“The Priests”: peace notes

Over three and a half million albums sold, international success, the limelight on stages worldwide: it’s the musical group “The Priests”, featuring three Catholic priests from Northern Ireland. The trio, Father Eugene O’Hagan, his brother Fr Martin and Fr David Delargy have been singing together since the 1970s, when they were still students at St MacNissi’s College. Their exceptional record of achievements includes performances before the British Royal family, and the president of Ireland. “The Priests” performed also to the presence of Benedict XVI and in front of 80 thousand people gathered at Hyde Park, London. Last year they sang at the Vatican before Pope Francis and an audience of some 6 thousand seminarians. We spoke about how music is experienced in the life of a consecrated person with Eugene O’Hagan, administrator of the parish of Ballyclare and Ballygowan with two churches: the church of the Sacred of Jesus and the church of the Holy Family in the diocese of Down and Connor. Is it a vocation lived under the banner of music? “Music has always played an important part in my family life and in growing up. With a wonderfully talented mother who played the piano and sang my brothers and sisters and I grew up thinking that making music and singing in the family home, for special occasions and even when friends and neighbours visited our home, was completely normal”. It could be said that music also contributed to engender vocation… “Also in parish life from a very early age and music played a very important part in growing in faith. Music was an important bridge along the road to a vocation to the priesthood. For that, I am eternally thankful”. Could music serve as means of “reconciliation” with non-Catholic Christians, for example with the Protestants? “Absolutely, yes. In our troubled past in Northern Ireland, particularly during my early years of study for the priesthood music played a really important part in bringing people from Catholic and Protestant communities together. Music provided a means by which we could share experiences and different cultural backgrounds in a “neutral” environment. Many of my long lasting friends were forged at such happy events and occasions. Music provided, and still provides a place where people from different religious and cultural backgrounds feel comfortable and can be themselves”. Religious life, spirituality, and the parish: how do you manage to reconcile everything? “It’s not easy to reconcile everything but it’s amazing what can be achieved with careful preparation. Parishioners, colleague priests and the bishop are very supportive. We get on with the daily challenges and opportunities as in every parish across the world and we factor into the equation those occasions when we, as ‘The Priests’, sing in concert both at home and, from time to time, abroad”. Singing across the world requires energy and time… “We try our best to ensure that any time we spend away from home is limited to the shortest time possible. This allows us to ensure that change to the routine of parish life is restricted to minimal variation or disruption. Yes, it is a challenge but our parishioners in particular feel part of the experience and the journey. We are blessed to have them with us”. What are your programs for the near future? “We have just completed a 4 week tour of USA and Canada in November 2013. That was made possible after long term plans over several months. It was a wonderful experience. New ventures in 2014 and the future include some live concerts at home with the possibility of some live concerts in the UK and, hopefully, in the USA”. Through music you also promote charity initiatives… “Many of our concerts involve fundraising opportunities for the people and church communities organising the concerts. It’s a wonderful way of combining music and charity outreach which is a central plank of what we do through music”.