Ireland: Mass for Festival of Saint Oliver Plunkett

St Peter's Church

The Festival Day of Saint Oliver Plunkett is celebrated in Saint Peter's Church, Drogheda, this Sunday 3 July. This year the organisers are pleased to welcome as homilist Father Sean Henry PP Trim, Diocese of Meath.

The 2016 procession, culminating in the celebration of the Festival Mass, will commemorate the 96th anniversary of the beatification of Saint Oliver Plunkett by Pope Benedict XV on 23 May 1920, as well as the 41st anniversary of his canonisation as a martyr by Blessed Pope Paul VI on 12 October 1975.

One of the features of the Festival Day on Sunday is the colourful 'Procession of the Relics' of Saint Oliver Plunkett. Starting at 3pm at the Holy Family Church, Ballsgrove, pilgrims will process to Saint Peter's Church (The Memorial Church of Saint Oliver), Drogheda, where the Festival Mass will be celebrated at 4pm by Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop Emeritus of Armagh.

Pilgrims will have the opportunity to enter through the Holy Door of Mercy of Saint Peter's, which is a designated Jubilee Church during this Holy Year of Mercy. Music will be provided by Saint Peter's Male Voice Choir directed by Mr Edward Holly.

Monsignor James Carroll VF, Parish Priest of Drogheda, Co Louth, Archdiocese of Armagh, is custodian of the Shrine of Saint Oliver Plunkett. Each year thousands of pilgrims visit Saint Oliver's shrine in Saint Peter's Church, to venerate his relics and to learn about the saint's extraordinary life story. Pilgrims pray for the sick and troubled, for family and friends. They turn to Saint Oliver, who was martyred for his faith in a time of political, religious and social turmoil, to pray for his intercession concerning conflict areas at home and abroad.

Saint Oliver Plunkett was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Meath in 1669. Each year celebrations of the life of Saint Oliver also take place at his birthplace in front of the old ruined Church at Loughcrew, Oldcastle, Co Meath. Saint Oliver, a former Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, was martyred in Tyburn, England, in 1681. Along with Saints Patrick and Malachy, Saint Oliver is a patron saint of the Archdiocese of Armagh.

Source: Irish Catholic Media Office