What is the Oratory?

Foundation

The Oratory is a world-wide institute of apostolic life which traces its origins to the life and ministry of Saint Philip Neri in sixteenth-century Rome.

Saint Philip was a man of immensely attractive holiness. He drew to himself especially the young, but his outreach and influence were so great that he is called the Apostle of Rome, a title otherwise given only to Saint Peter himself.

He gathered around him a group of priests and brothers to help him in his work, and so a formal community came into being: the Roman Oratory. Over time similar Oratories sprung up all over Italy, and further afield, so that now there are Oratories in all five continents.

When Saint John Henry Newman converted to Catholicism in the mid nineteenth century he discerned that the Oratorian model of life would be best suited to him and his companions. He received from the Pope the mission of establishing the Oratory in England, and founded the first community in Birmingham, which is still there today. He also had plans to found an Oratory in Dublin, but these came to nothing at the time. It was just a few months after his canonisation in 2019 that the Dublin Oratory in Formation was born, and so we naturally look to him as our heavenly founder, along with Saint Philip, of course.

Oratorian priests and brothers live a common life of prayer, meals, recreation and various other community exercises. In this they are like religious. They do not take vows, however, and in this way are similar to diocesan priests. A distinguishing feature of Oratorian life is that of stability: we enter a particular community to remain there for life, without the option of transferring between houses. An Oratory is based in a parish setting, and the priests and brothers all take part to some extent in the mission of the parish, especially as regards the worthy celebration of the liturgy, preaching, and hearing confessions. Oratorians engage in other pastoral work too, notably hospital, university and prison chaplaincy, in so far as community life allows.

The best way to understand the Oratory is to read the life of Saint Philip. Oratorians basically try to live as he did, both as regards their personal lives and their apostolic activities. An easy and excellent introduction to the spirit of Saint Philip can be found in the Novena of Saint Philip composed by Saint John Henry Newman. For those who wish to have a fuller picture, the Life of Saint Philip Neri by his disciple Antonio Gallonio is particularly recommended.