On a day of incessant rain President Mary McAleese and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin led a 1,000-strong delegation of Irish pilgrims in Rome yesterday for the canonisation by Pope Benedict XVI of the Passionist priest, Blessed Charles of Mount Argus, a 19th-century prelate and Dutchman who spent 28 years in Dublin.
Born John Andrew Houben, Blessed Charles arrived in Dublin 150 years ago, on July 9th, 1857. His fame as a holy man and healer was such that his funeral was said to have been bigger than that of his contemporary, Charles Stewart Parnell, who died two years earlier in 1891.
In his homily, in St Peter's Square, Pope Benedict made reference to the popular following engendered by Charles, saying: "The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which has been given us."
During his many years of ministry in England and Ireland, people had flocked to him to seek out his wise counsel, his compassionate care and his healing touch.
"In the sick and suffering he recognised the face of the Crucified Christ, to whom he had a lifelong devotion. He drank deeply from the rivers of living water that poured forth from the side of the Pierced One and in the power of the Spirit he bore witness before the world to the Father's love," Pope Benedict said.
At the funeral of this much-loved priest, who was affectionately known as Father Charles of Mount Argus, his superior was moved to observe: "The people have already declared him a saint."
Also canonised yesterday were the Maltese priest Giorgio Preca, who died in 1962; the Polish priest Szymon Y. Lipnicy, who died in 1482; and the French founder of the Religious of the Assumption, Marie Eugenie de Jesus Milleret, who died in 1898.
Acknowledging the different groups of pilgrims at the end of the canonisation ceremony, the Pope issued his traditional multilingual greeting. To the English-speaking pilgrims he said: "I extend cordial greetings on this feast of the Most Holy Trinity, especially to those who have come to Rome in such great numbers from Malta, Ireland and Great Britain to be present at today's canonisation. May these new saints accompany you with their prayers and inspire you by the example of their holy lives."
At the conclusion of the 2¼-hour ceremony the Pope had a brief meeting with all the various delegations in attendance, including the Irish one led by Mrs McAleese.
Speaking to reporters later, the President said: "I said to Pope Benedict: 'You have given us today another immigrant saint, along with St Patrick', and he said: 'Exactly, another immigrant saint for Ireland'."
The President also underlined the importance and relevance of the canonisation of Blessed Charles for modern Ireland: "The fact that his story remains alive and did not die along the way is proof that, even in this time, this very prosperous time for Ireland, his story is still important and meaningful."
Making reference to St Charles's well-documented shortcomings as a preacher because of his failure to master the English language, Mrs McAleese suggested that he might represent a role model for the many immigrants in modern Ireland who, likewise, have problems with English, but who nonetheless have much to give to Irish society.
Also attending yesterday's ceremony from Ireland were Archbishop Seán Brady of Armagh; Minister for Education Mary Hanafin; Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy; Garda chaplain Father Joe Kennedy; Ireland's ambassador to the Holy See, Philip McDonagh, and Ireland's ambassador to Italy, Seán Ó hUiginn.
Among the many other dignitaries were Maltese president Edward Fenech Adami; Polish president Lech Kaczynski; Margarita Zavala, wife of the Mexican president; and Britain's ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Campbell.