Dear Bishop Deenihan,
In light of my blogging about Silverstream Priory, I have been contacted by priests incardinated within the Diocese of Meath with new (and in my opinion) legitimate concerns. These priests have asked me to bring these concerns to your personal attention. It is, of course, sad that these priests due to the toxic nature of Silverstream feel unable to approach you directly. Instead, they have asked me to act as their interlocutor. Some of these individuals would not be naturally sympathetic to the Bishop of Larne.
Bishop Deenihan, you are not known as a bishop who is zealous in promoting the Traditional Latin Mass; so, it might be helpful for you to have some background information about the never-ending psychodrama that is unique to the majority lace-obsessed nasty and bitchy “queens” who celebrate the TLM.
Within the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon in the south-east of France, the Ordinary of that diocese, Bishop Dominique Rey gave permission to the Australian-born monk, Dom Alcuin Reid, OSB to establish a monastic community. Canonically, it existed as a Public Association of the Faithful.
As a legitimate scholar, Dom Reid is well-known for his pronouncements on liturgical matters. He is also known to be deeply associated with celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Liturgy. He, too, has a colourful past. I am told that he had an illicit sexual relationship with a man and that was why he was never ordained a priest.
Recently, Dom Alcuin Reid, OSB, announced that he had been illicitly ordained a priest and another member of the monastic community he founded ordained a deacon without the Ordinary (Bishop Ray) issuing the appropriate dimissorial letters. What is common to Kirby and Reid is a colourful sex life before they both founded monasteries.
The illicit ordinations were publicly revealed by Dom Reid, which led in turn to their immediate suspension by Bishop Ray. It has been reported that Dom Reid and the deacon continued their “obstinacy in disobedience”. Seemingly, this disobedience was manifested by their contumacious refusal to reveal the identity of the ordaining bishop. I have it on good authority that the ordaining prelate was Archbishop Viganò, the previous Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America. And as a consequence of that ongoing disobedience Bishop Ray, quite rightly in my judgement, dissolved by Decree, the canonical structure that gave legitimacy to Dom Alcuin’s pet project. Stupidity and disobedience must have consequences.
You were consecrated the Bishop of Meath on September 2, 2018, so you have been the Ordinary of the Diocese of Meath for a period of nearly four years. Due to the decline in vocations to the priesthood, it is now increasingly rare for a bishop to ordain a man to the priesthood. It is, however, notable that you have not ordained any individual from Silverstream Priory either as a deacon or as a priest. But, I am aware that you have ordained other men since your own episcopal consecration.
In the Summer 2017 newsletter produced by Silverstream Priory, I noted a reference to the presence of Monsignor Karel Kasteel. He is referred to as “a veteran in the diplomatic service of the Holy See and a dear friend of Silverstream”. I am told that Monsignor Karel Kasteel is the “senior Dutch cleric” who was arrested for a nefarious act in a park close to the Coliseum, outside the territory of the Vatican. This is detailed in the book, In the Closet of the Vatican: Power, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy, by Frédéric Martel. Before his act of wanton stupidity in the Rome Park, he was tipped to be elevated to the episcopate and was going to be appointed an Apostolic Nuncio, following the footsteps of his father who was an ambassador.
In the February 2020 newsletter produced by Silverstream Priory reference is made to the conferral of the Minor Orders of Porter, Lecter, Exorcist and Acolyte on Dom Elijah Carroll and Dom Cassian Aylward. While the newsletter does not explicitly state who conferred the minor orders I have independently confirmed that they were in fact conferred by Monsignor Kasteel. Do you as the Ordinary of the diocese deny this reality?
Because Monsignor Kasteel is a Protonotory Apostolic, he was entitled to “confer” the minor orders. However, the priests of your diocese are curious to know who issued the dimissorial letters permitting the conferral of the minor orders? Because the conferral of these orders took place on your watch: did you, Bishop Deenihan, issue the appropriate letters? Were you content to let him confer the Minor Orders because your knowledge of Latin and the Extraordinary Form is non-existent? Alternatively, because I am told Dom Mark Kirby told everybody that canonically he was a major superior, did he, Kirby issue the requisite letters?
Notwithstanding, Dom Elijah’s addiction to gay porn, do you intend to advance him to the clerical state? It is a legitimate question that some of your priests want answered. If you do ordain Dom Elijah, he will become a cleric of the Diocese of Meath, and that is a development that will not be welcomed or wanted among your priests.
It is noteworthy that none of the current priests of Silverstream Priory are listed in the diocesan directory as being clerics of the Diocese of Meath. I am told that by virtue of Canon Law, an Institute of Diocesan Right is incapable of incardinating in its own clerics. I also have it on good authority that your predecessor, Bishop Michael Smith incardinated by Decree, Dom Kirby into the Diocese of Meath.
And if the currently missing-in-action Mark Kirby misbehaves while outside Silverstream Priory whether you like it are not if there are legal proceedings it will be the Diocese of Meath that will be sued for his misbehaviour and not Silverstream Priory, which is going to create a fresh headache for you and your chancery.
What will be your response, if Dom Elijah Carroll, seeks out somebody like Archbishop Viganò and tells him he is being persecuted for upholding the “tradition” of the Church? If it is the case that Archbishop Viganò ordained Dom Alcuin Reid, OSB, with his nefarious past, clearly, he, Archbishop Viganò will have no problem ordaining Dom Elijah, because they Reid/Carroll are both birds of a feather! Do you agree with that analysis?
What would be your response if the conventual chapter at Silverstream Priory voted to join the SSPX? Would this be a development that you would welcome? Would you take steps to evict the community from the Priory? Again, these are questions that are animating some of your priests. And, in light of the unjustified actions of Dom Alcuin Reid you can now better understand why these questions are legitimately of concern to some of your priests. It is also the case that it is no longer something speculative that the community at Silverstream Priory could act unilaterally in seeking to have some of its members in solemn vows ordained to the priesthood; this is an act that could become an ecclesiastical reality in your own diocese.
Moreover, the concerns of some of your priests about the ordination of Dom Elijah Carroll are actually well-founded. It was pointed out to me that Dom Benedict Andersen, self-acknowledged that he was never formally a Catholic seminarian and was not solemnly professed when he was ordained a priest by your predecessor, Bishop Michael Smith.
Every time I blog about Silverstream Priory, my readership numbers go through the roof. Everybody knows about the problems at the Priory. And people are now legitimately wondering: why do you continue to allow this problem to fester?
Because I believe transparency is good for the Church this correspondence will appear on my blog. Of course, I know you will not reply, but at least you will be aware of the legitimate concerns of some of your priests. And the reality that Dom Elijah Carroll being ordained illicitly is not as far-fetched as you may consider. The trads have gone crazy as a result of the legitimate and overdue reforms to the liturgy introduced by Pope Francis.
8Your brother bishop,
+Pat Buckley
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 