Former Norwich City midfield player Philip Mulyrne was ordained as a priest in the Dominican Order (Order of Preachers) in Dublin on Saturday (July 8) swapping his football shirt for priestly robes.
Rev Brother Philip Mulryne OP was ordained by His Grace Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia OP during the 11am celebration of Mass in St Saviour’s Church, Dublin.
Archbishop Augustine is Assistant Secretary at the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith and he travelled from Rome for the special ceremony.
Philip was born in Belfast and whilst playing for his parish soccer team: St Oliver Plunkett, he was spotted by a scout for Manchester United and invited as a 14-year-old to go for a trial. He impressed and signed a schoolboy contract for two years.
In 1994, Philip finished secondary school and went to Manchester United full time as a professional on a four-year contract. Making his debut in 1997 against Ipswich Town, Philip played five times for the first team before being transferred to Norwich City in 1999, playing 135 times for the Canaries during a period of six years, scoring 18 goals.
Philip made his debut for Northern Ireland in 1997 against Belgium and went on to play 27 times for his country, scoring three goals.
After short spells at Cardiff City and Leyton Orient, Philip retired officially from football in 2009 and entered the Diocesan Seminary of Saint Malachy’s Belfast, spending two years studying philosophy at Queens University Belfast and at the Maryvale Institute.
Philip completed his studies in philosophy and went to the Pontifical Irish College, Rome, to study theology for one year at the Gregorian University before discerning a call to religious life. Philip entered the Dominican Novitiate House in Cork in 2012.
A spokesman for the Dominican Order said: “We rejoice with Fr Philip and his family on this beautiful day. Please keep him in your prayers as he starts the next step of his life as a Dominican in his priestly vocation.
Read our previous story on this topic
Listen to a Radio Norfolk interview with Fr Philip Mulryne. Start listening at 1 hr 10 mins.
Pictured above is Fr Philip Mulryne durind his prdination and with Archbishop Augustine, courtesy of www.dominicans.ie
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