The ordination was celebrated by Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan on Sunday 23 November 2025, the Feast of Christ the King, at 3.00pm in the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Waterford.
The historic occasion was attended by over 60 priests and more than 500 faithful from across the diocese and beyond, marking a significant moment in the life of the local Church.
Homily delivered by Bishop Cullinan
There is something happening under the surface in Ireland today. I truly believe that. There are people discovering that a purely secular world without God is an illusion, and ultimately does not satisfy the human heart. Only Jesus can satisfy the heart.
So what a wonderful day to be ordained – the last Sunday of the Church’s year, the Feast of Christ the King. This feast was instituted in 1925 by Pope Pius XI, and the Second Vatican Council wisely placed it at the end of the liturgical year.We have reached the pinnacle: Christ, the universal King. And He is here with us now – sharing His priesthood with Stuart and sharing His love with us all.
Today, 23 of November, is also the feast of Saint Columbanus, perhaps the most famous Irish missionary. In the late 6th century, he left Bangor with twelve monks and journeyed across Europe – through France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland – eventually settling in Bobbio, Northern Italy, where he died in 615. His monastery is still there today, over 1,400 years later. There will be great celebrations today for this Irish saint across Europe.
But today is also about this Irish priest, and above all, it is about Jesus Christ, our King. “I rejoiced when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord.”
This is the day the Lord has made – a day of joy for Stuart’s family, his parents, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and also his wider family: the people of this diocese of Waterford and Lismore, whom he will now serve. Stuart is a believer. He trusts God. He is willing to commit his life to Jesus in the priesthood – and that takes courage. In today’s world, many people want to keep their options open, afraid to commit. But Christ calls us each to our particular vocation: marriage, single life, religious life, the diaconate or the priesthood.
And the heart of today is Jesus Himself. He is the eternal High Priest. Saint Paul tells us: “He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son.” The Kingdom of Life. God’s kingdom is not about domination, but about life. One of the great prayers says it simply: “Lord, you are the light.”In Latin: Tu lumen es.
Stuart, my advice for you is this: let Jesus be the light of your soul every day. Turn to Him in honest, fervent prayer. Make Him your King.
In a few weeks’ time, there will be a crib here in this cathedral. People will come to gaze on it, and what they are really seeing is a representation of God made flesh – born like us, fragile like us, yet divine. Just as David was anointed king, so today Stuart is anointed for service. David led his people; Stuart will lead the people of this diocese in his own way, following in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd, who leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one lost sheep. And really, that lost sheep is all of us.
At every age, there have been those who reject Christ. Even on the cross, people shouted at Him: “Come down! Save yourself!” There are always those who believe life is only about power, pleasure, success and wealth. But that world is ultimately empty, going nowhere.
I was recently in Rome, surrounded by the ruins of the once-mighty Roman Empire. Where are the emperors now? Gone. But another institution still stands – not led by an emperor, but by the Servant of the Servants of God, the successor of Peter. The Church remains because it is founded on Jesus Christ.
I remember hearing, years ago, someone confidently claim that the Church in Ireland would be dead by 2025. Here we are. The Church lives, because Christ lives.
Stuart, you will face challenges. You will need courage, the same determination I hear you showed on the rugby field. You will need to rise above difficulties, to look upward, and to hold firm to Christ. Let us not believe the lie that the Church is finished. She is alive. She is young. And today she brings new life through the gift of your priesthood.
What kind of King do we have? A King who reigns from the cross. A King with wounds in His hands and feet. He is not afraid to show His wounds, because they reveal how much He loves us. We all carry wounds. Let us bring them to the wounded Christ, so that we may be healed. Stuart, part of your mission will be to bring people to that healing.
Like the good thief, may we all be able to say one day: “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.”
And may we hear those words: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus, we thank you for the gift of redemption – offered through your Church, through the sacraments, through the Eucharist and through Confession. Even on the cross, you forgave those who crucified you.
Pope Leo XIV once said that as a child he was taught that Jesus is always close, that He is our best friend, and that the Mass is where we meet Him.
Stuart, may you deepen your love for Jesus every day, and help others fall in love with Him too. You will have successes. You will have failures. But the point is perseverance. Love grows through struggle.
You will transmit God’s life through your ministry. You will bring Christ into a fast-moving, changing world. In this synodal Church, your role as a priest will always be essential – because you will stand in the person of Christ, offering the Eucharist and forgiving sins in His name.
Finally, I recall when I was in Bobbio many years ago with students
from the Irish College. We were reflecting on Saint Columbanus, and
what one young priest had wrote: “As I looked back at the statue of the
saint and considered his life, I realised that if one man, built on
Christ, could have such an impact 1,400 years later, then there is great
hope for the Irish Church.”
And that is true – not because of Columbanus himself, but because he built his life on Christ, the light of his soul.
Stuart, may you do the same.