The mission house of St. Joseph’s, Dundalk was established on 8th September 1876.  From 1898 until 1948 this house served as the novitiate of the Irish province.  From 1954-1967 it was the novitiate for Brother novices and since 1973 it is once again the novitiate house of the province.

Foundation  at  Dundalk

A Second House

With the increasing demand for missions, a second house of the Congregation, if possible in the northern half of the country, was becoming an urgent necessity.  The need was to be satisfied twenty-three years after the foundation in Limerick with the setting up of a house in Dundalk.  This was mainly due to the noted missioner, Fr. Henry Harbison, native of Cookstown, Co. Tyrone and former secular priest in the archdiocese of Armagh.  He was a personal friend of Dr. Daniel McGettigan, the Archbishop of the diocese.

Fr. Harbison was deputed by his provincial superior, Fr. Coffin, to ask the Archbishop for a permanent home for the Redemptorists in the archdiocese.  In a letter of 25th September 1873, addressed to the provincial, Dr. McGettigan approved a Redemptorist foundation anywhere in his diocese for the special purpose of "giving missions and retreats in the North of Ireland and for receiving into the house the clergy and laity for Spiritual Exercise in public and in private."

There followed a careful examination and assessment of possible sites for the new house.  Towns such as Portadown, Cookstown and Ardee were considered too small and to have too many heretics.  The choice was finally restricted to Armagh and Dundalk, both of which were mensal parishes of the Archbishop.  Dundalk was selected.  Whereas Armagh had only 5,000 Catholics, Dundalk had double the number. Besides, it was an important railway junction from which the travelling missionary could find easy access to the north, south and interior of the country.

Before finalising his consent, the Primate went to Dundalk to find out how the clergy of the town would react to the coming of another congregation of Religious priests - where there were already communities of Dominicans and Marists.  In a letter dated 7th July he informed Fr. Coffin that the secular clergy were "not unfriendly" and added that to him personally the proposed foundation was "most welcome" a and had his sincere approval, and would, he was sure, "be a lasting blessing to the town of Dundalk and to the whole province of Ulster."

Mission Hospice:

The first Redemptorist home in Dundalk was in Park Street, on a site later occupied by the Inland Revenue, today by Dunne's Stores.  It was a vacant house, which the local people thought, was to become a tavern.  To their astonishment it was converted into a Redemptorist Convent in which a spacious room was made a chapel!

On 2nd August 1876, Father General Mauron appointed Fr. Harbison superior of the new hospice.  When he arrived in town six days later, he was told of strong opposition to it by a group - small in number - of lay people, opposition that was fanned apparently by a local priest.  It was a harbinger of dark days ahead.  The new home of the Redemptorists was opened and blessed by Archbishop McGettigan on 8th September, the feast of Our Lady's birth.  His sermon at Mass was eloquent in its description of the sons of Alphonsus and their missionary zeal.  He spoke of his own experience of their missions in Omagh and Letterkenny and concluded by saying, "If their work in this town is the work of God, as I believe it is, and not mine nor that of these Fathers, then it will succeed."

None of the local secular clergy was present at the Mass; nor were certain country priests from county Louth whom the locals had persuaded not to come. However, in the afternoon some twenty priests both secular and regular dined with the community. Incidentally, the first community consisted of six priests and two brothers.

For five years the Redemptorists remained in Park Street and ministered to the people who hear Mass in their little chapel.  However, it was not meant to be a permanent home.  After considering various possible sites the present one of St. Joseph’s was chosen, partly because it was at some distance from the other churches of the town, partly because it was near two areas where a fruitful apostolate might be exercised, namely, the military barracks and the docks, and partly because it allowed for a large garden not overlooked by houses.

The Monastery

Ten acres of marshy land off the Windmill Road wee leased from the landlord, Lord Roden at £80.00 p.a. (and purchased outright for £2,ooo.00 in 1901.  After the draining and reclaiming of this land the monastery was built on piles driven into the g round.  The property was enclosed by a wall at the cost of £1,110.00.

The monastery was designed by G. Ashlin of Dublin and built with Newry granite by James McAdorey, a Belfast man who had settled in Dundalk.  The contract was for £15,000.00.  Building began on 19th March 1879, and was finished seventeen months later.  The present refectory on the ground floor served as a temporary chapel, seating 300 people.

The solemn opening of the monastery and chapel took place on Sunday, 28th August 1881.  Seven bishops graced the occasion, Dr. MeGettigan presiding at the Mass and Dr. Donnelly of Clogher preaching the sermon.  In the evening Dr. Logue, Bishop of Raphoe and future Cardinal, preached.  He spoke of the blessings the new monastery would bring:

"Do you think this large house has been raised for the use of these holy men alone?  Not at all.  No doubt they will live in it during the intervals between missions, but one important reason for it is to give suitable accommodation to priests and laity to make in recollection the spiritual exercises of a retreat."

The Church

The year 1888 witnessed the death of two men to whom more than any other St. Joseph's owes its existence, Fr. Henry Harbison and Archbishop McGettigan.  The new Archbishop of Armagh was Michael Logue.  Early in 1889 he approached Fr. Tom Power the new Rector and asked that the temporary chapel of the monastery be replaced by a beautiful church.  The result was the present Romanesque granite church of St. Joseph's, capable of seating about 800.  Archbishop Logue laid the foundation stone on Trinity Sunday, 1st June 1890; it bore the inscription "sub invocations S. Josephi".

On 7th August 1892, the church was opened and dedicated by the Primate.  The preacher, Bishop Healy of Clonfert, expressed his confidence that St. Joseph's would be a worthy successor to the great Abbey churches of Mellifont and Monasterboice and the Franciscan church of Dundalk, the tower of which still stands.

Trials and Troubles:

It would be pleasant to ignore the fact that none of our Irish foundations met with such strong and prolonged opposition on the part of the secular clergy as that of St. Joseph's.  But it is good history that we know the facts of the matter and understand the why and the wherefore.

A leading spirit in this opposition was Fr. James McCann, Adm. of St. Patrick's and later parish priest of Mullaghbawn.  In a forthright letter which is reproduced in volume I, page 80, of the House Chronicles of St. Joseph's Fr. McCann said,

"unless those who have to render an account to God for the souls of their flock have a paramount influence in a parish, there cannot be order and consequently there will not be real piety."

He went on to deplore the multiplying of places of worship as detrimental to religion, pointing the finger at that city of many Religious (communities), Limerick:

"you know that Limerick which lacks not zealous men of many orders with its teaming jails and internecine faction fights is one of the plague spots of Ireland".

Truth to tell we were not wanted in Dundalk by the secular clergy and were often reminded of it during the years to come.  During our five years in the temporary hospice the community tried to conciliate the clergy of the town but failed, seldom if ever being saluted by any of them.

In April 1901, the Rector asked the Adm. of St. Patrick's about the possibility of a men's confraternity in St. Joseph's.  He would not hear of it, saying that the power of the religious over the people of Dundalk was too great; a confraternity would destroy whatever hold the secular clergy had over the people.

The first time the Redemptorists were asked to preach in any of the local churches was in January 1945, when Fathers Hickey and O'Shea gave the Novena to St. Brigid in St. Nicholas'.

The Redemptorist general mission of 1971 was the first given by them in the town since 1867.

The Parish of St. Joseph's

The strained relations that existed far too long were well and truly buried when the Redemptorists were invited by Cardinal Conway to share the pastoral care of the people of Dundalk in a parish of their own.  This parish was established formally on Feb. 15th. 1976, one hundred 3 years after the coming of the Redemptorists to the town.  And the local secular clergy gladly welcomed them as brothers in a common cause.

Patrick O’Donnell, C.Ss.R.

 SEARCH, No.4, December 1978