The Formation of the Irish Province

Patrick O’Donnell, C.Ss.R.

The rapid expansion of the Congregation north of the Alps in the early nineteenth century revealed important structural defects.  The most serious of these was the inability of the Rector Major who lived in Naples to rule it effectively on account of its widespread nature.  Father Passerat, the Vicar General of the Transalpine houses, asked Pope Pius IX to remedy the situation.  The result was a. Papal decree of July 2nd 1841 which divided the Congregation into six provinces, abolished the office of Vicar General as unnecessary and ordered the Rector Major to transfer the seat of government from Naples to Rome.

These changes could not come about at once, but by the time the General Chapter of 1855 met the C.Ss.R. consisted of seven provinces outside the Kingdom of Naples, namely, the Roman, Gallo-Helvetic, Austrian, Belgian, American, German and Anglo-Dutch.  The Chapter elected the young French Provincial, Father Mauron, as Superior General.

Note: On May l2th, 1854, Pope Pius IX sanctioned provisionally a new Province, Holland-England, to be governed by a vice-provincial under the Belgian provincial, and ex speciali gratia having the right to attend the General Chapter of 1855 with two vocals of its own.  On November 2lst 1855, the province of Holland-England (Anglo-Dutch) was formally erected.  In 1865 the English Province was set up as an independent unit.  Thus, the first Irish foundation of Limerick (1853) belonged successively to the provinces of Belgium, Holland-England and England.

Father Robert Coffin - later Bishop of Southwark - was the first Provincial of the newly created English Province.  He held the office for seventeen years when he was succeeded by Fr. Hugh MacDonald, a Highland Scot who ruled the province until 1890 when he was made Bishop of Aberdeen.  His successors as Provincials were Fathers John Bennett and Edmund Vaughan.  At the end of the latter's term of office, i.e. in 1898; the three Irish houses of Limerick, Dundalk and Belfast were erected into a Province in its own right.

At the beginning of the last decade of the nineteenth century the English Province had four houses in Great Britain - Clapham, Bishop-Eton, Perth and Teignmouth: two in Australia - Waratah and Ballarat; and two in Ireland - Limerick and Dundalk.  The Irish Confreres were increasingly dissatisfied with this position and there was a growing feeling in Ireland that the time was ripe for self-government.  The majority of the fathers and students were Irish; the mission work was chiefly in Ireland; and the traditional enmity between the two peoples, though softened by the influence of the religious life, made it more and more evident that peace and progress would be better secured by the creation of two separate provinces.

At the General Chapter of 1894 the Irish representatives, Fathers O'Farrell and Boylan, made this view known to the new Superior General Father Raus.  They were supported by the new Irish Consultor-General Father John Magnier.  Father Raus accepted the principle of separation.

However, he pointed out that Ireland had not yet the material of a new province in terms of foundations, having only two houses.  She had a Juniorate but no Novitiate or House of Studies.  It was put to the Irish Redemptorists - and agreed by them - that to become a Province two new foundations would have to be made in Ireland, one of which would serve as a House of Studies.  So Father General appointed two Irish Fathers to seek these foundations, namely, Father Patrick Griffith then Rector of Dundalk, and Father Michael Somers a member of Dundalk community.

Results soon followed.  In November 1896 Clonard was founded in Belfast.  In 1897 Father Raus convened an extraordinary meeting in Clapham to discuss two questions, 1) should the English Province be divided?  2) Did such a division seem opportune or necessary?

The meeting which was held 15th-17th September was presided over by the Consultor-General, Father Schwarz, and attended by the English provincial Father Edmund Vaughan with his counsultors, Father Thomas Ryan and Thomas Bridgett, and the procurator Father Andrew Boylan.  Father John Bennett a former provincial also attended.  All present agreed that the establishment of an Irish Province was opportune and necessary.  But as the reasons put forward differed, the chairman decided that they be put in writing and submitted to Father General.

The latter, his consultors approving, decided without delay that the division take place.  In November 1897 when making the Visitation in Clonard Father Schwarz informed the community of this decision without giving any details.  The house chronista described the proposed division as "the coming of a much-desired event."

On 28th January 1898, Father Raus received from the Holy See faculties to set up an Irish Province of the congregation.  In a document, which he issued on the feast of Our Lady of Dolours, April 1st, 1898, the provinces were declared to be those of England and Ireland.  The English Province consisted of the four houses of Clapham (London), Bishop Eton (Liverpool), Perth and Teignmouth.  The Irish Province consisted of the houses of Limerick, Dundalk and Belfast, with two houses in Australia, namely, Waratah and Ballarat.  The first Irish Provincial was Father Andrew Boylan, with Consultors, Fathers Tim Power and Walter Lambert.  Limerick was to be the residence of the provincial curia.  At the time Fr. Patrick Griffith was appointed Rector of Clonard.  The Australian houses were declared a vice-province.  Father Thomas O’Farrell was named Visitor of Australia and Rector of Ballarat.

At their own request a few Irish fathers remained in the English Province, namely, Fathers Bernard Kavanagh, Thomas Creagh, James Routledge and for a short time Father Bannon.  Only one English Father opted for the Irish Province, he was Father Henry Halson who died in Waratah on 19th January 1900.  A special arrangement was made for the students.  Teignmouth remained a common House of Studies.  But it only survived as such for two years.  In August 1900 the Irish students left it for their new home in Belfast, except for four who, due to lack of accommodation, were sent to Beauplateau (Belgium).

There were 29 Irish students.   The English students, nine in number, were sent to Austria and Belgium.  Teignmouth was given up in October 1900 when it was sold to the Sisters of Notre Dame.

The document of Father General Raus establishing the Irish Province arrived in Limerick on Good Friday and was promulgated on the morning of Easter Sunday, 10th April 1898.  The happy event was publicly celebrated at Mount St. Alphonsus a month later.  There was a Solemn High Mass at which Bishop Dwyer of Limerick presided and Fr. O'Laverty, the Rector, preached.  The local priests joined in a community celebration.

SEARCH, No.1, December 1977