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First international priests graduate from the Friary
INTERNATIONAL: Franciscan Novices Ian Cunningham, Theodore Splinter, Benedetto Ressa and Adrian Macor who made their First Profession at the Franciscan Friary Killarney pictured with Franciscan colleagues on Thursday. Picture: Eamonn Keogh
EXCLUSIVE
By Sean Moriarty
Killarney’s Franciscan Friary was celebrating yesterday (Thursday) as five new Friars - four of them from overseas - completed the first portion of their training with the Order.
Two-years-ago the Friary was declared an International Novitiate, and four of this year’s graduates are international students marking the first time the Killarney Friary celebrated overseas success.
Yesterday, two priests from Canada, one from the Netherlands, one from Sweden and one from Ennis, County Clare completed the first year of their ordination process.
During this year, the novice lives as a member of the fraternity at the International Franciscan Novitiate in the Friary in Killarney.
“This is the first step in their training for the order,” Fr Caoimhin O’Laoide told the Killarney Advertiser. “Last year we had five men, all from Ireland, who had what is called their first profession. This year it is nice and sad at the same time. All of these countries would have had their own Novitiate in the past, but with the falling numbers it was decided to consolidate this into one country and Killarney was chosen.”
The five priests who celebrated their first profession with a special Mass at the Friary were, Fr Theo van Adrichem, Provincial of the Friars in Holland, who received the vows of Br Benedetto Ressa. Fr Pierre Charland, Provincial of the Friars in Canada received the vows of Brothers Adrian Macor and Theodore Splinter.
Fr Aidan McGrath, Provincial of the Irish Franciscans, received the vows of Brother Ian Cunningham and Brother Joel Karlsson will make his Profession in Sweden on August 24.
“The newly professed will return to their homelands to continue their formation and studies.”


