Mary Immaculate College may Acquire Franciscan Church

The Limerick Post reports tonight that The Franciscan Church on Lower Henry Street may be handed over to Mary Immaculate College very soon.

The college want to use the protected structure as a study centre and it could happen as early as later this year or early 2007. This week it also inherited the 400 year old library of the Redemptorists

The president of Mary I refused to confirm the deal but did say that “it is his understanding that some part of the Henry Street building would be made available to the college for use as a centre for theological studies”

From Limerick Post

Mr Cremin said that such a development would be hugely positive for the college and for Limerick but stressed that the final decision will have to come from the Provincial of the Franciscan Friary, Fr Caoimhin O Laoide.When contacted on Wednesday, Fr O’Laoide confirmed that the Order "has been in conversation with parties that have strong connections with the Friary”."We are also in conversation with the Mercy Order in Limerick (the Mercy Order established Mary Immaculate College at the invitation of the then Bishop of Limerick) and also with the Bedford Row Family Project and we hope that our connection with the Project will continue,” he said.

The Franciscans announced its closure last year due to the decline of priestly vocations.