Limerick priest, 102, ‘Placid’ by name and nature

IS FR Placid Murray the longest ordained priest in Ireland, maybe even the world?

The 102-year-old was ordained almost 80 years ago and still does some pastoral work.

Fr Brian Murphy poses the question after seeing a photograph in the Limerick Leader. Taken in 1954 and reproduced recently, the caption reads, Newly ordained priests at Glenstal Abbey. The caption is wrong as one of the men was the prior - Fr Placid Murray.

Fr Brian names those in the photograph, Fathers Gerard McGinty, Bede Lynch, Mark Tierney, Placid Murray, Celestine Cullen and Philip Tierney.

“The ordination took place on July 11, 1954, St Benedict’s Day. Archbishop Kinane of Cashel and Emly performed the ceremony.

“Of the newly ordained priests, Fr Philip Tierney is the only one who is still alive: the others have gone to their rest and their reward. However, Fr Placid Murray, the prior, is still alive and well at the age of 102,” said Fr Brian.

Fr Placid was ordained a priest on December 20, 1941. Reflecting on his life, especially the almost 80 years of his priesthood, it struck Fr Brian that he might be the longest ordained priest in Ireland – even the world!

“I attempted to find an answer through official Roman channels but was informed that there is no central register of the dates of ordination to the priesthood. I write this not only to identify the priests in your photograph but also to find an answer to the question,” said Fr Brian.

Needless to say the matter is of no great concern to Fr Placid who, fortunately, is still able to say the Divine Office; watch the religious services from Glenstal on the webcam of his computer; and engage in some forms of pastoral work.

And what a life he has lived.

Fr Placid, which is his religious name, was born on October 7, 1918, in Waterford. His baptismal name was Michael. His father James, a solicitor, died in 1923 leaving his wife Hannagh and a young family of seven children. The family moved to Dublin where they were brought up and educated. Fr Placid attended the Christian Brothers School in Glasnevin of which he has happy memories.

While at school, he heard priests from various religious orders giving talks on vocations, and he was particularly struck by Fr David Maffei of Glenstal.

“It was this encounter that led him to join the community at Glenstal Priory as it then was. Later, on 10 January 1957, when the number of the monastic community had increased, Glenstal officially became an Abbey.

“Fr Placid entered Glenstal Priory, on 25 September 1935, a fortnight before his 17th birthday. Although a young man, he has always felt that he was mature enough to make an informed decision at that time. Glenstal Priory, itself, had only been established in May 1927 as a foundation from Maredsous Abbey in Belgium. Fr Placid was the second Irish person to join Glenstal; the first being Fr Bernard O’Dea from county Clare.

“He made his monastic profession on January 6, 1937 and, for his monastic and priestly studies, he went to Maredsous Abbey for two spells in 1938 and 1939. Then, on the outbreak of the Second World War, he attended the Benedictine college of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome,” said Fr Brian.

Fr Placid was ordained a sub-deacon there in 1940 and a priest, on December 20, 1941, in the abbey of Subiaco and he has fond memories of his first Mass in the chapel of the Sacro Speco. This was the hermit’s cell in which Saint Benedict had lived for a time before founding the abbey on the same site.

“After his ordination, as the dangers of the war came ever closer to Rome, Fr Placid returned to Ireland by sea plane. He travelled from Rome to Lisbon by train passing through France which was being rapidly overrun by German forces. He recalls staying in Lisbon with the Dominicans and celebrating the feast of the Assumption with them on August 15, 1942. Soon afterwards, after booking with the Perlo travel company, he flew by sea plane to Foynes. He recalls that on the plane there were clear signs of British military returning home from Africa and also talk of possible German air strikes. These memories accord with the information available at the Foynes Museum. On landing in Foynes he took a taxi to Glenstal and resumed normal monastic life,” said Fr Brian.

Fr Placid’s subsequent life at Glenstal was in harmony with the evolution of the monastic community. The first Irish Prior was Fr Bernard O’Dea (1945-1952) who began the building of the abbey church in 1951. Fr Placid became the next Prior (1952-1957) and the abbey church was completed during his time in office in 1956. He was also responsible for organising the Glenstal Liturgical Congress in 1954 which attracted nationwide, even European, interest for almost twenty years.

When Glenstal became an abbey in 1957, Fr Placid resumed his normal monastic way of life and has continued to do so until the present time. Although in recent years, he has been combining it with the  life of a nursing home where he is very happy.