Seminary Life
Choir visit to Irish Community in Paris
The College Choir visited the Irish Community in Paris during the March Break.
There was a great and unusual buzz around the college on the morning of Friday 13th March, nothing to do with the superstition, but because the College Chapel Choir departed for the Irish College, Paris. The college choir, under the direction of Dr John O’Keefe, brought to the Irish diaspora in Paris a taste of the music from the rich liturgical tradition of both the Church and the college, with a particular Irish influence in honour of the national patron, St Patrick. We were met in Paris by Fr David Bracken, the Chaplain in the Irish College and instigator of the trip, who showed us to our accommodation and brief tour of the Latin Quarter.
The rich musical tradition was opened up for the Irish community in Paris with sung vespers of St Patrick on Saturday evening, led by Fr Paul Prior, in the magnificent surroundings of the chapel of the Irish College which was followed by a performance with a selection from the repertoire of the College Chapel Choir for the season of Lent and Eastertide, introduced by Fr Ronan Drury. It was the more organic display of this music, within a liturgical setting, that proved to win the hearts of those who attended. The evening of celebration, in all its musical and liturgical richness, paved the way for the celebration of Mass on Sunday 15th. Mass was celebrated by the Bishop of Limerick, The Most Reverend Donal Murray in the splendid surroundings of Ste Étienne du Mont, the church which serves as the parish for the Irish Community. A reception followed Mass in the Irish College, where we all had the opportunity of meeting with our dispersed Irish brethren, enjoying the fine weather and beverages, being entertained by the delightful sounds of a children’s choir that had travelled from the Limerick Diocese. The day was filled with nostalgia; nostalgia of our common roots as Irish Christians in celebrating the great feast of St Patrick but also nostalgia of the great roots shared by St Patrick’s College with the Irish college in Paris, a day for reminding ourselves that Maynooth College was conceived in the hallowed halls of Paris.
Of course a trip to Paris wouldn’t be such without paying a visit to the major tourist attractions. There were guided tours of the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre. We wandered through side streets, up the Champs Élysées and through the myriad of grand hallways, banquet halls and galleries of the Louvre, soaking in the richness of French culture. Due to the celebration of the feast and the hard work of sightseeing we were all well able to rise to the challenge of French food and drink, which was a fine treat at the end of the day. After a final day of touring on Monday 16th we departed the Irish College to make our way home to Ireland to celebrate our patron all over again!
