Cathedral’s first ordination in 24 years

Cork’s North Cathedral was host to an ordination for the first time in 24 years at the weekend — the only ordination for the Cork Diocese this year.

The Rev Ben Hodnett became the first priest to be ordained at the Shandon St cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne, since 1990 in a ceremony attended by a number of priests from the diocese and by seminarians from St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.

Fr Hodnett, who is in his late 20s, is a native of the surrounding Cathedral Parish and attended the local St Vincent’s Primary School, as well as Scoil Mhuire Fatima, the North Monastery and Gaelcholáiste Mhuire.

He later attended University College Cork, gaining a degree in Social Science, before becoming a student in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth in 2008.

One of the priests in the parish, Fr Tomas Walsh, said yesterday that Fr Hodnett was a young priest by modern standards, and that his ordination had been significant in the local community.

“He has been fairly involved in the parish all his life and is well-known and highly respected,” Fr Walsh said.

“It is a real community event in that respect.”

Around 600 people attended the ordination of Fr Hodnett by His Lordship, Most Rev Dr John Buckley, Bishop of Cork. Among them were 50 priests.

Fr Hodnett has already undertaken a number of placements within the Diocese of Cork, including in the parishes of Skibbereen, Carrigaline and Ballyphehane.

He held his first Mass in the cathedral last night and afterwards gave his first blessings.

He will be appointed to a parish within the diocese in the near future.