The prior of the Dominican church in Drogheda, Co Louth, which is facing closure, has said “we won’t be bullied in any way shape or form to get out of here”.
Fr Tony McMullan also said that the priests had “taken a stance not to be defiant but we feel what is right is to stay” after the Dominican congregation ordered the closure under a consolidation plan.
Fr McMullan, as well as Fr Jim Donleavy and Fr Joseph Heffernan, also minister to a number of orders locally, including the Sienna nuns, the Cistercian monks and the Poor Clares, say they want to stay in Drogheda.
Local campaign
A local campaign began last September when the Dominicans announced they would be regrouping into fewer centres and Drogheda would not remain open.
Other centres were earmarked for closure in Dublin; Athy, Co Kildare; Waterford and Limerick.
In response the sacristan, Declan Hanratty, began a hunger strike and a sit-in at the church. That ended after an understanding that there would be consultation with local people.
The “Save the Dominicans” campaign began and has so far collected 20,000 signatures.
Fr McMullan said the intention was not to be “disobedient but to be true to what we are. We have a ministry here and to be bullied to get out of here is a big mistake.”
Badly handled
“The plan is to cease here and we want to stay here,” he said. “This has been very badly handled, the whole thing has been badly thought out and I am not out to be disobedient or defiant but to stand up for what is right.”
“I believe it is right to maintain a presence in Drogheda and it would be wrong to shove it aside,” he said.
Fr Donleavy said that “the Dominicans have been in Drogheda for 800 years. In September 1649, Cromwell breached the walls of this town and slaughtered 3,500 of its inhabitants, including two Dominican priests who were beheaded on West Street. We survived Cromwell and we will survive again.”
Fr Gregory Carroll, prior provincial for the order, said in a statement that the decision was “unavoidable. Maintaining 19 centres is an impossible task for a province of 124 members, of whom only 51 are under the age of 65.”