Dom Marmion
Columba Marmion was born in Dublin’s north inner-city on the 1st of April, 1858. His father was Irish, his mother French. He attended Belvedere College, Holy Cross College which was the Dublin Diocesan Seminary at Clonliffe, and the Irish College in Rome before being ordained a priest in 1881. His first appointment was as curate (assistant priest) here at Holy Cross Parish, Dundrum where he also served as chaplain to Mount Anville Convent and to Dundrum Mental Hospital. A year later he moved from Holy Cross Parish in Dundrum to Holy Cross College in Clonliffe when appointed to the chair of philosophy in the college. In addition to his four year appointment in Clonliffe College he was also chaplain to the enclosed Redemptoristine Sisters and to the equally enclosed but very different residents of Mountjoy Prison.
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The next step in his varied life was in 1899 when he was sent to the new Mont Cesar Abbey in Louvain with three responsibilities: Professor of Theology, Spiritual Director to the young monks and Prior of the Abbey.
Ten years later Columba Marmion was elected Abbot of Maredsous. It would be difficult to imagine a more demanding life than was his during the next thirteen years: responsibility for the care of more that a hundred monks, a Classics College, an Applied Arts and Crafts School, a large farm, research work, editing various publications, giving retreats and spiritual direction, coping with the dangers of the 1914-18 world war, his decision to bring the younger monks to safety in Ireland, the huge difficulties of war-time travel. Eventually all these demands took a toll on his less than robust health and he died in 1923 at the age of sixty-five.
During all these years Columba Marmion blended his knowledge of Theology, Scripture and Liturgy with his personal reflection and prayer. In his books – Christ in his Mysteries, Christ the Life of the Soul and Christ the Ideal of the Monk he provided us with an innovative Christ-centred spirituality that helped form future priests and religious in many countries for much of the 20th century.
It seemed appropriate that Columba Marmion was beatified with Pope John XXIII on 3rd September 2000, both having testified to the compatibility of a deep spirituality with a rotund bodily frame and a wonderfully jovial personality. No wonder that many are touched by his thought-provoking words: "Joy is the echo of God’s life in us".
Here in Holy Cross Parish we keep the memory of Columba Marmion alive:
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Dom Marmion House is a spacious and attractive day-care centre for the older people living in this locality. In 1992 at its ecumenical opening a Church of Ireland minister quipped " I have always believed that whereas we, Protestant ministers, get the better halves you Catholics get the better quarters!" The society provides a great variety of activities: bowling, bridge for beginners and advanced, concerts, liturgical and social celebrations, bible study, advice and information centre, occasional facilities for meetings of people in the locality, outings, lots of conversation, organised visits to members who are in hospital or who can no longer leave their homes.
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Sung Vespers: On the First Friday of every month, September to June, we sing Vespers, the Evening Prayer of the Church in the Benedictine tradition.
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Annual Marmion Organ Festival: Our pipe organ is one of the best in Dublin and so we have the opportunity to commemorate Marmion, the Benedictine monk, by celebrating the great commitment of Benedictines generally to promoting the use of organ music within the liturgy. Now that Marmion’s feast day is on the 3rd of October we hold the festival close to that date.
In May 2003, in a local ceremony, Dun Laoire Rathdown County Council named the fine, new road bridge linking the Main Street with Ballinteer Road, "Dom Marmion Bridge". The name was chosen to commemorate the pastor’s early links with Dundrum.
