Huge attendance at Fr John Sullivan SJ Mass

Over one thousand people attended that the annual Blessed John Sullivan SJ Mass of Thanksgiving taking place on Sunday 11 May, 2025 at 3pm in the Clongowes Wood College, Clane, Co. Kildare. The celebrant was Bishop Denis Nulty, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin.

Jesuits, including the Irish Provincial Shane Daly SJ and the Clongowes community joined with people from all over Ireland and even further afield for the celebration of the life and work of Irish Jesuit Blessed John Sullivan SJ (1861 -1993). . All three chapels in Clongowes were packed.

Peter Lloyd, Fr John’s nephew to read the first reading at the Mass. Pauric McEvoy, a veteran organiser of the annual event read the second reading. Music was courtesy of the Clongowes College Choir with their director Mr Cyril Murphy.

In his homily, Bishop Nulty spoke about Pope Leo XIII who was the Pope during the formative years of John Sullivan’s instruction and reception into the Catholic Church. His papacy ran from 1878-1903. The current Pope, Leo XIV, took his name on election recently.

Bishop Nulty said that he was in no doubt that Fr John, who was ordained in Milltown Park Dublin in1907, would have been reading Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum, on the rights and duties of capital and labour, protection of workers, vulnerable, like sheep to exploitative employers.

He said this encyclical would “have been formative in the faith journey that John Sullivan took,” and added, “Blessed John Sullivan never got to Peru, the furthest he probably got to, was to Prosperous! And yet Pope Leo XIV was elected on the fourth ballot during the Papal Conclave and announced to the world on the birthday of Blessed John. Surely this is a good omen of things to come.” You can read the full homily here »

Organsier Ms Cáit Cullen and her team say they were “absolutely delighted with the great turnout.” According to Cáit, the numbers of older people attending the Mass fell somewhat during Covid-19, and here great hope was that some of those people could return.

Many people were aware of the huge amount of work she put in to promoting the Mass for weeks beforehand, travelling all around the country with flyers and posters inviting people to the Mass. “We are a real community who have been touched by the life of Blessed John, his love of the poor and his healing power given through the grace of God to those who pray to him. We wanted to share our experience with all those who could attend the Mass in person or follow it online,” says Cáit, who added, “Words cannot express how wonderful it was to see so many people streaming in to the grounds and into the chapel. Some in buses, cars, wheelchairs, it was heart lifting. The atmosphere was wonderful, and the sun shone down on us all.”

At the end of the Mass a special word of thanks was reserved for the Clongowes College Choir whose beautiful music “Made the event ever more special,” according to Cáit. Their director Cyril Murphy is retiring this year and will be sorely missed. Cáit was asked to make a special presentation to him at the end of the Mass.

Background information on Blessed John Sullivan SJ

Fr John was a Jesuit priest with a reputation for sanctity » He was formed in both the Protestant and Catholic traditions, having been brought up in the Protestant tradition of his father before he was received into the Catholic Church and later entered the Jesuits.

He is known for his love of the poor, his life of prayer and fasting, and his care of the sick. He spent much of his priestly life in Clongowes Wood College, Co. Kildare.

There was great devotion to him in his lifetime and that devotion has continued since his death on the 19th February, 1933. Many people believe that his prayers have brought the healing power of God into their lives and his tomb in St. Francis Xaviers’ Church in Gardiner Street, Dublin » is visited daily by those who seek his help.

In 1960 Fr John was declared a Servant of God. He was was declared ‘Venerable’ by Pope Francis in November 2014. In April 2016 Pope Francis approved a decree that authenticated a miracle attributed to Fr Sullivan, thereby approving his beatification which took place in Gardiner St Church in May 2017 »