Archbishop Martin dedicates new seminary church in Dundalk & inaugurates extension

Caption  Four years ago, in February 2022, Archbishop Eamon Martin laid and blessed the foundation stone for the extension of Redemptoris Archdiocesan Mater Seminary in Dundalk. This work is now complete. (Catholic Communications Office archive)

• Archbishop Eamon Martin: “Ireland, which once sent thousands of missionaries around the world, is now in need of mission herself”

Homily of Archbishop Martin during Mass to dedicate the seminary church

It is a happy coincidence that, as we officially open the new extension of our Redemptoris Mater Seminary, and dedicate the Seminary Chapel and Sanctuary of the Word, that the Gospel reading for this ‘13th Sunday in Ordinary Time’ happens to be the conclusion of Jesus’ ‘missionary discourse’ in chapter ten of Matthew’s Gospel.  For this is the missionary seminary of the Archdiocese of Armagh.

We have been reading from the missionary discourse over the past three Sundays, beginning with the call and sending out of the twelve apostles to proclaim that ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is near at hand’.  In commissioning His disciples to heal the sick; to raise the dead; to cleanse the lepers, and to drive out evil spirits, Jesus asks them to be generous with their gifts; to take only what is essential for the journey; and, to rely instead on God’s providence through the generosity and hospitality of those they meet along the way.

Jesus cautions His new missionaries that He is sending them out ‘like sheep among wolves’; they will have to be ‘wise as serpents and guiltless as doves’.  ‘You will be hated by all on account of my name’ Jesus says.  In some cases, He warned, they will be handed over to the courts; they will bear witness before governors and kings; some will face imprisonment and other punishments for the sake of His Word, but they need not worry about what to say, because the Holy Spirit will be with them.

In today’s short final extract from the ‘missionary discourse’, we hear those challenging words: ‘anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps, is not worthy of me.’  Jesus is clear that going into the world to bring His good news will sometimes mean persecution.  But He promises that all their efforts and sacrifices will be rewarded in heaven, including for those who welcome and show hospitality – even a cup of cold water – to his friends.  ‘Anyone who welcomes you, welcomes me’; and, those who welcomes me, ‘welcome the one who sent me’.

Today we are present in what will be the most sacred space, at the centre of the Seminary – the place where the Eucharist will be celebrated and the sacrifice of Christ made truly present here on the altar.  We also honour the sanctuary where the Word of God will be proclaimed – as in the days of Ezra – and where our students will pray and adore Christ truly present in the Eucharist.

At the centre of life for the seminarian – as in the life of the ordained priest – is the study and proclamation of the Word of God; the celebration of Holy Mass; the praying of the Divine Office; and prayer before the tabernacle.

Today represents a hugely significant moment in the life of the Archdiocese of Armagh.  This seminary project, conceived with a clear vision some fifteen years ago, has, with the help of God, been developing and bearing fruit through prayer, hard work, and the dedication of so many people, offering their gifts, time, resources and talents.  The Redemptoris Mater seminary was born out of a conviction that the world today still needs to hear and understand that the Kingdom of Heaven remains close at hand.

God has been calling young men to this Archdiocesan seminary from around the world.  Their vocations have been nourished in families and communities of the Neocatechumenal Way.  Our seminarians have included candidates from Ireland, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Poland, the United States and England.  They receive their human, pastoral and spiritual formation here in Dundalk, and their academic formation in philosophy and theology at Saint Patrick’s Pontifical University, Maynooth.

So many people have guided the development of our Seminary over the past 14 or 15 years, and we grateful to God for their sacrifices, hospitality and generosity.  May God reward them.

I wish to put on record today our profound gratitude to the seminary Rector, Father Giuseppe Pollio, who has led the development, not only of this beautiful extension, but also the entire seminary project since the beginning. Father Giuseppe, I am sure that you are grateful for all that God has done to bless the progress that you and your team have achieved so far.  We pray that your ongoing courage and dedication will continue to bear much fruit for the new evangelisation.

Vorrei ringraziare i fratelli e le sorelle in missione nel seminario per il loro servizio e la loro dedizione nell’aiutare la formazione dei seminaristi.  I thank God also for the brothers and sisters in mission who so generously give their lives to this mission.  And I also wish to acknowledge the families leading our missio ad gentes initiative here in the wider Dundalk region, which reaches out to accompany and bring back those who have drifted away from Church and the sacraments.  May the Lord give success to the work of your hands.

We all know, of course, that nothing could have happened here without the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the gentle presence of our Blessed Mother Mary, Star of the New Evangelisation.

It is 35 years now since Pope Saint John Paul II encouraged Bishops around the world to support the contribution of the Neocatechumenal Way to the new evangelisation.  This ‘Way’ of renewal, catechesis and formation, with its particular emphasis on the domestic Church of the family, has been bountiful in inspiring vocations to the priesthood and to the religious life.

The very first Redemptoris Mater Seminary was established in the diocese of Rome in 1987 by Pope Saint John Paul II himself.  In 2008, Pope Benedict approved the statutes of The Way and officially recognised it as an important charism within the church.  Both pontiffs urged the communities of the Neocatechumenal Way not to isolate themselves from the life of their parishes and diocese, but instead, to enrich the work of the new evangelisation on the ground, and to be a source of new life by establishing small communities of families within their parishes.  I am pleased that several of our parishes have established such communities to promote renewal and new evangelisation in the Archdiocese of Armagh.

Cardinal Brady, Bishop Michael and I have supported the establishment and growth of this missionary Seminary because we believe that Ireland can be enriched by the presence of young priests who have a strong missionary dimension to their formation.  For Ireland, which once sent thousands of missionaries around the world, is now in need of mission herself.

I thank God that already eleven priests have been ordained from the seminary since 2012, and, please God, there will be many more in the future.  Thanks to the generosity of many benefactors, alongside the Foundation and the Archdiocese itself, and thanks also to the amazing hands-on voluntary work of supporters and the seminarians themselves, we now have here a very high-quality space provided for our students, staff and volunteers, and modern facilities which will be of great value to our entire diocese.

Let us never forget, however, that “if the Lord does not build the house, then the labourers labour in vain.”  Everything we do here is to help the proclamation of the gospel of Christ for our times in Ireland and beyond.  This wonderful seminary building, and especially this Chapel and the Sanctuary of the Word, provide a beacon of hope for the faith in these troubled times, and are a clear reminder that the kingdom of heaven is indeed very near to us!
 
I am committed to ensuring that the priests who are ordained from this Seminary will not only serve in our own diocese but will also contribute to the wider global mission of the Church.  During their lives as priests, they will be sent for certain periods, by me and by my successors, to bring their gifts and talents to the growth of the Church here in other parts of Ireland and, God willing, to other parts of the world.

Today is the anniversary of my own ordination to the priesthood in Derry in 1987, as I begin the 40th year of my priesthood, I could not think of any better way to mark this anniversary year than to be here today, opening our new extension and dedicating these beautiful spaces for the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful.  Thanks be to God.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

• Archbishop Eamon Martin is Archbishop of Armagh and Apostolic Administrator of Dromore.
• Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan Missionary Seminary is an institution of the Archdiocese of Armagh.  It relies on voluntary donations and legacies to continue its work.  The seminary was founded in 2012 to form priests for the New Evangelisation to serve in the archdiocese and on missionary.  The rector of the seminary is Father Giuseppe Pollio, who can be contacted on [email protected].  See also www.redmatarmagh.org.
• In terms of active clergy, there are 106 priests ministering in the Archdiocese of Armagh, along with 17 permanent deacons.  The Archdiocese comprises 61 parishes, and its patron saints are Saint Patrick, Saint Oliver Plunkett and Saint Malachy.  The area of the Archdiocese covers Counties Armagh and Louth, approximately half of Co Tyrone, and parts of Counties Derry and Meath.