31st October 2013
By TheCork.ie
news@thecork.ie
Three University College Cork (UCC) academics have been conferred with
the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St Gregory the Great for their
services to the Holy See, joining the likes of Irish comedian and
philanthropist Frank Carson, boxer Sir Henry Cooper, Alfred O’Rahilly,
former President of UCC and TD for Cork City and Rupert Murdoch.
Dr Caitríona Ó Dochartaigh, Professor Padraig Ó Riain and Dr Brian Ó
Donnchadha were formally recognised at a reception in UCC with one of
the highest honours the Catholic Church can bestow. The honour was
conferred in the name of Pope Francis by the Archbishop of Tuam,
Michael Neary on behalf of Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, Prefect
of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments.
Dr Caitríona Ó Dochartaigh, Department of Early and Medieval Irish,
Professor Padraig Ó Riain Professor Emeritus of the Department of
Early and Medieval Irish, and Dr Brian Ó Donnchadha of Ionad na
Gaeilge Labhartha in UCC were awarded the honour for their
contribution to the preparation of the new Missal in the Irish
language in their role as the lay members of the Sapienti committee.
The Committee is an advisory body to the Congregation for Divine
Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for liturgical texts in
the Irish language.
Pádraig Ó Riain and Brian Ó Donnchadha were made Knights of the Order
of St Gregory the Great and Dr Caitríona Ó Dochartaigh was made a Dame
of the Order of St Gregory the Great, at the reception hosted by
Professor Anita Maguire, Deputy President, UCC.
The order of St Gregory the Great was founded in 1831 by Pope Gregory
XVI as an order of merit to be bestowed on laypeople in recognition of
their personal service to, and work on behalf of the Holy See.
The honour was originally only bestowed on men, but since 1994 women
can now also receive the award. Among the past Irish recipients of the
honour was Alfred O’Rahilly, President of UCC and TD for Cork City,
who was honoured in 1954.
Dr Ó Dochartaigh expressed her delight at being conferred with the
honour: ‘We are both humbled and overwhelmed by being awarded this
extraordinary honour, and we would like to express our sincere
gratitude to both the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship
and the Archbishop of Tuam.’
The Sapienti Committee is currently engaged with the review of the
proposed translation into Irish of the Latin Missale Romanum. It is
hoped that the full revised translation of the Irish Missal, including
many texts which were not previously included in the current Leabhar
Aifrinn will be available to Irish speaking communities in the near
future.