Sunday.

English: Title Page of Book of Concord 1580.

Dansk: Titelbladet til Konkordiebogen 1580.

Deutsch: Titelseite des Konkordienbuchs 1580.

Date: 5 September 2007 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from da.wikipedia;

Transferred to Commons by User:Broadbeer using CommonsHelper.

Author: Original uploader was Finn B. Andersen at da.wikipedia

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Athanasian Creed.

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold The Catholic Faith.

Which Faith, except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

And The Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. Neither confounding The Persons, nor dividing The Essence.

For there is One Person of The Father.

Another of The Son.

And another of The Holy Ghost.

But The Godhead of The Father, of The Son, and of The Holy Ghost, is all one.

The Glory equal, The Majesty co-eternal. Such as The Father is. Such is The Son. And such is The Holy Ghost.

The Father uncreated. The Son uncreated. And The Holy Ghost uncreated.

The Father unlimited. The Son unlimited. And The Holy Ghost unlimited.

The Father eternal. The Son eternal. And The Holy Ghost eternal.

And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated, nor three infinites, but one uncreated, and one infinite.

So, likewise,The Father is Almighty. The Son is Almighty. And The Holy Ghost is Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.

So, The Father is God. The Son is God. And The Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

So, likewise, The Father is Lord. The Son is Lord. And The Holy Ghost is Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord.

For like as we are compelled, by the Christian verity, to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord. So are we forbidden by The Catholic Religion to say there are three Gods, or three Lords.

The Father is made of none. Neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of The Father alone. Not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of The Father and of The Son. Neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

So, there is one Father, not three Fathers. One Son, not three Sons. One Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.

And, in this Trinity, none is before, or after, another. None is greater, or less, than another.

But the whole Three Persons are co-eternal and co-equal. So that, in all things, as aforesaid, The Unity in Trinity, and The Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of The Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to Everlasting Salvation that he also believe faithfully The Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the right Faith is that we believe and confess that Our Lord Jesus Christ, The Son of God, is God and Man. God of the Essence of The Father. Begotten before the World. And Man, of the Essence of His Mother, born in the World. Perfect God and Perfect Man, of a Reasonable Soul and Human Flesh Subsisting. Equal to The Father, as touching His Godhead, and inferior to The Father, as touching His Manhood. Who, although He is God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ. One, not by conversion of The Godhead into Flesh, but by assumption of The Manhood by God. One altogether, not by confusion of Essence, but by Unity of Person.

For, as the Reasonable Soul and Flesh is One Man, so God and Man is one Christ. Who suffered for our Salvation, descended into Hell, Rose Again The Third Day from The Dead. He ascended into Heaven, He sitteth on The Right Hand of God The Father Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

At Whose coming all men will Rise Again with their bodies. And shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into Life Everlasting. And they that have done evil, into Everlasting Fire. This is The Catholic Faith, which, except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be Saved.

Quicumque vult salvus esse, ante omnia opus est, ut teneat catholicam fidem: Quam nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit, absque dubio in aeternum peribit. Fides autem catholica haec est: ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in unitate veneremur. Neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam separantes. Alia est enim persona Patris alia Filii, alia Spiritus Sancti: Sed Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti una est divinitas, aequalis gloria, coeterna maiestas. Qualis Pater, talis Filius, talis [et] Spiritus Sanctus. Increatus Pater, increatus Filius, increatus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.

Immensus Pater, immensus Filius, immensus [et] Spiritus Sanctus. Aeternus Pater, aeternus Filius, aeternus [et] Spiritus Sanctus. Et tamen non tres aeterni, sed unus aeternus. Sicut non tres increati, nec tres immensi, sed unus increatus, et unus immensus. Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius, omnipotens [et] Spiritus Sanctus. Et tamen non tres omnipotentes, sed unus omnipotens. Ita Deus Pater, Deus Filius, Deus [et] Spiritus Sanctus. Et tamen non tres dii, sed unus est Deus. Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius, Dominus [et] Spiritus Sanctus. Et tamen non tres Domini, sed unus [est] Dominus. Quia, sicut singillatim unamquamque personam Deum ac Dominum confiteri christiana veritate compellimur: Ita tres Deos aut [tres] Dominos dicere catholica religione prohibemur. 

Pater a nullo est factus: nec creatus, nec genitus. Filius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creatus, sed genitus. Spiritus Sanctus a Patre et Filio: non factus, nec creatus, nec genitus, sed procedens. Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres: unus Filius, non tres Filii: unus Spiritus Sanctus, non tres Spiritus Sancti. Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius, nihil maius aut minus: Sed totae tres personae coaeternae sibi sunt et coaequales. Ita, ut per omnia, sicut iam supra dictum est, et unitas in Trinitate, et Trinitas in unitate veneranda sit. Qui vult ergo salvus esse, ita de Trinitate sentiat.

Sed necessarium est ad aeternam salutem, ut incarnationem quoque Domini nostri Iesu Christi fideliter credat. Est ergo fides recta ut credamus et confiteamur, quia Dominus noster Iesus Christus, Dei Filius, Deus [pariter] et homo est. Deus [est] ex substantia Patris ante saecula genitus: et homo est ex substantia matris in saeculo natus. Perfectus Deus, perfectus homo: ex anima rationali et humana carne subsistens. Aequalis Patri secundum divinitatem: minor Patre secundum humanitatem. Qui licet Deus sit et homo, non duo tamen, sed unus est Christus.

Unus autem non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum. Unus omnino, non confusione substantiae, sed unitate personae. Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo: ita Deus et homo unus est Christus. Qui passus est pro salute nostra: descendit ad inferos: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis. Ascendit ad [in] caelos, sedet ad dexteram [Dei] Patris [omnipotentis]. Inde venturus [est] judicare vivos et mortuos. Ad cujus adventum omnes homines resurgere habent cum corporibus suis; Et reddituri sunt de factis propriis rationem. Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam aeternam: qui vero mala, in ignem aeternum. Haec est fides catholica, quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit, salvus esse non poterit.

Trinity Sunday.

Text is taken from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless otherwise stated.

Trinity Sunday.

Double of The First-Class.

White Vestments.

The Most Holy Trinity supported by the Thrones.

Illustration: UNA VOCE OF ORANGE COUNTY

In the second part of the year, the six months from Trinity to Advent, The Holy Ghost, whose Reign begins at Pentecost, comes to repeat to us what Our Lord, Himself, has taught us in the first part, the six months from Advent to Trinity Sunday.

The fundamental Truth, on which everything in The Christian Religion rests, is the Dogma of The Holy Trinity, from Whom all comes (Epistle), and to Whom all Baptised in His name must return (Gospel). In the course of the Cycle, having called to our minds in order, God The Father, Author of Creation, God The Son, Author of Redemption, and God The Holy Ghost, Author of our Sanctification, The Church, today, before all else, recapitulates the great Mystery by which we acknowledge and adore The Unity of Nature and Trinity of Persons in Almighty God (Collect).

"As soon as we have celebrated the coming of The Holy Ghost," says Abbot Rupert, in the 12th-Century, "we hail in song The Feast of The Holy Trinity, the following Sunday, a place in the Calendar well chosen, for immediately after the Descent of The Holy Ghost, Preaching and Conversion began  and Faith through Baptism and Confession in the Name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Ghost."

The Dogma of The Holy Trinity is affirmed, in the Liturgy, on every hand. It is in the Name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Ghost that we begin and end The Mass and The Divine Office, and that we confer The Sacraments. All the Psalms end with the Gloria, the Hymns with the Doxology, and the Prayers by a Conclusion in honour of the Three Divine Persons. Twice during The Mass, we are reminded that it is to The Holy Trinity that The Mass is being offered.

The Dogma of The Trinity is expressed in the very fabric of our Churches. Our fathers delighted to find a symbol of it in the admirably proportioned height, breadth, and length of these buildings, in their primary and secondary divisions; the Sanctuary, the Choir and Nave; the Ground-Floor, the Triforium and the Clerestory; the three Entrances, three Doors, three Bays, three Gables, and often three Towers.

On every hand, even to the smallest detail of decoration, the number three, repeated frequently, denotes a well-conceived plan and a profound Faith in The Blessed Trinity.

The same thought is expressed in Christian iconography, in various ways. Up to the 12th-Century, God The Father is represented by a hand, emerging from the clouds in Blessing and often surrounded by a Nimbus [Editor: Halo] containing a Cross. By this hand is symbolised Divine Omnipotence. In 13th- and 14th-Century work, one sees the face and then the figure of The Father. From the 15th-Century, The Father is represented as an old man in the garb of a Pontiff.

Up to the 12th-Century, God The Son was at first represented by a Cross, by a Lamb, or, again, by a gracious youth, in the same way that Apollo was represented in the pagan world. From the 11th- to the 16th-Century, Christ appears bearded and in the prime of life. From the 13th-Century, He is seen carrying The Cross and often He is depicted as The Lamb.

The Holy Ghost was, at first, represented under the form of a dove, whose outspread wings often touched the mouths of both Father and Son to show that He proceeds from both. For the same reason, from the 11th-Century He is depicted as a little child. In the 13th-Century, He is a youth, in the 15th- He is a man of ripe age, like The Father and The Son, but with a dove above His head or in His hand to distinguish Him from the other Two Persons.

Since the 16th-Century, the dove and the fiery tongues are the only representations of The Holy Ghost. Quite recently, it was expressly forbidden to represent Him under a human form. Since 1628 was also forbidden the monstrous picture of three faces on one body.

As a symbol of The Trinity, the triangle has been borrowed from geometry, depicting by its form The Divine Unity in which are inscribed three angles, expressing The Three Persons in God. Trefoil plants, as Shamrock and Clover, serve to represent this Great Mystery, as also do three circles interwoven, with the word "Unity" inscribed in the central space belonging to all three.

A Miniature of the 16th-Century represents The Father and Son as like each other, with the same Nimbus, the same Triple Crown, the hair worn in the same way and a single cloak drawing them close together. Further, they are united by the same Book of Divine Wisdom as well as by The Holy Ghost, who joins one to the other by the ends of His wings. But The Father is older than The Son, and the beard of the one is pointed, while that of the other is round.

The Father wears a Robe, without a Girdle, and carries the globe of the Earth in His hand, while The Son, as a Priest, wears an Alb, with Cincture and Stole.

The Feast of The Holy Trinity owes its origin to the fact that the Ordinations of the Ember Saturday, which took place in the evening, were prolonged to the next day, which was Sunday and which had no Proper Liturgy.

As this day is Consecrated throughout the year to The Most Holy Trinity, The Votive Mass, composed in the 7th-Century to celebrate this Mystery, was said on the First Sunday after Pentecost; and, since it occupied a fixed place in The Liturgical Calendar, this Mass was considered as establishing this Sunday as a special Feast of The Blessed Trinity.

Stephen, Bishop of Liége, who was born about 850 A.D., composed, in the 10th-Century, its Office, which was revised later on by The Franciscans.

The Feast was, in 1334, extended to The Universal Church by Pope John XXII and made a Double of The First-Class by Pope Saint Pius X.

That we may ever be armed against  all adversity, let us, today, with The Liturgy, make our Solemn Profession of Faith in The Holy and Eternal Trinity and His indivisible Unity.

Every Parish Priest Celebrates Mass for the people of his Parish.

The Cistercians. Part One.

Text is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

The Cistercian Coat-of-Arms.

Français: De France ancien, à un écu en abîme, bandé d'or et d'azur de six pièces,

à la bordure de gueules, qui est Bourgogne ancien.

Date: 24 October 2010.

Source: This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from: Ordre cistercien.svg; France Ancient.svg; Coat of arms of Cardinal Baselios Cleemis.svg; External Ornaments of a Bishop (Church of England).svg. + work by Heralder and Katepanomegas.

Author: Lemmens, Tom.

(Wikimedia Commons)

A Cistercian is a Member of The Cistercian Order, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist (Latin: (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis), a Catholic, and also Anglican, Religious Order of Monks and Nuns. They are variously called The Bernardines, after the highly-influential Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (though the term is also used of The Franciscan Order in Poland and Lithuania), or The White Monks, in reference to the colour of the "Cuccula" or White Choir Robe worn by The Cistercians over their Habits, as opposed to the Black Cucculas worn by The Benedictine Monks.

The original emphasis of Cistercian life was on manual labour and self-sufficiency, and many Abbeys have traditionally supported themselves through activities such as agriculture and brewing ales. Over the Centuries, however, education and academic pursuits came to dominate the life of their Monasteries. A Reform Movement, seeking a simpler lifestyle, started in 17th-Century France at La Trappe Abbey, which led to development of The Order of Cistercians of The Strict Observance (OCSO), commonly called The Trappists. After that, the followers of the older pattern of life became known as The Cistercians of The Original Observance.

The term "Cistercian" (French: Cistercien), derives from Cistercium, the Latin name for the village of Cîteaux, near Dijon in Eastern France. It was in this village that a group of Benedictine Monks, from the Monastery of Molesme, Founded Cîteaux Abbey in 1098, with the goal of following more closely The Rule of Saint Benedict. The best known of them were Robert of Molesme, Alberic of Cîteaux, and the English Monk Stephen Harding, who were the first three Abbots. Bernard of Clairvaux entered the Monastery circa 1110, with thirty companions, and helped the rapid proliferation of The Order. By the end of the 12th-Century, the Order had spread throughout France and into England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Eastern Europe.

The Ruins of Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire, Wales.

Photo: Taken by en:User:MartinBiely 5 August 2004.

Date: 29 November 2004 (original upload date).

Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.

Author: MartinBiely at English Wikipedia.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Tintern Abbey (Welsh: Abaty Tyndyrn) was Founded by Walter de Clare, Lord of Chepstow,
on 9 May 1131. It is situated in the village of Tintern, in Monmouthshire, on the Welsh bank of the River Wye, which forms the border between Monmouthshire, in Wales, and Gloucestershire, in England.

It was only the second Cistercian Foundation in Britain, and the first in Wales. Its ruins inspired William Wordsworth's poem "Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey", and Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem "Tears, Idle Tears", and Allen Ginsberg's "Wales Visitation", and more than one painting by J. M. W. Turner. 

The keynote of Cistercian life was a return to literal observance of The Rule of Saint Benedict. Rejecting the developments that The Benedictines had undergone, the Monks tried to replicate Monastic life exactly as it had been in Saint Benedict's time; indeed, in various points, they went beyond it in austerity. The most striking feature in the reform was the return to manual labour, especially field-work, a special characteristic of Cistercian life.

Cistercian architecture is considered one of the most beautiful styles of Mediaeval Architecture. Additionally, in relation to disciplines such as agriculture, hydraulic engineering and metallurgy, The Cistercians became the main force of technological diffusion in Mediaeval Europe. The Cistercians were adversely affected in England by The Protestant Reformation, The Dissolution of The Monasteries under King Henry VIII, The French Revolution in Continental Europe, and the revolutions of the 18th-Century, but some survived and the Order recovered in the 19th-Century. In 1891, certain Abbeys formed a new Order, called Trappists (Ordo Cisterciensium Strictioris Observantiae – OCSO), which today exists as an Order distinct from The Common Observance.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,

one of the most influential early Cistercians.

The Initial B is from a 13th-Century illuminated Manuscript.

This File: 4 July 2005.

User: GDK.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In 1098, a Benedictine Abbot, Robert of Molesme, left his Monastery in Burgundy, France, with around twenty supporters, who felt that The Cluniac Communities had abandoned the rigours and simplicity of The Rule of Saint Benedict. The Monastery Church of Cluny Abbey, France, the largest in Europe, had become wealthy from rents, tithes, feudal rights and Pilgrims, who passed through Cluniac Houses on the Way of Saint James. The massive endowments, powers and responsibilities of the Cluniac Abbots had drawn them into the affairs of the Secular world, and their Monks had abandoned manual labour to Serfs, to serve as Scholars and, exclusively, "Choir Monks". On 21 March 1098, Robert of Molesme's small group acquired a plot of marshland, just South of Dijon, France, called Cîteaux (Latin: Cistercium. Cisteaux means reeds in Old French), given to them expressly for the purpose of Founding their Novum Monasterium.

Robert's followers included Alberic, a former Hermit from the nearby forest of Colan, and Stephen Harding, a member of an Anglo-Saxon noble family which had been ruined as a result of the Norman conquest of England. During the first year, the Monks set about constructing lodging areas and farming the lands of Cîteaux, making use of a nearby Chapel for Mass. In Robert's absence from Molesme Abbey, however, the Abbey had gone into decline, and Pope Urban II, a former Cluniac Monk, ordered him to return.

The remaining Monks of Cîteaux elected Alberic as their Abbot, under whose leadership the Abbey would find its grounding. Robert had been the idealist of The Order, and Alberic was their builder. Upon assuming the role of Abbot, Alberic moved the site of the fledgling Community near a brook, a short distance away from the original site. Alberic discontinued the use of Benedictine Black Garments in the Abbey and clothed the Monks in White Habits of non-dyed wool.

English: An illumination of Stephen Harding (right) presenting a model of his Church to The Blessed Virgin Mary (Municipal Library, Dijon). Cîteaux, circa 1125. At this period Cistercian illumination was the most advanced in France, but within 25 years it was abandoned altogether under the influence of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.

Español: La Vierge, l'abbé de Saint-Vaast et Etienne Harding, prophétie de Jérémie, vers 1125.

Deutsch: Buchmalerei: Stephen Harding (rechts) und der Abt von St-Vaast in Arras (links)

zeigen Maria Modelle ihrer Kirchen, unten deutet der Schreiber Osbert

auf ein Manuskript. Bibliotheque Municipale in Dijon.

Polski: Św. Stefan Harding (z prawej) i opat ze St-Vaast w Arras (po lewej) pokazuje modele swoich kościołów NMP; poniżej przedstawiono pisarza Osberta (Municipale Bibliotheque w Dijon).

Source: Ökumenisches Heiligenlexikon.

(Wikimedia Commons)

He returned the Community to the original Benedictine ideal of manual work and Prayer, dedicated to the ideal of Charity and self sustenance. Alberic also forged an alliance with The Dukes of Burgundy, working out a deal with Duke Odo of Burgundy concerning the donation of a vineyard (Meursault) as well as stone, with which they built their Church. The Church was Consecrated and Dedicated to The Virgin Mary, on 16 November 1106, by the Bishop of Chalon-sur-Saône.

On 26 January 1108, Alberic died and was soon succeeded by Stephen Harding, the man responsible for carrying The Order into its crucial phase.

The Order was fortunate that Stephen Harding was an Abbot of extraordinary gifts, and he framed the original version of The Cistercian "Constitution" or Regulations: The Carta caritatis (Charter of Charity). Although this was revised on several occasions to meet contemporary needs, from the outset it emphasised a simple life of work, love, Prayer and self-denial.

PART TWO FOLLOWS.

Must Try Harder.

Children can be soooooo hard work !!!

The First Church In Ireland, Ever Dedicated To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus, Opens Again In Limerick. For His Greater Glory And Honour.

This Article is taken from REGINA MAGAZINE

The Institute of Christ The King Sovereign Priest.

How The Light Of The Gospel Is Returning To Limerick.

by Donna Sue 

Canon Wulfran Lebocq, Choir-Master of The Institute of Christ The King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP), spoke with Regina Magazine about the ongoing restoration of Sacred Heart Church, one of the most beautiful Churches in Limerick, Ireland, which was falling into ruins when The Institute bought it in 2012.

The Institute of Christ The King Sovereign Priest is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right, whose goal is “the honour of God and the Sanctification of Priests in the Service of The Church and Souls.” Its specific aim is to spread The Reign of Our Lord Jesus Christ in all spheres of human life, under the Patronage of The Immaculate Conception, to Whom The Institute is Consecrated.

In 1990, Monsignor Gilles Wach and Father Philippe Mora founded The Institute, in Gabon, on the West Coast of Central Africa, where they still have Missions. Today, the Mother House and International Seminary of The Institute is located in Gricigliano, in The Archdiocese of Florence, Italy.

The Sacred Heart Church,

Limerick, Ireland.

The Restoration Project.

By ACP Productions.

Available on YouTube at

https://youtu.be/HxPxNuEQ2JE

The Jesuit Order began building Sacred Heart Church, in Limerick, in 1865, and completed in 1868. Sacred Heart is the first Church in Ireland to be Dedicated to The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and features exquisite Mosaics and Shrines, as well as a large Choir Loft and a superb Organ, installed by Telford Organ Builders of Dublin, in 1924. Although the bulk of his Organ building was in Ireland, Telford was known and respected in England and abroad. He was a close personal friend of the famous French Organ builder, Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.

The mechanism of the Telford Organ was so well constructed that The Institute was able make the Organ playable again, with minor repairs, thanks to the restoration work of Padraig O’Donovan, a young Organ builder from Cork.

Photo: Michael O’Brien.

Q. I understand the Church was purchased in 2012. How did that purchase come about ?

To answer this question fully, I must recount to you the details of this beautiful story written by hand of Divine Providence.

The Institute of Christ The King has had the joy to serve Ireland since early 2006. At the request of certain Faithful, I began coming, monthly, then bi-monthly, to offer The Extraordinary Form of The Mass on The Emerald Isle. The process of acquiring Sacred Heart Church began then, when I first learned that The Jesuits were selling it. You can imagine what the sight of the closure of this magnificent Church would do to a Catholic Priest coming to Ireland for the first time.

If Sacred Heart Church is physically in the heart of Limerick, even more so was it in the very heart of the good people of Limerick. The initial step to the process was Prayer: We began Praying, then our Religious Sisters began Praying, and then even the Members of our Lay Branch, The Society of The Sacred Heart, began Praying. We all confided our Intention to The Sacred Heart of Jesus. Many devout locals, who had attended every Friday devotions to The Sacred Heart, were orphaned by the closure, but continued their devotions privately.

Q. In what condition did you find the complex at that time ?

When the Jesuit Fathers sold the buildings, they sold everything in it. All the furniture and Liturgical items, even the Altar and Tabernacle, the Stations of The Cross, and the Pews. Most distressing was the removal of the Statue of The Sacred Heart, overlooking the main doors of the Church. This feature of the Church façade always had been illuminated at night, and was cherished by the people of Limerick for many decades.

Photo: Michael O’Brien.

In 2006, a developer purchased the Church, planning to turn the property into a swimming pool and spa. Thanks be to God, this project failed because the financial difficulties in Ireland at the time caused the developer to declare bankruptcy.

Several years passed, and the property fell more and more into decrepitude, under the assault of Ireland’s often-unforgiving climate. Divine Providence, though, is not without irony and had special plans for this once-Venerated edifice. Thanks to many local benefactors, and important loans from the United States, as well as Germany, The Institute of Christ The King was able to purchase the property (a rare feat for our relatively new and small Institute). This allowed for the first Church in Ireland ever Dedicated to The Sacred Heart of Jesus to be reopened for His greater Glory and Honour.

Photo: Michael O’Brien.

The Church and the adjoining residence had been totally abandoned since 2006. The condition of the property was appalling. Once a building ceases to be heated, it immediately begins to fall into disrepair. Dampness penetrates every facet of the structure. First, the paint chips, and then the plaster falls. For Sacred Heart Church, the heating system itself became non-functional after six years of neglect and disuse. The roof of the attached residence had major leaks, which affected two stories of the building, and the broken gutters to broken windows. A tree was growing in one of the Confessionals.

How has the renovation progressed ?

Our first step was to replace the Statue of The Sacred Heart above the entrance. We then had the water turned on again and tried to clean up a bit. Next, we repaired the major leaks of the roofs and the gutters, for stopping any further damage was crucial to our restoration plans.

Photo: Michael O’Brien.

As soon as we began offering Holy Mass in the Church, we obtained temporary Pews for the Faithful. We also had to procure everything else necessary for Divine Worship. Before the original Sacristy could be rendered even marginally suitable, it was necessary to use one of the rare dry rooms of the residence as a makeshift Sacristy. Again, both the Church and residence were without a functioning heating system, so, during most of the first year, we attempted to find a solution to this fundamental problem, but to no practical avail.

Finally, by the Fall of 2013, the old radiators in the Church were reconnected with a new temporary boiler, providing much welcomed warmth for the Liturgies and visits to Sacred Heart Church this past Winter. Now, we have also completely restored the Sacristy, fabricated a laundry room in the residence, replaced several copper gutters, and redone the pointing on the brick exterior.

Photo: Michael O’Brien.

Q. Are there any projects that are currently underway ?

Currently, our project is to install two Marble Adoring Angels on each side of The High Altar, as well as a beautiful Marble Pulpit, saved from another closed Church. In the end, we are not here simply to fix windows and boilers, but to integrally restore this Church to its former nobility, beginning with the Liturgy and ending in Contemplation of Our Lord.

Below are photographs of the Church, prior to the purchase by The Institute of Christ The King Sovereign Priest. The Photographs were taken by Michael O’Brien.

Photos by Michael O’Brien.

Q. Would you tell us about the response you have received from the local Irish community ?

The closure of the Church was profoundly discouraging to the local community. It seemed to them that The Light of The Gospel was being overcome by The Darkness of The World.

Today, the Church’s resurrection has become a source of great hope and renewal for the Faith of the local Community, so sorely tried by the increasing antagonism of the Modern Culture and Materialism.

After we had opened daily, we Solemnly Prayed The Rosary before The Blessed Sacrament exposed for the month of October. The people were impressed by the reverence and beauty of the ceremonies, even if the condition of the Church was dilapidated.

Many visitors, who step into the Church for the first time after several years, are moved to tears to see such a young and vibrant Community totally dedicated to the Service of Souls and The Church. For some, it is like a passage to a bygone era from their youth. People often share stories and happy memories with us about their receiving the Sacraments or attending Mass as students, singing in the Choir, or listening to the Organ play. To witness some of this again is a true source of inspiration for them, and their subsequent Charity has been a grand consolation and motivation for us.

Photo: Michael O’Brien.

Q. Have you taken residence at Sacred Heart ?

In the Winter of 2013, we decided to move permanently into the Church residence, despite its condition. On 29 January 2013, The Feast of Saint Francis de Sales, the Community moved into the residence. As the first act in our new home, we sang the Vespers of our Patron and Doctor of Charity. The building was without heat and the conditions rough. It would be more accurate to say we camped in the building for several months before it could be considered habitable. Even today, we still live with very basic bathrooms, the entire living quarters lack heat, and what we call a kitchen, more nearly resembles a campsite, with a sink and propane gas stove.

Photo: Michael O’Brien.

Q. What is daily life like at the Priory ?

We work and Pray, gently and without haste, transforming the residence and Church. Personal sacrifices are necessary in reviving a dead building, and making the Church truly suitable for Divine Worship.

Despite the ever-present cold and damp of the residence and Church, we keep and maintain as much as possible the Order of our daily Community Life. Our days are rooted in The Sacred Liturgy: Lauds, Meditation, Holy Mass, Studies, Sext, work in the Church or residence, Vespers, Adoration, and Devotions to The Sacred Heart on Friday. Likewise, we have Mass, not only here in Limerick, but also in Galway City every Sunday and, occasionally, Masses elsewhere in Ireland – sometimes as far as Belfast.

Photo: Michael O’Brien.

Q. As vocations to The Priesthood and Religious Life are flourishing among those Orders that celebrate The Traditional Form of The Mass, has there been interest amongst The Faithful who may be discerning a Vocation to the Priesthood or Religious Life ? Have you received any Pre-Seminary Candidates ?

We have received possible Vocations that have come to Limerick in discernment. Two of these may go to The United States in September as part of the Pre-Formation Programme for our Seminary. The Institute is Blessed with an Irish Religious Sister who has been with us for four years. She received the Habit from Cardinal Canizares, and now is preparing for her Final Vows.

Considering the much larger spectrum of Irish heritage, the picture is more interesting. The Institute has a number of Canons, Seminarians, Oblates, and Sisters, of Irish ancestry. Ireland, in former times a “model nation” sent out Priests and Missionaries across the World. Now, many Members of the Institute are thrilled to be able to give back to a Country that has given the world so much.

Q. As Choir-Master for The Institute, what can you tell us about the Sacred Music programme at the Irish Apostolate ?

In spite of the many urgent and pressing restoration needs, one of the very first things we did last year was to restore the Organ, considered by experts as one of the finest in Ireland.

Photo: Michael O’Brien.

As the Choir-Master for The Institute, I understand very personally the importance of music in The Liturgy. For many years now, I have had the joy to train our Seminarians and Priests in the subtle art of Gregorian Chant. As much as possible, I have tried to bring this rich treasure to our Liturgy here. We sing The Divine Office together, which is open to the public. This is definitely our most important and efficacious Apostolate. A Gregorian Schola has been established to train anyone interested in the Theory of Chant, especially according to the beautiful Classic method of Solesmes, in which I was trained and that The Institute encourages as much as possible. We also have a Choral Ensemble, Cor Jesu Singers, who specialise in the Polyphony of The Renaissance.

Photo: Michael O’Brien.

A highlight of this was our first Sacred Music Week, held last year; each evening a Concert of various forms of Sacred Music: Chant; Organ; Sacred Polyphony; and Vocal Solo Music. Thus, the treasure, as you say, of the Church’s heritage, is offered to all as a means of reaching God. All our work here is directed to this end; to bring Souls to God by means of The Sacred Liturgy, in all its beauty, consolations, and encouragement, to keep us moving towards our true home in Heaven.

(Editor’s Note: To support the restoration of Sacred Heart Church, go to their website to make a donation or download the “Trifolium Romanum” their monthly Newsletter. You can also follow the Institute in Ireland on Facebook and Twitter!)