Ireland: Eight Maynooth students to be ordained

A total of eight students from St Patrick's College, Maynooth are being ordained to the priesthood in 2005. The ordinations will take place in dioceses beginning 5th June 2005.

The students being ordained are: Rory Coyle from Armagh; Anthony O'Mahony from Cork & Ross; Kevin Duddy and Peter O'Kane from Derry; Patrick Hughes, from Kildare & Leighlin; Christopher O'Donnell from Limerick; Patrick Donnelly from Meath and Mile Vidic from Mostar.

Commenting on this year's ordinations Mgr Dermot Farrell, President of St Patrick's College Maynooth, said: "The ordination to the priesthood of eight students from Maynooth College is a source of joy for the staff and students of the College.

"Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, speaking about the priest in an address in 1990 said: 'The priest should be a person who knows Jesus intimately, has met Him and learned to love Him. The priest should therefore be a man of prayer, a truly "spiritual" man. Without strong spiritual substance he cannot last in his ministry. From the mystery of Christ he should also learn in his life not to seek himself nor his own promotion. He should learn to spend his life for Christ and for his flock.'" Writing one year later he said: "He who acts on Christ's behalf knows that it is always the case that one sows and another reaps. He does not need to bother incessantly about himself; he leaves the outcome to the Lord and does his own part without anxiety, free and cheerful because he is hidden within the whole. If priests today so often feel overworked, tired and frustrated, the blame lies with a strained pursuit of results. Faith becomes a burdensome piece of baggage that the priest just barely manages to keep dragging along, whereas it should be a wing that bears us aloft. (Called to Communion, p. 129)

Mgr Farrell went on to say: "We offer prayers and thanksgiving for these eight men, formed with the needs of the twenty-first century Church in mind, as they embark on this exciting and challenging stage of their faith journey with Christ."

Fr Kevin Doran, National Director for Vocations for the Irish Bishops' Conference, said: "I join Mgr Farrell in congratulating these men who will soon be ordained. Their ordinations will be a sign of hope to those of us who are already ministering as priests and should also be a source of encouragement to others who may be considering the possibility of following Christ in the priesthood."

Fr Doran noted that: "For the first time in 20 years there was a significant rise in the number of new seminarians in 2004 and already there have been signs that the last days of Pope John Paul II had a profound effect on young people which may inspire them to reflect more deeply on the implications of their Christian vocation."

St Patrick's College Maynooth is the National Seminary for Ireland and has been forming men for the priesthood since 1795.

The seminary currently has 60 men studying for the priesthood. Eight were ordained to the priesthood in 2004 and nine in 2003.