The seventh ever abbot of Limerick monastery is in spiritual situ for Christmas
Abbot Columba McCann - the seventh abbot of Glenstal Abbey - was elected by his community of 28 Benedictine monks earlier this year
THE RECENTLY-ELECTED abbot of Glenstal Abbey received his abbatial blessing at a ceremony presided over by Kieran O’Reilly, Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, this month.
Abbot Columba McCann - the seventh abbot of Glenstal Abbey - was elected by his community of 28 Benedictine monks earlier this year.
The monastery in Murroe was founded nearly a century ago and serves as a place of prayer, work, education and hospitality.
Held on the Solemnity of All Saints, the liturgy called for God’s blessing, strength and guidance upon the new abbot as he begins his role as father, teacher, and model for the monastic community.
Speaking as his eight year term of office gets underway, Abbot Columba commented: “The worst days of the pandemic brought home to us just how interconnected we are on our planet, even at a spiritual level.”
The Dublin native said, “Part of our task as monks today is to keep rediscovering what it is we bring to the Church and the world, and what God wishes to bring to others through us.”
The ceremony was attended by a congregation of more than 200 guests, with the Mass concelebrated by Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick, in the presence of ecumenical representatives including the Church of Ireland’s Bishop of Tuam, Limerick and Killaloe Michael Burrows, Dean of Limerick and Ardfert Niall Sloane and the Methodist Church’s Gillian Kingston.
Abbot Columba McCann succeeds Abbot Brendan Coffey.
Educated by the Jesuits at Gonzaga College, Abbot Columba McCann studied music at University College Dublin and trained for the priesthood at Holy Cross College in Clonliffe before he was ordained for the Archdiocese of Dublin in 1988.
Following further studies in Rome, he lectured in liturgy at the Dublin diocesan seminary and a number of third-level institutions in the city whilst serving as master of ceremonies to the Archbishop of Dublin.
Father Columba entered the novitiate at Glenstal Abbey in 2004 and has held a number of roles including organist, novice master and oblate director as well as serving as a chaplain, choir director and religion teacher in the Abbey School.
In addition to composing a number of hymns and musical pieces for the organ, he has published two books with Veritas Publications.