High Mass
on The Feast of The Ascension.
Plus, Benediction.
The Church of The Sacred Heart, Limerick, Ireland.
This beautiful Church was once slated to be a Leisure Centre and Bar.
Available on YouTube at
THE LATIN MASS SOCIETY RC DIOCESE OF MIDDLESBROUGH
The following Text, dated 28 August 2012, is from THE IRISH TIMES
The Sacred Heart Church, located at The Crescent, in Limerick City Centre, which was on the market for more than €4 million, has been sold for €700,000 to a Community of Priests called The Institute of Christ The King Sovereign Priest.
Also known as The Jesuit Church, after The Order that built it and occupied it for many years, The Sacred Heart Church has been vacant for the last six years following its sale to the Late John O’Dolan, a developer from Galway.
Mr O’Dolan, who died in 2009, had planned to convert the building into a leisure centre and bar.
But now the Church, which was in danger of falling into disrepair, is to return to its original function following its sale to the Religious Community, led in Limerick by 38-year-old Frenchman, Canon Wulfran Lebocq, The Institute’s Choirmaster, who has lived in Ballingarry since 2010.
Also known as The Jesuit Church, after The Order that built it and occupied it for many years, The Sacred Heart Church has been vacant for the last six years following its sale to the Late John O’Dolan, a developer from Galway.
Mr O’Dolan, who died in 2009, had planned to convert the building into a leisure centre and bar.
But now the Church, which was in danger of falling into disrepair, is to return to its original function following its sale to the Religious Community, led in Limerick by 38-year-old Frenchman, Canon Wulfran Lebocq, The Institute’s Choirmaster, who has lived in Ballingarry since 2010.
I was inspired by Zephyrinus’ post on the Sacred Heart Church in Limerick to look up the history of how the Institute of Christ the King obtained the property. This information is from @Reginamag.com.
ReplyDeleteThe church was built 1865-1868 by the Jesuit Order, and has always been the spiritual heart of Catholic Limerick. However, for whatever reason in 2006, the Jesuits decided to sell the structure and attached buildings: it appeared to be a hasty sale and O’Dolan, the real estate developer acquired it (It is highly unlikely the Jesuit order would have sold it to a traditional group, even if it is a traditional group in union with the Church. -Ed. note).
The sale appeared to be a fire sale because the Jesuit sold everything inside the church and the buildings, the linens, the pews, the statues, the books and library. Fortunately, the classic Telford tracker pipe organ in the church was not removed, and with some small technical repairs and care, when the ICKSP obtained the church eventually in 2012, after the death of O’Dolan, it is now operational.
Zephyrinus likely knows this, but when it came up for sale ICKSP and their religious sisters and the Society of the Sacred Heart commenced praying for the opportunity to acquire the church. Even when it appeared lost when it was purchased by the real estate developer they did not stop praying. After six years, in 2012, it became available to them.
However, very sadly, much of the interior, including of course, the pews, shrines, and statues had been sold and removed, even the Sacred Heart statue on the exterior façade which was illuminated at night and was a landmark and a very comforting and beautiful image for over a century to the people of the city. Zephyrinus probably knows all this: But the ICKSP has had a major amount of work to do to repair the church, inside and out, after it not being heated for 6 years in the harsh damp winters of Ireland. The work has been ongoing ever since, and there is much more to the story, but that is the abridged version.
At any rate, despite the huge obstacles, this beautiful historic church is being saved.
“With God, nothing is impossible.” -Luke 1:36; Mt. 19:26
By the way, progress continues in Limerick area, as last year the Sister Adorers order (sister order of the ICKSP) successfully purchased a magnificent convent in nearby Ardee Co. Lough, from the Irish Sisters of Mercy (another Vatican II order of women that is in rapid decline).
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