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| 1597: St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Thurible Addict.
The church:
St Mary's
Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland.
Denomination:
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese
of Dublin.
The building:
With an often overlooked splendour in the building of churches
these days, St Mary's, or "the Pro" as it is known
to the locals, is a masterpiece of architectural design and
is quite simply a prayerful and truly amazing building. The
exterior is in the classical revival style, with a porch modeled
after the temple of Theseus in Athens. The interior is based
on the church of St Philippe-le-Roule in Paris and is quite
ornate. Although the two elaborate original side altars are
still intact, the high altar, by all accounts a masterpiece
of early 19th century ecclesiastical design, was demolished
in the late 1970s in the wake of post-Vatican II reordering.
In its place sits a new versus populum altar in the
centre of a new paved area in an expanded sanctuary.
The church:
Visitors often ask what the term "pro-cathedral" means.
Dublin's first cathedral dates from 1172, when Richard de Clare,
second Earl of Pembroke (better known as Strongbow), worked
with the second archbishop of Dublin (St Laurence O'Toole) to
rebuild and expand an earlier wooden church. The new building,
Christ Church, was designated by Pope Alexander III as Dublin's
cathedral under the name Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. In 1536,
however, King Henry VIII declared himself head of the Irish
church and seized the cathedral for the Church of Ireland, which
claims it to this day. But the Roman Catholic Church has never
officially relinquished its right to the cathedral, nor has
anyone since the time of St Laurence petitioned the Holy See
to designate any other church as the cathedral of the archdiocese.
For political reasons, though, St Mary's has functioned in place
of a cathedral (hence pro-cathedral) since the 1880s, when Archbishop
William J. Walsh confirmed the use of the title. The church
is open daily to sightseers, although visitors are cautioned
to respect the sacredness of the place and not to move about
during services. St Mary's is proud of its music program, hosting
a roster of visiting choirs and soloists throughout the year.
Its Palestrina Choir sings at Friday evening vespers and a Latin
mass each Sunday.
The neighbourhood:
The Greek astronomer Ptolemy (AD83?-AD168?) wrote of a village
on the island known to the Romans as Hibernia. Ptolemy called
the village Eblana, possibly a corruption of the Gaelic Dubh
Linn, meaning black pool. From its beginnings as a Viking settlement,
Dublin has now become one of Europe's most well known cities
and is renowned for its beauty, friendliness, culture and fun.
Modern Dublin, like most major cities, is a smorgasbord of people
going about their daily (oftentimes busy) lives. The Pro sits
in the midst of it all down a quiet street just on the edge
of the town centre, and once inside you feel like you're a million
miles away.
The cast:
Unfortunately I didn't catch the name of the presiding priest,
but I think from overhearing some of the old dears it was the
Revd Damian O'Reilly, one of the curates.
The date & time:
Friday, 1 August 2008, 11.00am (in theory), 11.15 (in practice).
What was the name of the service?
Daily Mass.
How full was the building?
Considering the general UK attendance at a daily mass, I was
pleasantly surprised to see a good 50 or so people there.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Well, not quite – a few people managed to barge past me following
the completion of their prayers after the previous mass. It
was sort of like a substitution at a football match.
Was your pew comfortable?
Bog standard pew, although the "in memoriam" plates made things
a little more bearable during the sermon – at least there was
something to read.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
I felt as if I had been transported into a new world, although
the serenity and peace I normally look for weren't there. Once
you blocked out the old dears nattering about the Legion of
Mary, it was quite simple to meditate on the mysteries of the
celebration I was about to be part of. However, it has to be
accepted that there was quite a bit of talking, which always
ruins the atmosphere. If you are like me, blocking it out becomes
second nature.
What were the exact opening
words of the service?
"Good morning!" – somewhat unusual for the Catholic
liturgy, as the majority would start with the sign of the cross.
Still, when in Ireland... so I replied with as much dignity
as I could muster, "Good morning, Father."
What books did the congregation
use during the service?
None.
What musical instruments were played?
None.
Did anything distract
you?
Well, there was the constant clicking of rosary beads from the
pew in front making a nice accompaniment to the eucharistic
prayer. I also noticed that in the book stall, a small card
reading "No sales during mass" had been placed with
each item – which I suppose is only right.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
I suppose bog standard Catholic novus ordo mass.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
6 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
3 – Great speed in delivery but lacking ideas and engagement.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
I couldn't honestly tell you, as it was delivered with such
haste (along with the rest of the mass – see later questions)
that I only managed to pick up the last line about praying for
each other.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The throng of people attending weekday mass made for a nice
change.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The fact the mass lasted 18 minutes (of which six were taken
up with the sermon). I don't like rushing what should be a really
solemn service.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
An old lady approached and asked if I would pray for her –
but then she walked right past me. Nice!
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
Distinctly non-existent. However, the after-service pint of
Guinness was magnificent.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
3 – I couldn't be there all the time if mass is so rushed.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Not particularly, although as I said earlier it was nice to
be in the large community.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The fact that they deemed the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to
be worth only 18 minutes of their time. |
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| The Mystery Pilgrim |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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| London churches |
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| Read reports from 70 London churches, visited by a small army of Mystery Worshippers on one single Sunday. Read here. |
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