The new legal year commenced on October 7 with the traditional Michaelmas Law Term services held at St Michan’s Church, Halston Street, Dublin. The ceremony, attended by barristers, solicitors, and members of the judiciary, marks the beginning of the legal calendar, and offers prayers for those working within the justice system.
Bishop Paul Dempsey celebrated the Mass, drawing on the significance of the Holy Spirit. He noted that the Irish Constitution opens with an invocation of the Holy Trinity, with the Father and Son being more easily understood, but the Holy Spirit often seen as more abstract. The Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit was offered as the new legal year began, acknowledging the Spirit’s role as the “advocate” or “defender” in a court of law.
Addressing the legal professionals present, Bishop Dempsey reflected on “the complexity of human nature is indeed a great mystery,” noting that, “Each citizen is called upon to contribute to the common good and stands equal before the law,” calling those on the legal professions to find a balance between justice and mercy
He quoted the words of Seamus Heaney: “Hope is not optimism, which expects things to turn out well, but something rooted in the conviction that there is good worth working for.” With this, Bishop Dempsey encouraged the gathering to maintain hope. “As you begin this new year in this Votive Mass to the Holy Spirit, who is the ‘giver of life,’ may you know the conviction that, despite the complexities and tribulations of the human condition, there is good worth working for,” he concluded.
