One hundred years with the Clonard Redemptorists / James Grant.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Grant, James, 1935-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Redemptorists--Northern Ireland--Belfast--Biography.

Redemptorists.

Clonard Monastery (Belfast, Northern Ireland)--History.

Clonard Monastery (Belfast, Northern Ireland).

History.

Belfast (Northern Ireland)--Church history--19th century.

Belfast (Northern Ireland).

Belfast (Northern Ireland)--Church history--20th century.

Belfast (Northern Ireland)--Social conditions--19th century.

Belfast (Northern Ireland)--Social conditions--20th century.

Northern Ireland--Belfast.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

305 pages, 24 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, facsimiles, plan, portraits ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Blackrock, Co. Dublin : Columba Press, 2003.

Summary:

In 1896, the bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Henry, invited the Redemptorists to assist in ministering to the large numbers of Catholics pouring into the thriving industrial city of Belfast in search of work. Free from parochial duties, the Redemptorists were able to pursue their primary vocation of preaching the Good News to those most in need (in layman's terms, 'giving missions') throughout Ireland. But their church and monastery also became the focus of a vibrant ministry to the people of the immediate area and beyond. In an age of devotional Catholicism, the Clonard Redemptorists successfully developed and nurtured confraternities, novenas and a wide range of popular religious services. The war years of the early 1940s saw the inauguration of a 'perpetual' novena in honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, brought by an American forces chaplain who was also a Redemptorist. Clonard's location on the Falls/Shankill frontier ensured that its community experienced sectarian strife at first hand from the earliest years of the state. The early 1920s were particularly difficult, but slight in contrast to the major outbreak of violence which began in 1969. The Clonard area became engulfed by the Troubles and the church apostolate of the monastic community was devastated. However, insisting that their ministry was to all, irrespective of political affiliation or creed, the Redemptorists established a compassionate apostolate of mediation and reconciliation which became widely acknowledged and respected.

Contents:

1. Before Clonard 12

2. The Foundation of Clonard 35

3. From 'Catholic Dissension' to Redemptorist Rejoicing, 1904-1909 49

4. Building the Church 59

5. Early 'External Apostolic Labours' from Clonard 78

6. 1920s to 1940s 95

7. Confraternities 1 113

8. Confraternities 2: Growth and Decline 128

9. The Perpetual Novena in Honour of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour 143

10. Mission to Non-Catholics 157

11. Ecumenism at Clonard 172

12. Music in Clonard Church 189

13. Clonard and the Troubles 1969-1994 205

14. Change, 1960s-1990s 225

Appendix 1 Men's Confraternity Holy Thursday Night Vigil 250

Appendix 2 The Eucharistic Congress 1932 253

Appendix 3 The Loire Mosaics 256

Appendix 4 Office Holders, 1896-1996 258

Appendix 5 The Church fabric

interior and exterior 260.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 270-294) and index.

ISBN:

185607398X

OCLC:

52327260