A Letter from Ireland: A Mass Makes History, Among Lasting Memories for ACE

Saturday, 1st September

Less than 100 years ago, Ireland was still ruled by the English. British authority in Ireland emanated from Dublin Castle, the seat of British rule until its end in 1922. Because of Britain’s Anglican state religion, a Catholic Mass was never really an option in Dublin Castle until after 1922, but even since then, the venue wouldn’t be very suitable for a Mass since its courtyard is so large (and, I suppose, because the weather in Dublin would so rarely cooperate for an entire hour). With a pre-grame Mass celebrated by the Most Reverend Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, concelebrated by many American and Irish priests, and participated in by an estimated 6,000 people who stood and filled the courtyard from wall to wall, this historical oddity has become just that – history. Archbishop Martin’s homily echoed the theme struck by Ken Jowitt at the Symposium two days ago – that the Church must find a way to engage with society where society is, and not where the Church would necessarily like it to be. Holy Communion was especially moving. Communion ministers lined both sides of the courtyard and were marked by folded umbrellas pointing skyward so that the throng of people could make their way to receive the Body of Christ.

Following Mass, everyone emptied out into neighboring Temple Bar for some tailgating that included the Notre Dame Band marching out and a legion of Dublin City buses mobilized at the end of the Temple Bar area to transport fans to the gleaming Aviva Stadium, where the Fighting Irish (of Notre Dame) took on the Midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy. Although this may not mean much coming from me, trust me when I say I heard it from others as well: With all of the activity of the past several days – from spectacular Masses in historic places to numerous gatherings of very good friends, to the soaring emotional high of the pep rally, to various symposia and other academic events, the football game seemed almost anti-climactic.

All in all, the University produced an awesome couple of days’ celebration of our shared heritage, emotional tie, and continued partnership with Ireland. More impressive than the events, though, was the warm welcome that the people of Ireland extended to us. I can’t count the number of cabbies, cashiers, waiters, bartenders, my colleagues who helped execute events from the Irish side of things, and even government officials (from the Taoiseach – the Prime Minister – on down) who expressed their sincere welcome, excitement, and hopes for a quick return of the huge influx of Americans who flooded Ireland for the game. Their hope is one that I share!

From Drew Clary, Assistant Director, Institute for Educational Initiatives