Councillor welcomes Pro-Cathedral designated Dublin's Catholic cathedral
Pope Leo XIV designating St Mary's Pro Cathedral as the official catholic cathedral for the Archdiocese of Dublin , ends a 500 year old issue at last.
Located on Marlborough Street, St Mary’s Cathedral is now the first full cathedral Dublin has seen in five centuries, with the “pro” in its name meant to stand for “Pro Tempore,” or temporary. First built in 1825, Pope Leo was asked to grant this new status by Archbishop Dermot Farrell as the cathedral celebrates its bicentennial year.
This news has been warmly welcomed by North Inner City Councillor Nial Ring who expressed his delight following Archbishop Farrell’s announcement of the news. “This landmark decision resolves a 500-year-old outstanding issue stemming from the Reformation and marks the first time in five centuries that Dublin's Catholic population has had a permanent, dedicated cathedral” he explained.
“This is truly a momentous day for the people of Dublin and particularly for the North Inner City community. For two hundred years, St Mary’s has stood as a symbol of faith and resilience under its 'Pro Tempore' designation. To see the 'Pro' officially dropped, coinciding with its bicentenary, is a powerful recognition of its central role in the life of our city.”
As a “great victory” for the area, Cllr Ring highlighted a previous plan to designate St Andrew’s Church on Westland Row as the city’s cathedral which, if implemented, would have resulted in a downgrading of St Mary’s.
“I recall the strong and angry community reaction to that proposal and myself and fellow councillor, Christy Burke stood with our neighbours to protest against any potential downgrade. The strength of that protest demonstrated the deep, unbreakable connection the local community has and always will have with this sacred building,” he said.
“This designation is more than just a change in name; it is an affirmation of the North Inner City as the spiritual heart of Dublin. As St Mary's embarks on its major restoration plans, which recently received planning permission from Dublin City Council , we look forward to it standing proudly for many more centuries as a permanent, magnificent centre of worship, history, and community life,” concluded Cllr Ring.
In his announcement Archbishop Farrell stated: "I am pleased to announce that the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has consented to my request and has approved by decree that Saint Mary’s be designated as the Cathedral Church of our Archdiocese.
“Two-hundred years ago today, on the Feast of Saint Laurence O’Toole, this church was dedicated. It was dedicated in a time when courage was required to conceive and undertake a project such as this. While we may rightly marvel at the Dublin Catholics of that time, with Catholic Emancipation still a few years away, we would do well not to miss the wood for the trees.”
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