Young Priests' patroness came from Ballyglunin
Tuam Herald, Saturday, 26th June, 1982.
By Olivia Mary Taaffe (nee Blake).
Olivia Mary Taaffe (nee Blake)
On June 24th, 1832, at Annagh, Ballyglunin, the wife of John Blake, formerly one of the Bodkins, gave birth to a daughter.Olivia Mary, who didn't exactly follow up her landlord and aristocratic background. Rather she was noted for her religious endeavour, and particularly her success in providing money for the education of prospective priests who otherwise would not be able to afford it.
After the death of her mother, when Olivia was still young, she was reared by her aunts and grandparents who brought her up in a strict, puritan manner with religion the dominant theme. When she was 35 she married a John Taffe from Louth on the understanding that if a son was born to them he would be consecrated a Jesuit.
They did have one son but he was not healthy and died at an early age. When her husband died in 1893 she was not alone child-less and widowed but also in financial difficulty, and family jewellery and other articles had to be sold off.
Now for the French connection. Years earlier she had visited Maranville, a small town about 140 miles to the south-east of Paris where boys assisted at a shrine there and in return got preparatory training for the priesthood. Some of the boys were sponsored by generous benefactors. She sponsored one French boy so then she turned her attention to the Irish scene.
The devotion in that French town was to St. Joseph, Protector to the Souls in Purgatory, and with the permission of Archbishop MacEvilly of Tuam she started a similar devotion in Ireland. She started off by sponsoring a young Dun Laoghaire altar boy for the priesthood with the help of subscriptions from readers of St. Joseph's Sheaf, a religious publication which she established. Gradually the St. Joseph's Young Priests Society blossomed, sending priests to all parts of the world, including China.
To date the society has helped 3,000 priests and membership is open to anyone interested who pays 25p per month and who prays for more priests. On Saturday next, June 26th, a special pilgrimage of the St. Joseph's Young Priests Society to Knock Shrine will take place to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Olivia Mary Taafe. Further information about the pilgrimage or about the Society in general can be had from the secretary, 23 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. (Phone 01-762593).