Priestly Ordination 2015

As short impression of the Priestly Ordination 2015:

Priestly ordination of Fr Matthew Martinez OP

The Irish Dominican friars rejoiced on the occasion of the ordination of a third new priest for the province this summer.

Fr Matthew Martinez OP, a native of Trinidad in the Caribbean, was ordained priest in his native parish of St Finbar, Port of Spain, on the feast of Blessed Jane of Aza, mother of St Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order.

Fr Joseph Harris CSSp, archbishop of Port of Spain, was the ordaining bishop and was assisted by Robert Rivas OP, archbishop of St Lucia and an Irish Dominican, Jason Gordon, bishop of Barbados, Malcolm Gault, bishop emeritus of Barbados. 

St Finbar's church was packed to capacity with parishioners, Fr Matthew's parents, sister, extended family, friends and lively choir. 

Approximately forty priests also took part in the celebration, with twelve friars of the Irish Dominican Province, some natives of Trinidad, some who are missionaries there and some who travelled for the occasion. 

Fr Matthew was clothed in the priestly vestments by his classmates Fr Luuk Jansen OP and Fr Colm Mannion OP who were ordained in Ireland in July. 

Fr Matthew was scheduled to celebration a Mass of Thanksgiving on the evening after his ordination in the same church. 

Below are some further images of the ordination ceremony today:

 The entrance procession

The examination of the candidate

 Bro Matthew prostrate during the Litany of the Saints

An aerial view of the ancient tradition of calling on the saints to intercede for the brother to be ordained.

Fr Matthew is clothed in priestly vestments by Fr Colm Mannion and Fr Luuk Jansen who are classmates of the newly ordained.

Fr Matthew is introduced to the congregation and congratulated by Archbishop Harris

Fr Matthew concelebrates

Fr Matthew greets members of his family during the 'sign of peace' at the ordination Mass.

Irish Dominicans to celebrate third priestly ordination of 2014

Trinidadian native and Irish Dominican friar Matthew Martinez OP will be ordained a priest tomorrow (Saturday, August 2nd, 2014) in the Dominican church of Saint Finbar, Diego Martin, Port-of-Spain.

Please join with us in praying for Brother Matthew as he approaches this important moment in his life and the life of the Irish Dominican province.

Earlier in July, Fr Colm Mannion and Fr Luuk Jansen were ordained priests in Saint Saviour's, Dublin.

Finally, we continue to ask your prayers for vocations to the friars of the Irish province.

Double priestly ordination for Irish Dominican friars

Fr Luuk Jansen OP and Fr Colm Mannion OP

The Irish Dominican friars joyfully celebrated the priestly ordination of two of our brothers yesterday in Saint Saviour's Dominican church in Dublin. Fr Luuk Jansen and Fr Colm Mannion were ordained by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin in a moving ceremony with a packed congregation. The new priests were joined by a large number of Dominican brothers from Ireland and abroad, their families and friends.

Fr Luuk is originally from the Netherlands and discovered the faith through a colleague while working in the west of Ireland. A number of years after being baptised, he entered the Irish Dominican novitiate in Limerick and continued his formation and studies in Dublin which culminated in his ordination as a priest yesterday.

Fr Colm, from Birr in County Offaly, worked with an an international airline and for the Legion of Mary before entering the novitiate with Fr Luuk and Br Matthew Martinez who will be ordained next month in his native Trinidad.

We wish our newly ordained priests every blessing in their ministries and pray that their commitment will encourage others to consider the Dominican way of life.

Archbishop Martin lays hands on the ordinands.