Pope Francis receives a personal invite to visit Drogheda
DROGHEDA MALE VOICE CHOIR MEMBER, AND OUR MAN IN ROME, SEAMIE BRISCOE RECALLS A SIX-DAY TRIP WHICH WILL LIVE IN THEIR HEARTS FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES
POPE Francis has been handed an official invitation to come to Drogheda - and see the head of St Oliver Plunkett - during his visit to Ireland in August.
Mayor Pio Smith had the chance to deliver the message personally after a meeting in the Vatican last week.
The mayor was part of the Drogheda Male Voice Choir delegation that performed for the Pontiff in St Peter’s Square and later he met the Pope along with members of the choir.
‘We shook hands and I extended an invitation to him to come to Drogheda during his visit to Ireland later this year,’ Mayor Smith stated. ‘He immediately acknowledged it, so we’ll have to see!’
He doesn’t know if the Pope will take him up on the offer but feels it was appropriate to issue the invitation when the obvious opportunity presented itself.
The visit to Rome also saw the mayor and the choir honour Bro Christopher ‘ Sonny’ Kierans, who has been working in the Vatican for over 40 years. He said it was an honour to recognise Sonny’s role
SOMEWHERE in the caverns of life’s experiences there are events and occasions which lock themselves into the chambers of one’s mind and can never be erased. Such was the success of the Drogheda Male Voice Choir’s trip to Rome which was prompted by the retirement of Drogheda’s Christian Brother, Christopher ( Sonny) Kierans.There were favourable signs from the moment the 80- strong party boarded Aer Lingus flight EI 406. Inflight service manager Anna Moore from Bellewstown, embraced Musical Director David Leddy and welcomed his entourage on board for the flight to Rome.
During the course of the flight, Ms Moore referred to the choir several times and wished them an enjoyable and successful trip.
Over the six days, the group was splendidly led by Kieran Troy and the delightful Murielle who attended to every need of the group, as well as making sure as much of the historical magnificence of Rome could be seen and explained in very informative detail.
On the second day of the trip, places visited were the Catacombs of St Calixtus before moving on to the beautiful Basilica of St Paul’s ‘ outside of the walls’ where the choir sang in the vast surroundings of the Basilica to commemorate the canonisation of St Oliver Plunket.
Later that evening the Colosseum was next on the list before the group finished off the evening with a lovely meal and were entertained by duo, Soprano Enya and her partner, Enzo.
Whist the “in house” entertainment was excellent, there was great excitement and anxiety as to how Leinster were doing in the European Cup final. When the result came through, it received the loudest cheer of the evening.
The following day, Sunday, was the first big test for the preparatory work put in by David Leddy and his choir. An early start meant the choir partaking in the Mass at the Irish College.
They were welcomed by Monsignor O’ Carroll the chief celebrant of the con-celebrated Mass was American priest, Fr Paul Gitter. This was a truly beautiful celebration of the liturgy in word and song and the first test was overcome.
The Mass was followed by a small reception for the congregation and Monsignor O‘Carroll endeared himself to the Drogheda group with his very convivial and jovial manner in explaining the history of the college and particularly its connection with Daniel O’Connell.
The second and more daunting task to face the choir was to come when they sang at the main evening Mass in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. They also learned that the chief celebrant would be none other than Cardinal Angelo Comastri who is the Archdeacon of St Peter’s.
The security and pomp surrounding the choir’s procession to their pews in the Basilica was very regimental and intense. However, the calmness of their Musical Director, David Leddy, drew acclamation for the choir from Cardinal Comastri and the multi denominational congregation were generous in their applause at the end of the Mass - much to the relief of the choristers.
Monday was free for the group to continue to visit various places of spiritual and historic interest. There was a lovely moment when the Senior choristers, led by longtime chorister Ownie Rafferty, visited the Propaganda Fide beautiful Church where St Oliver Plunkett was ordained as a priest and sang the specially composed song by the late Eugene Mooney in memory of both of them.
Tuesday was the day everybody was looking forward to when they would meet and fete their fellow Drogheda man, Brother Christy, as he is known in Rome but “Sonny” to many of his boyhood friends who knew him in his younger days in Drogheda.
The occasion turned out to be magnificent in the splendour of the Irish Embassy in Rome attended by Irish Ambassador Colm O’Floinn and Ambassador to the Holy See, Emma Madigan. Ambassador Madigan expressed her gratitude for Sonny’s help and guidance. The group was welcomed by Embassy Secretary, Daragh Higgins. Fr John Coughlan from the Irish College and members of the Kierans family.
This was a presentation which saw, for the first time, two ambassadors in attendance and both effusive in their praise for Brother Christy.
From his home town, Mayor Pio Smith outlined the reasons which is inherent in awarding the Mayoral Awards each year. He explained it was a great honour for him to present it to Sonny for the help and assistance he has given to others not alone to his chosen profession but also to the people of his own town. He commended his dedication and that of his family who have contributed enormously to the community at home and abroad.
A very enjoyable recital was given by the Drogheda Male Voice Choir during following the reception which drew very nice compliments from the distinguished audience.
To give a sense of the euphoria the people attending from the town felt, a member of the party said she was so proud to be from Drogheda, with such a fine choir representing our town in such a magnificent manner in the bastion of Christianity .
The choir and their friends acknowledged a request to visit and sing in the Church St Petro following the Embassy Reception, which has a great connection with the Flight of the Earls era. Their are Irish entombed there one of which is Hugh O’Neill.
The choir received great commendation for the performance and Brother Christy (Sonny)
THE HOLY FAT HER WALKED DOWN FROM HISPODIUM AND WENT AMONG THE MEMBERS OF THE CHOIRTO SHAKE HANDSAND SPEAK WITH THEMAND POSED FORAPICTURE. ITWASAN UNFORGETTABLE MOMENT AND ONE WHICH CREATED SERIOUS EMOTION, PARTICULARLY AMONG THE MORE SENIOR CHORISTERS
was so proud and emotional with the tributes he received from the Mayor, DMVC and the Holy See ambassador, Ms Madigan. It was a glorious event celebrated with great dignity in honoring a person from the town of Drogheda who still loves the town and its people which was so pertinent in his acceptance speech.
Following the commemorative song the famous envelope arrived from the Vatican with the news that the choir would sing at the Papal Audience the following morning.
It was given to Musical Director, David Leddy, who was clearly emotional in announcing the news.
The last day of the trip saw an early start and the unbridled joy of the Drogheda Male Voice Choir and their guests being escorted into the “golden circle” of St Peters Square for the Papal Audience.
It was without doubt, the most exhilarating experience of any of our lives!
We had to go in procession to our pews with the Cardinaland his concelebrants and David was put in front of a huge organ that was like the inside of the cockpit of a jet. No bother to him! It was a daunting experience but a very happy one.
The choir were asked to take up their positions and their guests sat in the VIP exclusive area beside the main podium where Pope Francis delivered his papal oration to the 80,000 people in the square.
The Drogheda Male Voice Choir opened with a specially arranged composition of “An Criost An Siol” - which represented their country of origin - and finished off their programme with a beautiful rendering of O’Sacrum Convivium.
There were many outstanding moments which just seemed to get better with each passing hour but what occurred at the end of their Papal Audience recital has to be the high point of their lives.
The Holy Father walked down from his podium and went among the members of the choir to speak to shake hands and speak with them and posed for a picture.
It was an unforgettable moment and one which created serious emotion, particularly among the more senior choristers, like Owen Rafferty who had sang for Pope John Paul at Killineer as a tenor in 1979.
The group then moved to Castelgondolfo to sing in the town square at the behest of the Mayor before departing for the Airport to end a trip that drained every form human emotion form sentiment to ecstasy. Finally, the irrepressible Mr Leddy sat down at a piano at Flamincio Airport before departure, and along with tenor Ben Buckley and several members of the choir, gave a virtuoso concert to complete a magnificent “Roman Odyssey”.