Father Brian D'Arcy C.P. (born 1945) is a Passionist priest based in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. A noted author, newspaper columnist, broadcaster and preacher, he serves as Rector of St. Gabriel's Retreat, the Graan. D'Arcy has authored over ten books including A Little Bit of Religion and A Little Bit of Healing.
Contents |
D'Arcy grew up in the village of Bellanaleck in County Fermanagh.[1] His father Hugh worked at Enniskillen railway station[2] and had been a notable Gaelic Athletic Association footballer in his youth.[3] The young D'Arcy's education began in a local school before he was sent to the Christian Brothers School in Omagh.[4] Having successfully sat the Eleven Plus exam, he entered St. Michael's College, Enniskillen.[5] He later studied scholastic philosophy at UCD.[6]
In September 1962, at the age of 17, D'Arcy became a novice at the Passionist monastery in Enniskillen.[7] A year later he was transferred to Mount Argus in Dublin.[6] He was ordained a priest in December 1969.[8]
In his early years as a priest, D'Arcy became an unofficial chaplain to the showbusiness community in Dublin, visiting dancehalls seven nights a week and hearing confessions from musicians and fans alike.[9] Such was his fame during this period that he reportedly became the inspiration for Dermot Morgan's character, Father Brian Trendy.[10]
Father D'Arcy has publicly opposed the existing displinary norms regarding clerical celibacy and has sought the possibility to ordain married priests.[11][12]
D'Arcy hosts a weekly radio programme on BBC Northern Ireland[13] called Religion and Ethics on the air. Since July 1976 he has written the "Father Brian's Little Bit of Religion" column for the Sunday World.[14]
On Sunday 15 April 2007, D'Arcy replaced Canon Roger Royle on the long standing BBC Radio 2 Show, Sunday Half Hour.[15]
On Wednesday 8 September 2010, Fr D'Arcy appeared on the primetime BBC 1 programme "The One Show" discussing the Pope's upcoming trip to the United Kingdom.
D'Arcy received the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in recognition of his services to the promotion of religious understanding on 30 June 2009 from the University of Ulster.[16]
After the publication of the Murphy Report Fr. D'Arcy accused the Vatican of hiding behind legal procedures in not dealing with allegations of child abuse within the church.[17] Following the report's publication he has called for a radical re-formation of the church's structures and resignations of high-ranking figures within the Irish Catholic Church.[18][19]