We don’t have an eyewitness account of the the official dedication of this Church of Our Lady 150 years ago but I have tried to put together a snapshot of what it was like as Mass was about to begin. First, I must acknowledge the great work done by Archdeacon Kevin Lyon in the celebration of the 150th year of the establishment of Crosschapel Church.
The year is 1861. The day is Sunday, the 8th of September. The celebrant is His Grace the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Cullen. Several priests are in attendance. The church is packed. Yes, it’s a great day, for the people of Crosschapel, for the people of Blessington, for those from Eadestown-as far away as the Workhouse just this side of Naas. From Manor Kilbride, from the mountains beyond there- from Ballylow, from Ballyward, from Ballinoulta – from all over our parish. From Eadestown in the county of Kildare and Craddockstown. Many have come on foot – four or five miles or more is nothing to them. To be sure it’s a great meeting, a great day indeed.
The Parish Priest, Father Hamilton, up here on the altar, had to get a few men to make room for the Bishop as he arrived in his coach and four, for the whole place was crowded with horses and ponies and donkeys and carts and traps. They’re trying to keep everything quiet out there but its not easy with some of the animals getting a bit restless. The Bishop is our special guest today, but we must remember our eminent P.P. Fr. Hamilton as well. Without him we would not have this elegant house of God. Without his great efforts and his great friends we would still be in the old damp church. God knows it served us well for many a year, and the man who built it is buried beneath us. Fr Hamilton insisted on fixing on the wall here the plaque from our old church commemorating Fr. Miley who built the old thatched church almost a hundred years ago. I can read it from here I think. Yes!
“Rev. Roger Miley Died 1801 60 years of age 30 years as P.P. of Blessington Interred here.” Maybe today we could say a prayer for the first P.P. of Blessington, who not only built our former church, but built Miley Hall for the priests of the parish. Recently Fr Hamilton showed us a beautiful chalice lined with gold and dated 1776 that was here when he came. The date would make you think that it was got somehow during the time of Father Miley. A great man for reading I heard – sure there were books all over in every corner of his lovely mansion. Ah yes Fr Miley had a way with him as indeed has our present man. Looking down I notice that all the women are on one side, and all the men on the other side. It would take a brave man indeed to venture over to the wrong side. A few years ago a returned Yank did just that. He was the talk of the parish for ages. I see the men have nothing covering their heads but all the women are wearing scarves and hats. Some at the front here are very stylish indeed, a sight to behold.
About two years ago Fr Duffy explained about the wearing of hats or the non wearing of hats. It was a canon law going back centuries that on coming into the house of God men had to show humility by exposing their bald heads. Women had to show their humility by covering their crowning glory – their long flowing tresses. The men continued as they were, but the women gradually got the better of this canon law enhancing their hair with hats and ribbons and what not. But what harm. Sure they brighten up the place. You can see two doors at the end of the church – the women come in one door and the men the other. This segregation is practiced everywhere in the country.
Our Workhouse Chaplain, Fr John Delaney, who is up here today will tell you that it’s the same in the Workhouse. When the poor people arrive there (many indeed from around here) the women go one way the men another and the poor childer another still. Indeed Fr Delaney is lucky to be alive after the disease he picked up there. Its hard on the poor mothers. Over here on my right is another door. This is the entrance for the well to do of the parish and their friends from Dublin. You wouldn’t dare go in there unless you were well done up. But in fairness to the quality up at the top here without their generous contributions we would never have our new church. We collected our pennies and the odd six pence to pay for the Baptismal Font over there. Well proud we are of its elegant look. The Bishop and the priests have their own door round the side. There is no shortage of doors, and that’s for sure. The man who made the doors sure wasn’t short of work.
There have been such preparations around here for the last few months. Our altar boys are word perfect with their Latin responses. Great young fellows. Indeed I still remember some of the words from my own days: (Many a tearful hour we spent learning them) : ‘Ad deum qui laetivicat juventutem meam. Quia tu es Deus fortitudo mea quare me repulisti, et quare tristis incedo dum affligit me inimicus’. The Mistress, Miss Archer, up there in the gallery has been working hard with the Choir. Her late brother was our previous parish priest. She’s getting on in years now but she’ll keep going I think till she drops as we say. The hymns, especially the Latin ones, add such an air of solemnity to the place. Talking of music the chanting of the litany of the Saints was great. The priests did this after the Bishop and the procession came into the church.
I must mention a few of our worthy participants in todays ceremony. Just here is our renowned architect Mr J.J. McCarthy He came down down here almost every week to see that things were right. We are told the style is Gothic. On the other side is his lady wife. Here we have the builder Mr Robert Farrell of Lombard Street Dublin. He has done a great job and delivered all he had signed up to. On the other side is his good wife.
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