Can a priest reside outside his parish?

[Wexflyer]

I only know something about one priest:

Rev. Andrew Duggan 1803-1836

Died in Carlow, during a cholera epidemic, after tending the sick.  Thousands went to his funeral, and his grave and family home became a place of pilgrimage.

Interesting. Because the Rev. William Brennan (1790-1846), PP of New Ross, became locally famous for his exertions on behalf of his flock during the cholera epidemics of 1832, 36 and 39. His funeral was also a large affair, with a memorial erected to his memory. In particular, he was known as a healing priest, with people making pilrimages to his grave. That last I can personally attest to, as I have myself seen the many rosary beads and other religious objects left on his table tomb as late as 2000 or so.

[Wexflyer]

I was under the impression that the term 'mensal parish' has a different meaning for Catholics than Church of England.  But, perhaps, it originally meant the same thing?  Or I am wrong about it.

I have no idea what a mensal parish means for the CofE 

[Wexflyer]

May be overthinking all this. Just like anyone else, it could be down to whether the individual priest left instructions as to where he wished to be buried, or not.

[Wexflyer]

By the way, does anyone know if there is any logic to the location of the parish of a vicar?

Do they try to put a vicar in a certain place?  Or is it just a random place in the diocese?  Maybe, where a parish priest received a promotion, to become vicar because he was seen as a suitable candidate.

Vicar is a very non-Catholic term to use for ordinary diocesan clergy. No particular logic as to where assigned. As I mentioned earlier, PPs had tenure, so there had to be a vacancy. Of course, once made a PP, you could be transferred to a better/easier parish, a "promotion" if you will.
Remember also that not all priests became PPs - many remained curates until they died.

[Wexflyer]

Beneath are deposited the mortal remains of the Rev. James Butler, Admr. of Carlow. Died the 13th of April, 1860, aged 37 years. His meekmess, zeal for education, and tender sympathy for the afflicted, were eminent amongst the many virtues which adorned his character. This monument reveals the affectionate remembrance of him in this Parish, where his first years in the holy ministry were zealously spent. A memorial window in the Cathedral of Carlow attests the reverential affection which his flock justly entertained for this beloved Pastor. In a short space he fulfilled a long time. His memory shall be in perennial benediction. May he rest in peace

https://www.balynaparish.ie/our-parish/parish-history/

Notice that he was the Administrator - "Admr" in this case - because that was a mensal parish.

[Ghostwheel]

In particular, he was known as a healing priest, with people making pilrimages to his grave. That last I can personally attest to, as I have myself seen the many rosary beads and other religious objects left on his table tomb as late as 2000 or so.

Fr. Duggan was similar.

I know there was some pilgrimage 100 years after his death.  I believe his vestments are still preserved.  But his hat is missing pieces, as touching a piece of it to the head was supposed to be a cure for headaches.

Notice that he was the Administrator - "Admr" in this case - because that was a mensal parish.

I was able to puzzle that out, but just barely because it isn't one of the terms I've seen.  I've seen 'assistant' and I think possibly 'substitute', but I'm not sure.

Vicar is a very non-Catholic term to use for ordinary diocesan clergy. No particular logic as to where assigned.

'Vicar' was my lazy way of saying 'vicar general.'  I think I've seen a few in the same parish, over the years, so it had me wondering if there was some geographic ideal in the diocese or else some tradition of them being in a certain parish or parishes.

But I don't think what I saw was necessarily strong enough to indicate a pattern.  Maybe, parishioners just like to brag about their vicar generals.

I have no idea what a mensal parish means for the CofE

I had the very vague idea that it was a particular area of land regularly set aside for all successive bishops for financial support and that often they were not resident in it at all.

Whereas with Catholics, I had the idea it was meant to denote that the bishop lived there.  That it was specifically his parish, and not necessarily one set place over time for succesive bishops.  But that a particular bishop living their made it a mensal parish.

But I could be very wrong about all that, though I had heard there was some difference.

It's a bit difficult for me to understand how the financial aspect of it worked.  Weren't there curates there that had to be supported, just like any other parish?  Was it supposed to be a richer parish?  Didn't the church not have any land in Ireland, on which to gather rents?

[Wexflyer]

It's a bit difficult for me to understand how the financial aspect of it worked.  Weren't there curates there that had to be supported, just like any other parish?  Was it supposed to be a richer parish?  Didn't the church not have any land in Ireland, on which to gather rents?

- Yes, the usual quota of curates, and an administrator instead of a parish priest.
- The difference being that some portion of the money goes to the bishop for his support. Basically the administrator does not get all the money that a PP would get.
- So, practically, usually a richer parish.
- No of course they didn't have any land! They were an illegal organization! They had no land, and could not own land in the period of interest to you, or for surprisingly long afterwards.

[Wexflyer]

Whereas with Catholics, I had the idea it was meant to denote that the bishop lived there.  That it was specifically his parish, and not necessarily one set place over time for succesive bishops.  But that a particular bishop living their made it a mensal parish.

No, being a mensal parish does not mean the bishop lives there. He might, but not at all necessarily.
Take the diocese of Ferns, with which I am somewhat familiar. There are at least three, maybe four mensal parishes, viz:
- Enniscorthy
- St. Sennan's
- Wexford
- and maybe ? ? ?
Obviously the bishop can't reside in all three (or four) mensal parishes!
He actually resides in Wexford, though the cathedral is in Enniscorthy, and the See is formally that of Ferns.

A mensal parish is simply a parish with revenues permanently devoted to the financial support of the bishop.

[Ghostwheel]

My model is probably very biased because it is built mostly upon the 1697 return, which is very incomplete.

On it, the Bishop of Kildare appears in a Dublin parish, St. Michan's, where he is said to have an assistant that has an assistant.

Because it's in Dublin, and he is mostly mentioned in connection with St. Michan's (1689 before he was bishop, 1697, 1703) and was at one time vicar capitular of Dublin, before he was bishop of Kildare.  I guess it is easy to imagine as his personal parish. Though perhaps, it might not be.

Of course, on the 1704 return, he is not mentioned in connection with it.  But I think by then, they had to be more circumspect, and also IIRC, a priest was not supposed to leave his county.

BTW, it slipped my mind before, but I think I can now answer my original question, at least as a probability.

I don't believe that the bishop was resident in his own parish in 1704, when he was just noted as a PP.

I thought he was a PP of Balyna, but evidently, he was PP of a parish named Kilraney, which at some later point must have been amalgamated into Balyna.

The townland that he was resident in was Kilmurry, which seems to probably be on the wrong side of Balyna to be contiguous with Kilraney, whether or not it was itself a part of Balyna back then.