Strawberry Hill in Kildare and Leighlin - Staplestown

You may have considered, having looked at the first few posts of this series, that Strawberry Hill Gothick in Kildare and Leighlin is confined to the Sanctuary wall. If so, well spotted. The delicate and elaborate tracery required for the Gothick was ill-adapted to the means of the Irish country parish. Another example of this confinement of the Gothick is the Parish Church of St. Benignus, Staplestown, Co. Kildare. In Staplestown, the confinement of the Gothick goes even further. In the examples in this series so far, the fabric of the Church has been in a more virile Gothic but here, as you can see from the stained glass, and the clear glass, windows, the basic form of the Church (and basic is the word) is a rounded roman classical style. I've been accused of ignoring crude eclecticism in this series. I intend to continue to overlook it, except to say that I don't think the effect is altogether unpleasing, once you can overlook modern reordering.

Strangely, Bishop Comerford makes no mention of this Church in Vol. 2 of his Collections relating to the Dioceses of Kildare and Leighlin, although it would have been in the Parish of Clane at the time. However, the Church is reputedly c. 1790, which would make it one of the oldest Churches still in use in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. Certainly, it is depicted on an 1838 Ordinance Survey map.

The Kildare County Council Village Design Statement describes it thus: "Detached five-bay Catholic Church, built c.1840. Remaining historic fabric includes cut-stone bellcote, cast-iron rainwater goods stone window sills, timber sash windows with fanlight heads. The full-height interior open roof and Hindu Gothic style plasterwork reredos to altar with marble altar fittings and cast-iron gateway and railings are also notable.

"Saint Benignus's Catholic Church is a fine, church that is composed on a simple plan with simple elevations. The church retains much of its original aspect and many original features and materials remain in situ."

Mind you the fate of Kildare's physical heritage is just as safe in the hands of the folks who invented "Hindu Gothic" as it is in the hands of the folks who brought us the no less accurate "re-ordering in line with the directives of Vatican II"!!!

The Cistercians of Kildare and Leighlin - Mellifont Foundations

Mellifont Abbey, named the fountain of honey, was the first foundation of the Cistercian Order, or any Continental religious order, in Ireland. It was the foundation of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the Doctor Mellifluous, and his friend St. Malachy Ua Morgair, Archbishop of Armagh. It was a foundation sponsored by native Gaelic Princes and Prelates and was the fountainhead of a renewed monasticism for Ireland, the mother house of Saints and Scholars.

We read in St. Bernard's account that St. Malachy made a pilgrimage to Rome about the year 1139, visiting St. Bernard en route, to petition Pope Innocent for palliums for the Sees of Armagh and Cashel. He was appointed legate for Ireland at that time. Visiting Clairvaux on his return visit he received five monks as companions to return to Ireland to make a Cistercian foundation in Ireland, under Christian, an Irishman, as superior. St Malachy died at Clairvaux on a second journey to Rome on 2nd November, 1148. He was canonized by Pope Clement (III), on 6 July, 1199, and his feast is celebrated on 3rd November, transferred on account of the Feast of All Souls.

An account of the consecration of the Abbey Church is to be found here.

Two years after the death of St. Malachy, Christian, the first Abbot of Mellifont, was appointed Bishop of Lismore, and succeeded St. Malachy as Legate of the Holy See in Ireland, by will of Pope Eugenius III, who had been his fellow-novice in Clairvaux. Christian's brother, Malchus, succeeded as Abbot. Under Abbot Malchus Mellifont flourished and by 1152, the tenth anniversary of its foundation, the same year as the death of St. Bernard, six daughter houses, Bective, Newry, Boyle, Athlone, Baltinglass (in Kildare and Leighlin), and Manister or Manisternenay, Co. Limerick, had been established. It is to Baltinglass that the next part of this series will turn.

In that same year, Bishop Christian presided at his first Synod of the Irish Church and Dervorgilla, wife of Tiernan O'Rourke, Prince of Breffney, eloped with Diarmuid McMorrough, King of Leinster, a conflict that was to lead to the betrayal of Ireland to the Norman Lords and the occupation of Ireland for a further eight centuries.



The tower that greets the visitor to Mellifont today is the porter's lodge, through which the medieval visitor would have passed into the monastic enclosure. It is a common feature of the Cistercian standard plan. The lodge at Aiguebelle most closely resembles that at Mellifont.


The total length of the transepts is 116 feet; the width 54 feet. The northern one is some four feet longer than the southern. They seem to have had aisles, an unusual arrangement in churches of the Order where simplicity was the overwhelming note. In the northern transept were six chapels, the piscinas of which are still to be seen in the piers adjoining. These fixed wash-hand basins were for the Priest to perform a 'lavabo' before starting Mass.

When Sir Thomas Deane had carried out the first excavations at Mellifont, he discovered the foundations of two semi-circular chapels in each transept, in a line with the site occupied by the High, or principal Altar. He wrote: "Within the circuit of the external walls are the foundations of an earlier church which indicate four semicircular chapels, and two square ones between. Of this church we have no distinct record, but the bases of semi-detached pillars would indicate the date given for the erection of Mellifont." These four semi-circular chapels in line with the High Altar, follow precisely the plan of the church of Clairvaux erected in 1135, only seven years before the foundation of Mellifons and which served at its model. The sanctuary is 42 feet deep by 26 feet wide. On the Epistle side, are a piscina surrounded with a dog-tooth moulding, and the remains of the sedilia or stalls, which were occupied by the celebrant, deacon, and subdeacon at High Mass. Under the sedilia a tomb was discovered during Sir Thomas' excavations.





Sir William Wilde, who visited in 1848, describes the octagonal 'Lavabo' structure like this: "This octagonal structure, of which only four sides remain, consists of a colonnade or series of circular-headed arches, of the Roman or Saxon character, enclosing a space of 29 feet in the clear, and supporting a wall which must have been, when perfect, about 30 feet high. Each external face measures 12 feet in length, and was plastered or covered with composition to the height of 10 feet, where a projecting band separates it from the less elaborate masonry above. The arches are carved in sandstone, and spring from foliage-ornamented capitals, to the short supporting pillars, the shaft of each of which measures 3 feet 5 inches. The chord of each arch above the capitals is 4 feet 3 inches. Some slight difference is observable in the shape and arrangement of the foliage of the capitals, and upon one of the remaining half arches were beautifully carved two birds ; but some Goth has lately succeeded in hammering away as much of the relieved part of each, as it was possible. The arches were evidently open, and some slight variety exists in their mouldings. Internally a stone finger-course encircled the wall, at about six inches higher than that on the outside. In the angles between the arches there are remains of fluted pilasters at the height of the string-course, from which spring groins of apparently the same curve as the external arches, and which, meeting in the centre, must have formed more or less of a pendant, which, no doubt, heightened the beauty and architectural effect. Like the pillars and stone carvings in the Chapter-house, this building was also painted red and blue, and the track of the paint is still visible in several places. The upper story, which was lighted by a window on each side of the octagon, bears no architectural embellishment which is now visible."

7th Anniversary of the Pope's Election

Today is the 7th Anniversary of the election of Our Most Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.



Sancte Pater, ad multos annos! Ad multos annos! Ad multos annos!

Happy Birthday Holy Father!

Today is the 85th birthday of Our Most Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOLY FATHER!

The Confiteor (A) Wording

Over the summer I had signed up to Wikipedia to contribute to articles on the Mass and sacraments. Now I have more headaches that I can cope with, but I remebered that I still had a yet unposted article that I meant ot post there. It's not yet complete but I might as well post it here.
The Confiteor

The Confiteor is a Catholic prayer, named after the first word in Latin, Confiteor Deo (I confess to God) in which a confession of sin is made and the intercession of others including the saints, requested. It is usually followed by formulas of absolution, the Misereatur and in many cases the Indulgentiam. These formulae are only sacramentals and intercessory prayers, not to be confused with the absolution in the Catholic Sacrament of Penance.

WORDING:

The wording of the Confiteor familiar to most Catholics was that found in the Roman Missal:

Confíteor Deo omnipoténti, beátæ Maríæ semper Vírgini, beáto Michaéli Archángelo, beáto Joanni Baptístæ, sanctis Apóstolis Petro et Paulo, ómnibus Sanctis, et vobis, fratres (tibi, Pater), quia peccávi nimis cogitatióne, verbo et ópere: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa. Ideo precor beátam Maríam semper Vírginem, beátum Michaélem Archángelum, beátum Joánnem Baptístam, sanctos Apóstolos Petrum et Paulum, omnes Sanctos, et vos, fratres (te, Pater), oráre pro me ad Dóminum Deum nostrum.

Misereatur vestri [tui] [nostri] omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis vestris [tuis] [nostris], perducat vos [te][nos] ad vitam aeternam.

Indulgentiam, absolutionem et remissionem peccatorum nostrorum [vestorum], tribuat [vobis]nobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus.

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the saints, and to you, brethren (to you, Father), that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore, I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Michael the Archangel, blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the saints, and you, brethren (you, Father), to pray for me to the Lord our God

May the Almighty God have mercy on you all [you][us], and having forgiven your [your] [our] sins, and bring you [you][us] to eternal life.

The Almighty and merciful Lord grant us [you] pardon, absolution and remission of our [your] sins.

In 1969, the Confiteor was revised in the new Ordo Missae (Order of the Mass) and subsequently appeared in 1970 in the new Roman Missal. The practice of reciting two Confiteors (see below: Usage) was removed as was one of the absolution formulae, the Indulgentiam

Confíteor Deo omnipoténti, et vobis, fratres, quia peccávi nimis cogitatióne, verbo, ópere, et omissióne: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa. Ideo precor beátam Maríam semper Vírginem, omnes angelos et sanctos et vos, fratres, oráre pro me ad Dóminum Deum nostrum.

Misereatur nostri omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis nostris, perducat nos ad vitam aeternam.

Literal translation:
I confess to almighty God, and to you, brothers, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, deed, and omission: through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Therefore I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, brothers, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

May the Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to eternal life.

ICEL (official English) version:
I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and what I have failed to do. Therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-virgin, all the angels and saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

May Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring to everlasting life.

VARIATIONS

The wording of the Confiteor varied slightly in the liturgies of certain religious orders and dioceses of the Catholic Church. The variations differ in their extent: while some, such as the Benedictine, merely added the name of a patron to the wording of the Roman Missal, others differed in the specification of sin confessed.
The version of the Confiteor used by Benedictines added beato patri nostro Benedicto (our blessed father Benedict) and beatum patrem nostrum Benedictum after the invocation of Ss. Peter and Paul to the Roman confiteor. Likewise, the Franciscans added beato Patri nostro Francisco (our blessed father Francis) and beatum Patrem nostrum Franciscum, the Discalced Carmelites beato Eliae, beatae Teresiae (blessed Elijah, blessed Therese) and beatum Eliam, beatam Teresiam, the Servants of Mary (Servites): Septem beatis patribus nostris (our seven blessed fathers) and the Norbertines sanctis patribus Augustino et Norberto (holy fathers Augustine and Norbert. The Ambrosian liturgy added beatum Ambrosium Confessorem and beato Ambrosio Confessori (blessed Ambrose, Confessor)

Dominican:
Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, et beatae Mariae semper virgine, et beato Dominico patri nostro, et omnibus sanctis, et vobis, fratres, quia peccavi nimis, cogitatione, locutione, opere et omissione, mea culpa; precor vos orare pro me

Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus et dimittat tibi omnia peccata tua: liberet te ab omni malo, salvet et confirmet te in omni opere bono, et perducat te ad vitam aeternam.

Absolutionem et remissionem omnium peccatorum vestrorum, tribuat vobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus.

I confess to Almighty God, and to blessed Mary ever Virgin, and to blessed Dominic, our father, and to all the saints, and to you, brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, speech, deed and ommission, through my fault; I beseech you to pray for me

May the Almighty God have mercy on you, and forgive you all your sins: deliver you from all evil, save and confirm you in all good work, and lead you to life eternal.
The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins.

Carmelite:
Confiteor Deo omnipotenti, beatae Mariae semper Virgini, beato Patri nostro Eliae, omnibus Sanctis, et tibi, fratres, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione, locutione, opere, et omissione: mea culpa. Ideo precor beatam Mariam semper Virginem, beatum Patrem nostrum Eliam, omnes Sanctos, et te, fratres, orare pro me ad Dominum Jesum Christum.

Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus et dimittat tibi omnia peccata tua: liberet te ab omni malo, conservet et confirmet te in omni opere bono, et perducat te ad vitam aeternam.

Absolutionem et remissionem omnium peccatorum vestrorum, tribuat vobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus.

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Elijah, our father, to all the saints, and to you, brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, speech, deed and ommission, through my fault. Therefore, I beseech blessed Mary ever Virgin, blessed Elijah our father, all the saints, and you, brethren, to pray for me to the Lord Jesus Christ

May the Almighty God have mercy on you, and forgive you all your sins: deliver you from all evil, conserve and confirm you in all good work, and lead you to life eternal.

The Almighty and merciful Lord grant you absolution and remission of all your sins.
Carthusian: The Carthusian liturgy is notable for not having the second formula of the absolution, the Indulgentiam.

Confíteor Deo omnipoténti, et Beátæ Maríæ et ómnibus Sanctis, et vobis Fratres, quia peccávi nimis mea culpa per supérbiam, cogitatióne, locutióne, ópere et omissióne, precor vos oráte pro me.

Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus per intercession beatae Mariae et omnium Sanctorum et dimittat tibi omnia peccata tua et perducat te ad vitam aeternam.

I confess to Almighty God, to blessed Mary and all the saints, and to you, brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly through my fault in pride, thought, speech, deed and ommission. I beseech you to pray for me

May the Almighty God have mercy on you through the intercession of blessed Mary and all the saints, and forgive you all your sins: and lead you to life eternal.

Revised Carthusian:
In the Carthusian missal of 1981, the Confiteor is revised slightly though the Misereatur remains the same. There is also provided a Confiteor to be used when the priest celebrates Mass alone.

Confíteor Deo et vobis, fratres, quia peccávi nimis, mea culpa, per supérbiam, cogitatióne, locutióne,ópere et omissióne; precor beátam Maríam, omnes sanctos et vos, fratres,oráte pro me.

Confíteor Deo, quia peccávi nimis, mea culpa, per supérbiam, cogitatióne, locutióne, ópere et omissióne; precor te, o piíssima Dei Génetrix, et vos, omnes sancti, oráte pro me.

Misereátur mei omnípotens Deus per intercessiónem tuam, o piíssima Dei Génetrix, et vestram, omnes sancti, et dimíttat mihi ómnia peccáta mea et perdúcat ad vitam ætérnam.

I confess to Almighty God that I have sinned exceedingly through my fault in pride, thought, speech, deed and ommission. I beseech you, O most gracious Mother of God, and you, all the saints, to pray for me.

May the Almighty God have mercy on me through your intercession O most gracious Mother of God, and yours, all you saints, and forgive me all my sins: and lead me to life eternal.

Mozarabic:
The Mozarabic Confiteor was not native to the rite but was introduced into the liturgical books by Cardinal Ximenes who borrowed it from a local version of the Roman liturgy.

Confiteor omnipotenti Deo et beatæ Mariæ Virgini: et Sanctis Apostolis Petro et Paulo et omnibus Sanctis: et vobis fratres manifesto me graviter peccasse per superbiam: in lege Dei mei: cogitatione: locutione: opere et omissione: mea culpa: mea culpa: gravissima mea culpa. Ideo precor beatissimam Virginem Mariam: et omnes Sanctos et Sanctas: et vos fratres orare pro me.

Misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus: et dimissis omnibus peccatis vestris: perducat vos ad vitam eternam.

Indulgentiam absolutionem et remissionem omnium peccatorum vestrorum cum emendatione morum et vite: per gratiam Sancti Spiritus tribuat vobis misericors Dominus.

I confess to almighty God and blessed Mary the Virgin: and the holy Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints: and to you brethren openly that I have gravely sinned through pride: against the law of my God: by thought: by speech: by deed and omission: my fault: my fault: my most grave fault. Therefore I beseech the most blessed Virgin Mary: and all saints (masc.) and saints (fem.): and you brethren to pray for me.

May the Almighty God have mercy on you, and forgive you all your sins: deliver you from all evil, save and confirm you in all good work, and lead you to life eternal.
The merciful Lord, through the grace of the holy Spirit, grant you pardon, absolution and remission of all your sins, with amendment of your ways and life.

The revised Mozarabic liturgy does not have a Confiteor among the public actions of the Mass.

Publication of indulgences:
In the publication of indulgences, the Confiteor and the Indulgentiam used is the same as the Roman. Missal: however the Misereatur is as follows

Precibus et meritis Beatæ Mariæ semper Virginis, Beati Michaëlis Archangeli, Beati Joannis Baptistæ, Sanctorum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli, et omnium Sanctorum, misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus, et dimissis peccatis vestris, perducat vos ad vitam æternam.

(Through the) prayers and merits of Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, Blessed Michael (the) archangel, Blessed John (the) Baptist, the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, may the Almighty God have mercy on you, and having forgiven your sins, bring you to eternal life.

A separate version is used in the Urbi et Orbi blessing of the Pope.

First Published in October, 2007

Urbi et Orbi Easter 2012

The Standing Stone: Kilbride, Church, Co. Offaly.

Original article can be found here.


Location – Along the banks of the canal, W of Tullamore.
OS: N 304 253 (map 48)
Longitude: 7° 32' 36.66" W
Latitude: 53° 16' 39.11" N
GPS: N 30447 25340 (Accuracy – 6m)
See map at the bottom of the page.

Description and History – There is little left of this canal side church but it boasts a long history. A church was originally located here in the 8th century when Irish monks were establishing many communities in the area. The present structure is late medieval and may not have had a long period of usage as the Penal Laws brought an end to Catholic worship here as it did to many other churches throughout Ireland. The present church is badly ruined and measures 16m x 7.5m. The E and W walls survive to full height but the N wall has collapsed in recent years destroying very fine Latin inscribed gravestone underneath it. The graveyard contains some very nice gravestones.

Difficulty – Easy to find on the canal side. Ample parking.

Recently collapsed section of wall.

I think this portion of wall will collapse soon.

There are some lovely late medieval grave stones here.

View The Standing Stone in a larger map

Christus Pro Nobis Mortuus Est (Rom. v, 9)

Latin Mass in Duiske Abbey & Scapulars of Saint Joseph

On 31st March, 2012, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered in the Gregorian Rite using the 1962 Missal in Duiske Abbey, Graignamanagh, Co. Kilkenny. It was a Requiem Mass for our deceased Chaplain, Fr. Desmond Flanagan, O.Carm. The Mass was celebrated by a Capuchin Priest. The Scapular of Saint Joseph (previously featured on this blog) was originally particular to the Capuchin Franciscan Order. After Mass, Scapulars of Saint Joseph were blessed and imposed upon those present. An account of the Mass organised by St. Conleth's Catholic Heritage Association in 2011 can be found here. Some background to the Abbey can be found here.

The Sunday of the Pure Palm

The King made a famous ride
on the Sunday of the pure palm,
when there were given to him in turn
the ass and the young horse.

Saltair na Rann

Note: The Saltair na Rann is a collection of 150 quatrains written in Middle Irish and dated to around the tenth century.

Mass in St. Abban's Doonane, February 2012

On 24th February, 2012, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was celebrated in the Gregorian Rite by Fr. Edmund Waldstein, O.Cist., in St. Abban's Parish Church, Doonane, Co. Laois. It was the first time in 50 years that Mass had been celebrated in the Gregorian Rite in that Parish. After Mass Fr. Edmund gave the first blessing of a newly Ordained Priest.

More pictures of the Church are available here.

St. Abban of Doonane, pray for us!