Dear Readers,
May the Lord give you peace. Over the week-end three men came to experience our life at the Franciscan Friary, Killarney, Co Kerry now the postulancy house for the Irish Franciscans.
Dear Readers,
May the Lord give you peace. Over the week-end three men came to experience our life at the Franciscan Friary, Killarney, Co Kerry now the postulancy house for the Irish Franciscans.
The men prayed, dined and recreated with us and met men at different levels of their own Franciscan formation who answered many of their questions. On Sunday morning we went to Muckross Abbey, now a beautiful ruins, but once a thriving Franciscan Abbey. In the Abbey we prayed together Morning Prayer accompanied by the background music of birdsong. The present Friary in Killarney is linked to its great predecessor, Muckross Abbey. Pat Younge O.F.M,s history of the Franciscan Friary Killarney and Muckross can be found on the internet under History of Killarney Friary. In it Pat writes about the coming of the Franciscan Friars to Ireland in 1226 the year St. Francis died. Muckross Abbey was founded in ca.1448 with the help of the McCarthy Mor family and was the residence of the Friars until 1698. According to Pat:
“Muckross had been sanctified not only by the lives of those who lived there daily, but also by the martyrdom of Fr Donagh O’Muirthile and his companions, who after the flight of the community hid the sacred vessels and other church valuables on one of the islands of the lake. They were put to death by the soldiers of Elizabeth I in 1589. The Abbey had also been the home to the valiant Fr Francis O’Sullivan who was born in Ardea….He was put to death in 1653 on Scarriff Island off Derrynane. His body lies somewhere on that sea-swept rocky island.”
At present the Guardian of the Friary Killarney is putting up a special shrine where the scull of Fr Francis O’Sullivan will be placed and it will obviously become a special place of prayer and reflection.
If you are interested in the Franciscan Way of Life and would like to spend a week-end with us please get in touch with me at: brpatofm@hotmail.com.
Pat Lynch O.F.M.