Two men were ordained to the priesthood at Dublin’s Pro Cathedral on Tuesday which was the feast of St Laurence O’Toole, principal patron of the archdiocese.
It brings to 16 the number of men ordained priests for Dublin’s Catholic archdiocese in 13 years. A further 22 men have been ordained permanent deacons in the past five years.
Altogether over 380 diocesan and religious priests serve in the Dublin archdiocese, including in its 199 parishes, along with 25 men and women working as parish pastoral workers.
One of the men is Fr James Daly is from Shanagarry, Co Cork, and had worked in local government. In 2013 he began training for the priesthood at the Irish College in Rome. He will serve in Skerries.
The other, Fr Bill O'Shaughnessy, is from Castledermot Co Kildare. Over the past 10 years he has studied at Maynooth, the Irish College and Gregorian University in Rome. Since September last he has been deacon in St Matthew's parish, Ballyfermot, alongside parish priest Fr Joe Mc Donald.
Fr O'Shaughnessy has been appointed to Springfield and Jobstown parishes in Tallaght.
Explaining why he chose Tuesday for the ordinations, which usually take place in June, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said “ Laurence O’Toole was born in 1128 – in Castledermot from where Bill O’Shaughnessy hails – and I believe that the life of this 12th century priest and bishop in many ways can serve as a model of priestly ministry for our 21st century times.”
In his homily at the ordination Mass the Archbishop said: “The Christian life is not about blindly following a pre-established rulebook or imposing rules on others. It involves attaining the freedom to renounce prosperity and security for ourselves in order to live for others as Jesus did and then finding joy and fulfilment in living the Gospel.”
