Mgr Basil O’Sullivan, Parish Priest at the Holy Family, Dunblane, celebrated a remarkable 60 years of priesthood earlier this summer. Many tributes were paid to his years of service throughout the diocese and also to All Hallows College, Dublin, the college which trained so many other Irish priests whose mission took them to every continent.
On All Saints Day, 2016, the college closed its doors and its buildings have now become a part of Dublin University. It was founded in 1842 by a curate, and must have sent between 300 and 400 priests to Scotland over the past century and a half, thus making quite a contribution to the Church in Scotland. A steady trickle came to Dunkeld, perhaps up to 100 priests over the years.
There are still two ‘All Hallows’ men left in our diocese – Mgr O’Sullivan and Fr Tony McCarthy, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Broughty Ferry, who is about to celebrate his own 60 years of priestly service in the diocese of Dunkeld.
In thanksgiving for his own priestly years Mgr O’Sullivan decided to write an essay on its history, as the curtain falls on the College. “I thought that, while there are a few of the old priests still around, I wanted to tell the story while it can still be told, and before it is too late. It is quite a story of sacrifice and zeal for the Lord.
Many priests went from Dublin to Sacramento, California and there was a keen interest there for an updated history of the college. Mgr O’Sullivan’s contact in Sacramento, an archivist, was able to enhance the presentation with some informative photos.”
Copies have been sent to all parishes and the publication is now available, to read or download, from Dunkeld Diocese’s website.
Read it online – or download a copy here: