Greg Daly
With the national seminary at Maynooth due to re-open for this year’s formation programme this weekend, a key conference organised for the autumn is being seen by observers as a way of helping to show a proactive approach to reform.
This summer saw the appointment of Fr Michael Mullaney for a shortened three-year term as President of Maynooth with the trustees also announcing that they are set to appoint a separate rector to take exclusive charge of seminary formation allowing the president to focus on the Pontifical University.
Focus is also to turn to more effective vocations promotion and retention policies. Fr Christopher Jamison OSB, who is credited with being part of a renewed vocations push in England and Wales that is bearing fruit, will be one of the keynote speakers at a conference to be held in Maynooth in the November conference on priestly formation.
Archbishop of Dublin Diarumid Martin – who responded to last summer’s controversial allegations of seminarians using gay dating apps by pulling his students from Maynooth – will also address the conference.
Relations
This is being interpreted as a thawing in relations between the national seminary and Dr Martin after college authorities expressed frustration last summer at the archbishop’s description of Maynooth as appearing to have “an atmosphere of strange goings-on”. He also said at the time that Maynooth “seems like a quarrelsome place”.
A Church source told The Irish Catholic that last year’s allegations damaged Maynooth’s reputation and insisted that the trustees are committed to do whatever is necessary to restore the confidence of the faithful.
Changes to the governance and structure of Maynooth are being directly supervised by the Vatican and the Pope’s key adviser of seminaries, Archbishop Jorge Patrón Wong, will also attend the formation conference.
New entrants to Maynooth are expected this Sunday from Irish dioceses, along with those who have already completed a year of seminary formation.
Authorities are reluctant to talk about potential numbers in advance due to the possibility that a candidate may decide at the last minute to defer entry.