"In Coenaculo" - Silverstream Priory (November-December 2015) | Page 3

After careful study, consultation, and reflection, we have chosen not to renovate Silverstream’s existing small church built in 1952
under the direction of the Brothers of Saint
John of God. The required renovation would be
nearly as costly as the construction of a new monastic church, and the final result would not be
adequate for our needs. Putting all our trust in
Divine Providence and in the generosity of our
friends, we have decided, instead, to build a new
monastic church spacious enough to meet the
needs of our growing community and to accommodate the faithful who frequent the monastery
for Holy Mass, the Divine Office, and adoration
of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Wicklow-based architect Adrian Buckley has
drawn up plans for the urgent and long-overdue
renovation of the kitchen and adjacent areas,
and for the construction of suitable monastic
cells and sanitation facilities in the main house.
Related to this project is the construction of a
beautiful cloister quadrangle that will unite the
guesthouse and main house.
It remains for me, dear friends of Silverstream Priory, to assure you of our heartfelt
gratitude and of a remembrance in our prayers
each day. Our monastic adventure is daunting,
but we place our hope in the word of the Angel
to Our Lady: «No word shall be impossible with
God» (Luke 1:37). Thank you for supporting
what God is doing at Silverstream.

Dom Mark Daniel Kirby, prior

Archmandrite Abba Yohannes Kebede Amsalu, official representative
of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Ireland, with the
Silverstream community.

The Monks at the Baptismal Font of St Paul’s Church, Arran Quay,
at which Blessed Columba Marmion was baptised on 6 April 1858.

From an Irish Priest Retreatant

M

for these
past five wonderful days of peace,
prayer, illumination and spiritual joy.
It has been a great privilege to participate in your monastic life, and to enjoy
your bounteous hospitality.
I go away refreshed in body, soul and
spirit to tend with renewed vigour the
vineyard of the Lord.
What He is achieving through you
and your community is truly remarkable.
Never did I imagine that I would one
day find in my native county a monastic
house to rival in the beauty of its Liturgy
and the devotion of its monks — if not yet
in number, the greatest abbeys of France.
I feel sure that He who has begun this
excellent work will continue to bless you
in many and marvellous ways. Not without trials, of course!
But stand firm, and you will see the
salvation of the Lord.
y profoundest thanks