150 Years of Faith: Newry's Dominican Church Celebrates Historic Milestone

Last Friday 17 October marked 150 years to the day since the Church of the Sacred Heart and St. Catherine of Sienna was opened at Dominic Street in Newry on 17 October 1875 following the blessing of the foundation stone two years earlier on 23 May 1873. The anniversary was marked with a celebratory Mass..

The Dominican church has played a major role in Newry life since then. On Friday a large number of parishioners turned out for the Mass which was led by Fr Gerard Timoner, Master of the Dominican Order; Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Dromore; Fr John Harris, Prior Provincial of the Irish Province of the Dominicans along with Newry Dominican Prior, Fr Patrick Desmond.

Local musicians opened the Mass with Hail Redeemer, King Divine before Archbishop Martin welcomed everyone and spoke of how wonderful it was to be at the celebration. "I was just thinking as I was coming up the aisle there what it must have been like on this very day 150 years ago when Bishop Leahy, himself a Dominican had the great honour of being able to dedicate this church here. We're delighted to be here and to thank God during this Eucharist for all the blessings that have been bestowed on this place and on the various Dominican communities who have served here down through 15 decades."

The Archbishop continued "So many many thousands who have come here to pray, to thank God, to ask intercessions, and you are here as their representatives. I'm delighted to see some of the young people from our schools who are representing some of the very very many young people who have been here over many many years. There is so much to give thanks for."

Delivering the sermon Provincial Fr John Harris spoke about the foundations the church was built on, the faithful men and women who conceived the idea and without whom the building of the church would not have happened.

"We honour those who have gone before us, whose faith, sacrifice, and vision made possible the construction and blessing of this house of God. Your family members who with humility and generosity have tended this place, preserved it, shaped it, and worshipped here. Without their labours we would not be here today."

Fr Harris explained how the church came about "In 1870 the Dominican Bishop of Dromore, John Pius Leahy, invited a group of his fellow Dominican brethren to conduct a parish mission in the Cathedral of St. Patrick and St. Colman in Hill Street. At the end of the mission, a deputation of townspeople urged the Bishop to permit the foundation of the Order in Newry. He however, regarded the request as, and I quote, 'an exuberance of mission fervour'. But the Newry people were not put out by the Bishop's fear, and the people kept asking. And although the Bishop was reluctant to burden the people of Newry with the support of the friars in addition to that of the secular clergy of the Town, he knew his people. He knew the Newry people weren't going to take no for an answer, and so he yielded. 

"And on the feast of St Thomas Aquinas, which was then the 7th of March, 1871, the sons of St Dominic didn't just come to Newry, but they returned to Ulster, the last of the four provinces from which they had been banished at the time of the Reformation and the Cromwellian campaign."

Speaking on the arrival of the Dominicans Fr Harris continued "Upon their arrival here in Newry, four men, Father John Willard, Father Albert Duhig, Father Augustine Coveney, and Brother Martin Cronin, were accommodated in a house in Hyde Street for three months. Subsequently, they moved to the hermitage, which was said to be 'a small but commodious house' in Chapel Road near St. Mary's Church which was known as the old Chapel.  And they lived and ministered in that old Chapel until 1875. But there was a twist.  On the 5th of November in 1871, a charity sermon was delivered by the Dominican Fr Hyacinth Conlon to raise funds for the repairs of the Old Chapel. This was not enough for the people of Newry.  On the following day, a number of Newry ladies, as they are called in the chronicles, assembled in the hermitage and resolved to hold a bazaar, to float a fund, not for the renewal of the old chapel, but to fund the erection of a Dominican church in the town."

The bazaar was held in 1872 with the sum of £1,482, 18 shillings and 11 pence (Nearly £150,000 in today's money) raised for the building fund. "And thus began the long and faithful tradition of the people of Newry taking the lead and the Dominican brethren following along afterwards. In Irish we know a church is called teach an phobail, the house of people or the people's house. If that was ever true of any church, it is true of this church.  Because it was your fathers and grandfathers and mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers who made it happen, not us." Fr Harris said.

He continued "This church has never been an inward looking fortress, for we Dominicans came here at the invitation of the people, who literally put their money where their mouths were, The people of Newry built this church and continue to support this ministry, believing that our mutual collaboration between the friars and the people engages us in the challenges of each succeeding generation, seeking to bring the Word of God to the people of today, educating minds, forming consciences.

"The world needs churches that are open, generous and prophetic. Yes, the physical fabric of this church is precious, but the greater beauty is the beauty of the worship, of reverence, of hearts, of real people attuned to their real God." added Fr Harris.

Thanking those in attendance the Prior of the Dominican community in Newry Fr Patrick Desmond said "I'd like to thank Archbishop Eamonn for being with us and also the Master of the order and the Brothers who travelled from different communities to be here. It's great to see so many of you, the faithful of the Dominican Church coming here to join this joyful celebration and also a special thanks to the schools who turned up, it's fantastic to see."

Following the special Mass the Dominican Hall hosted those in attendance to delicious food and refreshments served by a team of ladies from the parish, along with a beautiful 150th anniversary cake baked by Freda McElroy.