Felix Randal

Y2K Clonmacnois

2008-08-13T09:48:00.010Z

'He has done great things for me' (Lk1:49).

This weekend (Thurs - Sun) sees an event that has become one of the highlights of the Catholic year in Ireland: the Youth 2000 summer youth festival. It takes place in Clonmacnois this year (in previous years it was in Knock), so it will be more exciting than ever! The early Christian monastic setting is really appropriate though, as the young people of Ireland gather to sing the praises of God, 'ever ancient, ever new'.

Like any other gathering of young people in the country, the atmosphere is lively: there's plenty of craic and some very good live music (provided by Elation Ministries). What makes it different though, is the time for silence and prayer, and the fact that the centre of the whole event is Jesus in the Eucharist.

If you're doing nothing this weekend, why not come along - there're free buses on Thursday from Galway, Letterkenny, Derry, Belfast, Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Killarney, Limerick... so there's no excuse. And if you're busy and can't make it... reschedule! It's not to be missed.

All details are on youth2000.ie, and your place at the festival can be booked via that site.

Here's a pictorial flavour of the festival:

2008-07-27T20:31:00.002Z

From BreakingNews.ie:

Up to 25,000 pilgrims today made the annual trek to the summit of Croagh Patrick. Led by Archbishop of Tuam Michael Neary, the ascent up the 2,510ft mountain began in the village of Murrisk in Co Mayo at 7am.Mayo Mountain Rescue said weather conditions were good for the climb, with only a small number of minor injuries reported. In a Mass at the summit, the Archbishop told pilgrims that despite wealth and prosperity, people have not found inner joy. “Today consumer values are often not creatively interpreted,” he said in the first services to be televised from the top of the mountain. “True, they can seduce and reduce everything to wealth and security. The truly reflective person learns from this and probes deeper. In the midst of our recent wealth and prosperity we failed to find the inner joy, peace and faith that we might have expected. “Faith enables and encourages us to search for meaning in the particular call we have received from God.”

The pilgrimage – which has been carried out uninterrupted for more than 1,500 years – is traditionally held on the last Sunday in July. Some 100,000 people now climb Croagh Patrick throughout each year. Hundreds of first aid, civil defence and mountain rescue personnel were on duty during the day to assist the pilgrims, many who have climbed barefoot up the Reek, as it is known locally. The mountain has been traditionally associated with St Patrick who, in 441, is said to have spent 40 days and nights fasting on the summit.

As the Catholic Church strives to attract more young men to the priesthood, the theme of this year’s climb was vocation. The Archbishop said vocation is a call to witness, service and love and urged people to ask themselves if God could be calling them to life as a priest or as a religious sister or brother. “It is not so much about what we do but about who we are and how we live our lives,” he continued. “In years gone by this would have focused solely on the call to religious life or priesthood but now we realise that through our baptism, we are all called to live out our lives in whatever vocation or ministry we find ourselves. Today the priest is expected to be a man of courage, energy and compassion who wades into the impossible and makes things new. His ministry is a life-long struggle to open up the world to God’s power and thereby transform human relationships. His pastoral task is one of empowering others as he stands free and hope-filled in a world that is fearful. A new generation of priests will spring up when they see the full living of the Christian life in their homes, their schools, in their work places and parish communities. Only then will they be prompted to give themselves to radical service of Christian people.”

Cuddly Pope

2008-07-23T10:42:00.001Z

Comment on WYD

2008-07-19T17:17:00.002Z

It may not be over, but there's already a lot of interesting observations in the press about WYD. This report gets it right, and it makes a welcome change from the negative reporting that characterised coverage prior to the event:

'GOD moves in mysterious ways. And He seems to be fond of irony.At the recent launch of his book, former priest turned historian Paul Collins claimed the Catholic Church was out of step with young Australians. A week later, an international survey concluded Australia was one of the least religious nations on the planet. Our youth were largely indifferent to religion, the survey found. Days later, a far different reality emerged: at the six-day event dubbed “Catholic Woodstock”, a powerful religious spirit was in evidence, inspired by hundreds of thousands of young, over-the-moon, wide-eyed Christians who flocked to Australia’s Sin City. They came for the biggest youth event on Earth – World Youth Day. They transformed themselves and, in turn, they transformed us all with their unrehearsed, infectious happiness.

You did not have to be Catholic to sense the magic. But there was something other-worldly about it all. Raging hormones and teenage rebellion seemingly under control, the youngsters listened intently as their leader – an old-fashioned 81-year-old man – articulated the Catholic view on premarital chastity, violence on TV, sexual ethics, abortion and euthanasia. Many of those raised on hi-tech gadgetry reverently participated in traditional rituals of the Catholic Church – practices the young are not supposed to appreciate. And oceans of Gen-Y youngsters – the so-called tough pragmatists of the world – regularly shed tears. Every time the Pope appeared in public, there was a rapturous ovation from young pilgrims. Thousands subscribed to daily papal SMS messages, in which he referred to himself as “BXVI”. By the end of the week, police were describing the no-drugs and no-booze pilgrims as the best-behaved group of youngsters they had encountered.

“The surveys say this country is one of world’s least godly, but you can sense something amazing happening with this bunch of young people,” a senior Catholic Church source said. “It’s as if the young are spontaneously and joyfully showing a desire to return to traditional values. It’s not something we expected and I don’t think it’s a flash in the pan. “One young woman told me, ‘Our parents’ generation comes across as selfish. We want more. We want to be committed to something real’.” '

Fr Ragheed

2008-07-16T11:16:00.002Z

I've just come across this reflection at Rationabile Obsequium, a blog written by a priest who studied recently at the Irish College, and was contemporary with Fr Ragheed Ganni, an Iraqi priest who was killed slightly over a year ago. Well worth the read...

What's WYD about?

2008-07-15T20:27:00.002Z

I was so impressed by this video recorded by the Daily Telegraph (an Australian newspaper). The responses of the young people to the question 'What's WYD about?' are spontaneous, but clearly heartfelt. More power to them!

Du bist Deutschland

2008-07-14T12:39:00.001Z

This video, which I found on Carole Brown's blog (A Light to the Nation) really moved me. When I was talking to my students about sex and relationships, I was surprised to hear that they hardly ever thought about the fact that they would one day have children. They seemed to have a crisis of imagination in this regard.

I think this is a serious blind spot with obvious causes: the procreative aspect of sex is now seen by the majority to be insignicant and optional. Also, an upbringing in a self-indulgent society will hardly provides our young people with the imaginative framework for a dream which involves self-sacrifice.

Clearly, we need to inspire our young people with family ideals: this video is a step in the right direction. It acknowledges the trials of having children, but praises it, warts and all: 'You make us crazy... with happiness'.

Magnificat

2008-07-14T12:09:00.002Z

I got a free copy of Magnificat recently, and have been trying to use it daily. It calls itself a 'worship aid': it contains morning and evening prayer (similar in structure to the Divine Office and the Mass readings for a month. There's also little meditations and stories from saints' lives. Because it's updated every month, you feel very 'plugged in' to what's going on in the life of the Church - there's a lot about St Paul, for example, with the year that's in it.

It costs a bit (about E4 a month), but it's well worth it given how full and rich it is. It's ideal for someone who's looking for spiritual nourishment, but mightn't have time for the whole Divine Office. If you want to try it out, they'll send you a free copy before you decide whether to subscribe. Check it out!

Special Needs

2008-07-14T11:53:00.003Z

Towards the end of term, some of the Year 12 (aged 17/18) hosted students from the Shepherd School in Nottingham. These students had mild to severe intellectual and/or behavioural difficulties. The camp lasted a week and was full of activities - swimming, football, and trips to themeparks (ever been to Diggerland?). Although the holiday was organised mainly for the benefit of the Shepherd School students and their families, it was clear that our students benefitted even more, and were transformed by the experience. It made me proud to see them going out of themselves and caring for those who need it: whether it was wiping up a stray dribble, singing karaoke for hours, or comforting the homesick...

The Sunday before last, the sermon was talking about how authentic love makes us forget our dignity, our position, our ego - the model of such love is Christ, who although divine, 'made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant' (Phil 2:7). This is exactly what I saw during the holiday camp: our students were initially cagy, and conscious of their friends, but, out of love, they left that behind and forgot their dignity and position, forgot about their social standing, and became as servants.

Teaching Vocation with Videos

2008-06-09T10:24:00.009Z

I've been teaching quite a bit about religious life and the notion of 'vocation' recently. It's a fascinating topic to teach - the kids love the richness of the various traditions of religious life. Religious art is a big help in getting the kids' imaginations in gear:

the Carmelite crest with Mount Carmel representing the ascent to contemplation, for example

or el Greco's illustration of the Franciscan devotion to the Passion:

Of course, when looking at the topic of vocation, we didn't just consider religious life. I tried to get the kids round to the idea that marriage or the single life can also be considered 'callings' from God. They really liked Cardinal Newman's passage about each of us having a unique vocation.

As well as using 'static art', I also had a whole lesson based on online videos to do with vocation. Fishers of Men really bowled them over (people this side of the water often criticise it because it's "too Hollywood", but sometimes we forget that the average teen's aesthetic sense is largely formed by Hollywood!), and VocationStation proved to be a powerful resource. They also liked the Nashville Dominican sisters, a fact which doesn't surprise me at all! All of these videos formed the basis of lively discussions, and the students still remember some of the quotations mentioned in them.

So the new media really proved their pedagogical (and catechetical) worth... There's a wealth of good resources available online if you're not afraid to go fishing! If you know of any other good sites for teaching resources, please place the links in the comment box.

Pope Commemorates Flight of the Earls

2008-05-21T22:20:00.002Z

In 1608, Hugh O'Neill, a leading Gaelic noble, arrived in Rome, having fled Ireland with other nobles in what became known as the Flight of the Earls. According to the Catholic Communications Office:

'The party was received with full honours by Pope Paul V and was given prominence at civil and religious events in the city. O’Neill, together with his son-in-law and six other nobles of his party, were given the particular honour of carrying the canopy in the Corpus Christi procession on 5 June 1608. Tadhg Ó Cianáin’s contemporary diary of the event records that: “The Italians were greatly surprised that they should be shown such deference and respect, for some of them said that seldom before was any one nation in the world appointed to carry the canopy. With the ambassadors of all the Catholic kings and princes of Christendom who happened to be in the city at that time it was an established custom that they, in succession, every year got their opportunity to carry the canopy. They were jealous, envious, and surprised that they were not allowed to carry it on that particular day.”'

Tomorrow, by way of celebrating the 400th anniversary of the event, the Irish are to be given the same honour! Eight seminarians from the Irish College (including one from Galway!) will accompany Pope Benedict on the Corpus Christi procession from the Basilica of St John Lateran to that of St Mary Major.

The tomb (pictured) of Hugh O'Neill himself is in the Roman Church of San Pietro de Montorio. Well worth a look!

2008-05-13T21:16:00.001Z

Check out this excellent video about the Cistercian nuns at Glencairn Abbey in Co. Waterford: it captures a lot of the warmth and devotion of the community. Keep it up, sisters!

Pentecost Thought

2008-05-13T20:52:00.000Z

‘And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit… Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them. “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words…”’

- Acts 2:4,14 ‘Listen to him preach and argue so boldly, who shortly before had trembled at the word of a servant girl! This boldness is a significant proof of the resurrection of his Master: Peter preaches to men who mock and laugh at his enthusiasm. […] Abuse does not deter the apostles; sarcasm does not undermine their courage, for the coming of the Holy Spirit has made new men of them, men who can put up with every kind of human test’

- St John Chrysostom

Catholics Come Home

2008-04-30T16:51:00.001Z

Check out this excellent video - the first time I watched it, I wondered if it was a bit triumphalist, and then I checked that reaction: we should rejoice in and give thanks for the greatness of the Catholic Church. Watching this video made me realise that my generation of Catholics is so used to apologising for our faith that we sometimes neglect to be grateful for it...

Simplistic Secularism

2008-04-26T11:07:00.002Z

I'm reading a collection of articles from the Irish Times gathered in a collection called Christianity. Some of the articles seem quite interesting, but they largely involve looking 'from without' upon Christianity as a religious phenomenon, rather than engaging in theology 'from within'. One article really struck me though - it's by David Kelso, a Scottish secular humanist. He's clearly a very intelligent and cultured man, and writes in a compelling style. When he gets onto the topic of religion however, he abandons all nuance and subtlety and adopts a simplistic and (apparently) uninformed approach:

'Humanism is in many ways a natural alternative for those disillusioned with Catholicism. Revelation is replaced by reason; absolute authority by pluralism and tolerance; superstitious tradition by progressive scepticism; and divine grace by human rights'.

Both humanism and Catholicism are caricatured here - I know many intolerant atheists, and many Catholics who are passionate about human rights.

Why is it that intelligent humanists lose their critical faculties and produce crude and clumsy arguments when it comes to religion?

Religion in School

2008-04-25T11:01:00.001Z

Have a look at this very interesting debate about the place of faith schools in Britain. Part I gives each of the main contributors (including Richard Dawkins and Oona Stannard of the Catholic Education Service) a chance to have their say. I was particularly shocked by what Barry Sheerman MP had to say (about 6 min in).

Pope Meets Abuse Victims

2008-04-19T21:49:00.001Z

This video reveals a lot about the priorities of Pope Benedict...

Vocations Sunday

2008-04-12T21:43:00.002Z

Tomorrow's the 45th World Day of Prayer for Vocations. To mark it, why not pray the following prayer, composed by JPII (whose own vocation story can be found here):

Lord Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd of our souls, you who know your sheep and know how to reach our hearts, open the minds and hearts of those young people who search for and await a word of truth for their lives; let them understand that only in the mystery of your incarnation do they find full light; arouse the courage of those who know where to seek the truth, but fear that what you ask will be too demanding.

Stir in the hearts of those young people who would follow you, but who cannot overcome doubts and fears, and who in the end follow other voices and other paths which lead nowhere.

You who are the Word of the Father, the Word which creates and saves, the Word which enlightens and sustains hearts, conquer with your Spirit the resistance and delays of indecisive hearts; arouse in those whom you call the courage of love's answer: "Here I am, send me!"

Amen.

Coolest. Tomb. Ever.

2008-04-05T15:30:00.000Z

Irish Times Letter

2008-04-04T19:33:00.003Z

I just wrote this letter to the Irish Times in response to three letters on 'Faith teaching in our schools' in their edition of today (Friday, 3rd April):

Madam,

The three letters published on 'Faith teaching in our schools' (Letters, April 3rd) each amply demonstrates the blinkered view of the secularist. None of the letter-writers seems capable of conceiving any positive role for the Church in modern Irish society - it is from this wholly negative stance in relation to the Church that their opposition to faith schools springs.

In fact, according to them, faith should be an entirely private affair. Owen Corrigan looks forward to the day when church influence will be 'removed' from Irish civic life, while, for Séamus McKenna the 'proper place' of religious instruction is 'in the home' (echoes of misogyny are surely unintended!). But if faith is the sort of thing Christians claim it to be - an integral attitude of the whole person, and not merely a set of beliefs - then this privatisation is neither possible nor desirable (and yes, implementing such a privatisation does amount to totalitarianism).

On the more specific point of education, the letter-writers' position is misconceived: the fact that the Catholic Church has historically been quite good at setting up schools in no way interferes with our human rights, nor is it 'irrational and grossly-unfair' (David O'Callaghan). Neither does the fact that the State supports these schools, since the vast majority of (tax-paying) parents are quite content, and even keen, for their children to receive a Catholic education (which, incidentally, involves a lot more than simply religious instruction).

As a teacher at a Catholic school, I see the benefits of such an education - our secularist friends would too, if only they could see through the red mist that clouds their vision.

Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.

2008-03-29T21:26:00.001Z

I'm loving this song (and video) at the moment (I discovered it playing Singstar - don't ask!). I'm probably totally over-interpreting it, but it seems to me to be an attempt to contrast between the joylessness of hedonism and materialism ("You've got a new horizon, it's ephemeral style,/A melancholy town where we never smile") and a more wholesome and balanced way of life, represented by the eirenic windmill scene (doesn't the contrast remind you of the contrast between Mordor and the Shire in the Lord of the Rings?).

I'm almost definitely over-interpreting now, but it also reminds me of the theological notion of real and apparent goods - when we sin, we mistakenly love (or love in a mistaken way) that which is not worthy of our love. We set our hearts on 'ephemeral style' rather than lasting goods, like community, family, music, or worship. The miserable refrain of the song - 'Feel good' - sums up the sad condition of the hedonist.

Lo, you were within,
but I outside, seeking there for you,
and upon the shapely things you have made
I rushed headlong – I, misshapen.

You were with me, but I was not with you.
They held me back far from you,
those things which would have no being,
were they not in you.
- St Augustine

Croagh Patrick

2008-03-29T20:50:00.009Z

Part of the reason for my newfound enthusiasm for pilgrimage is a trip last week to climb Croagh Patrick with some friends from home. It wasn't a very prayerful pilgrimage, but it provided a great chance to have some 'quality time' with friends - facing a challenge together (even if it's just climbing a mountain!) can be great for bonding a group, I think.

Anyway, here's some of the pics:

The mountain seen from the road from Westport

About to embark - the smiles didn't last long!
The views over Clew Bay are unreal...
It gets tough towards the top... comparisons with Calvary weren't far wrong!
On the top - in a cloud...

Pilgrimage

2008-03-29T19:56:00.003Z

When faced with the challenge of youth ministry, people sometimes throw their hands in desperation: 'What can we do with them?' Here's an idea: pilgrimages. Young people, especially teenage boys, will rise to the challenge of a reasonably tough pilgrimage, and many young people are so sedentary and urban that the experience of natural beauty will be exhilerating. Prayer fits easily into a pilgrimage: prayer before setting out, rosary on the way, prayer/Mass on arrival at the shrine/holy place. As well as that, a walking pilgrimage provides an opportunity for silence - and a natural, unforced silence, as opposed to the often giggly meditative silent times on school retreats. As well as that, there's plenty of craic to be had on a road trip, which is no bad thing!

Ireland is blessed with many sites of pilgrimage. Some of them are Marian sites (Knock, Our Lady's Island), others associated with saints (Patrick - Croagh Patrick, Lough Derg; Colmcille - Glencolmcille; Enda - Aran Islands), others still are monastic sites (Glendalough, Clonmacnoise) and there are few regions that lack a Mass rock from penal times, or a Holy Well. Many of these places have been sites of pilgrimage for as long as fifteen centuries, and to visit them is to experience our rich Christian heritage, and our young people deserve nothing less!

If you're looking for somewhere to visit, DoChara.com, MonasticIreland, and Heritage Ireland are useful resources...

Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you;

your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

Isaiah 26:8

Traditional Vocations

2008-03-28T18:26:00.002Z

I was asked to advertise blog about Traditional Vocations and I'm more than happy to do so, especially in the run up to the Year of Vocation!

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

2008-03-22T23:14:00.001Z

Holy Saturday

2008-03-22T15:01:00.002Z

Holy Saturday has always felt like a very empty day for me, especially after all the emotion of Good Friday. For Hans Urs von Balthasar, a twentieth-century theologian, Holy Saturday, and the descent to the dead that he associated with it, formed the centre of his theology. For him, after all the teaching and activity of Jesus ministry and passion, Holy Saturday is an 'empty, wordless pause'.

Entering into the spirit of Good Friday is comparatively easy: we have devotional manuals, engaging images, dramatisations etc. to help us feel the horror of the death of our Saviour. We have fewer imaginative crutches to help us on Holy Saturday. All we can do is face the emptiness, and wait for the striking of the match...

St Patrick's Day Resources

2008-03-13T15:44:00.003Z

CatholicIreland has provided another great service by preparing a collection of spiritual and historical pieces on St Patrick and various other Irish saints. It includes the Irish text of the Mass for St Patrick's Day, excerpts from his Confession, and humorous stories about various native naoimh.

Dóchas linn Naomh Pádraig, Aspal mór na hÉireann,

Ainm oirearc gléigeal, solas mór an tsaoil é.

D'fhill le soiscéal grá dúinn d'ainneoin blianta i ngéibheann.

Grá mar Mhac na páirte, d'fhuascail cách an daorbhruid.

Sléibhte, gleannta máighe, 's bailte móra na hÉireann,

Ghlan se iad go deo dúinn, míle glóir dár naomh dhil.

Iarrmaid ort, a Phádraig, guí orainne Gaela,

Dia linn ló 'gus oíche 's Pádraig Aspal Éireann.

Music at the Crossroads

2008-03-12T22:54:00.001Z

These lads are brilliant! I've seen them a few times in Galway and they're breaking the American market at the mo... They're a really talented group of young traditional musicians (mostly) from the West of Ireland. Check out their website: www.music-crossroads.com.

Knights of Malta

2008-03-11T23:09:00.003Z

I've just found out that Matthew Festing has been elected Grand Master of the Order of Malta. He's the second consecutive Englishman (and the second consecutive old boy of a certain North Yorkshire school!) to occupy the post. I've also just been told that the same Order donated £500 million to charity last year. If they're willing to donate that much to good causes for the sake of wearing funny robes, more power to them!

Theology Reading Group

2008-03-10T21:53:00.002Z

I haven't posted about teaching for a good while, but I have to say I'm absolutely loving it. It's such a privilege to teach theology at a school where it's a well-respected subject, and where faith is central to the life of the school.

I've been lucky enough to have been given the project of running a Theology and Philosophy Reading Group for students in their penultimate year at the school. Most of the students who take part intend to study theology or philosophy at university and it's inspiring to think of yourself as taking part in the fulfilment of Newman's dream: the formation of a theologically educated laity (he wanted to 'enlarge their knowledge, to cultivate their reason').

So far we've read an excerpt from Alister McGrath's book on Dawkins, a sociological study of the notion of 'believing but not belonging', and on Wednesday we're going to discuss an extract from Morality by the philosopher Bernard Williams (on the impossibility of amoralism and relativism).

Vocations

2008-03-10T21:17:00.004Z

I'm told there's been a big focus on vocations recently in Ireland. From April 13 - May 3 will be a Year of Vocation in Ireland - this seems like great news to me. From my perspective, the promotion and facilitation of vocational discernment should be No. 1 priority for every parish, diocese and religious order in Ireland. My own diocese seems to be moving in this direction - they're about to launch a website promoting vocations to the diocesan priesthood. More news on that when it's launched...

Fr Ger over at Irish Dominican Vocations has been writing some great stuff on the topic recently, especially in analysing media reporting of the issue. He maintains that religious orders especially should have some members engaged full-time in vocations promotion. As an outsider, it seems to me that, for many religious orders in Ireland (and elsewhere), finding 'new recruits' seems to lag way behind other priorities. In fact, when I was younger, I wrote to several orders to express an interest - I didn't get a single reply. In contrast, when I contacted the Dominicans, the director of vocations was on the phone within a few days, and had travelled the breadth of the country to meet me as soon as he could.

Fr Paddy Rushe, the National Director of Vocations, is by all accounts a very good man, but I thought his comments about the recent 'stark statistics' on priesthood and religious life in Ireland sounded somewhat despairing: "People aren't coming forward in the way they did in the past". The age of people 'coming forward', fully-formed and ready to enter seminary is indeed long gone, but the appropriate response is to make contact with young people where they are, and to maintain that contact through fellowship (prayer groups, youth groups, one-on-one meetings etc.). Young people need every bit of encouragement and support they can get if they are to make such a counter-cultural decision as to enter seminary or the novitiate: vocations directors, your job is an important one - put out into the deep!

Hawthorne Dominicans

2008-02-15T16:54:00.002Z

There are many different congregations of Dominican sisters, each with their own specific apostolates, within the broader Dominican charism. One that I just came across is the Hawthorne Dominican sisters, dedicated to St Rose of Lima. Their work mainly involves working in hospices with people with terminal illnesses. This work of great compassion is a great witness to the love of Christ in our heartless modern world. Check out their site, including a very interesting vocations video.

School Retreat

2008-02-15T14:22:00.005Z

We had a whole school retreat last week, the day before students left for half-term (many thanks for all those who prayed for it!). I was given responsibility for running the Upper Sixth retreat. Based on past experience, we decided to go for quite a low-key retreat, giving equal time to listening and talking (each student heard two talks and had two sessions of group discussion). Many of our students leave their faith behind when they leave school, so the main aim of the retreat was to get the students to realise that practising your faith at university, far from diminishing the 'uni experience', actually enhances it. To this end, we invited young people from various universities to come and give talks/testimonies and lead group discussions. If the retreat had any positive effect on our students (and I think it did!) it was to provide them with examples of happy, normal, young Catholics.

To keep the whole thing reasonably lighthearted, we used the following logo, linking two iconic images, one religious, and one which can be said to define Generation Y:

If any of you are interested, the group discussions were based on the following two texts, each accompanied by leading questions. On the theme, Happiness and Holiness, we looked at the following, taken from Pope Benedict's inaugural sermon:

At this point, my mind goes back to 22 October 1978, when Pope John Paul II began his ministry here in Saint Peter’s Square. His words on that occasion constantly echo in my ears:

'Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!'…The Pope was speaking to everyone, but especially the young. Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our happiness?

And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great.

Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation.

And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ – and you will find true life.

- Pope Benedict

Late have I loved you, O Beauty, so ancient and so new, late have I loved you!

And behold, you were within me and I was outside, and there I sought for you, and in my deformity I rushed headlong into the well-formed things that you have made.

You were with me, and I was not with you. Those outer beauties held me far from you, yet if they had not been in you, they would not have existed at all.

- St Augustine

Lenten Retreat in Galway

2008-02-13T13:03:00.002Z

From the Galway Diocesan Pastoral Centre:

"Youth 2000 and the Galway Diocesan Pastoral Centre will together host a day of retreat for young adults between the ages of 18 and 35.

It takes place on Sunday 9th March from 11.30am to 6.00pm.

All young adults in this 18-35 age group are welcome to take part in this day of prayer, renewal and friendship. It promises to be an ideal preparation for Easter. There will be a special welcome to those who have never been part of this kind of gathering before. No booking is necessary, but a phone call beforehand would certainly help us to prepare the right amount of refreshments! You can help by just calling 091 565066 and leaving a message if you plan to attend."

It's great to see co-operation like this between the new movements and "the establishment". Spread the word!

Simon Conway-Morris talk in Dublin

2008-02-03T12:12:00.000Z

Delighted to see the following announcement on the website of the Iona Institute:

"The Iona Institute and Studies are pleased to announce that we will be hosting a talk entitled ‘The misuses of Darwinism’ on February 21 at 8pm in the Davenport hotel, Merrion Square, Dublin 2.
The speaker is Simon Conway Morris who is Professor of Evolutionary Paleobiology at the University of Cambridge. He is one of the leading figures in the whole field of evolutionary research and is the author most recently of ‘Life’s Solution: Inevitable Humans in a Lonely Universe.
Prof Conway Morris’s talk will deal with what he believes to be the misuses of Darwinism by other scientists such as Professor Richard Dawkins, author of ‘The God Delusion’."

Simon Conway-Morris is an evolutionary biologist with a fascinating thesis concerning the possibility of direction in evolution (he opposes those who emphasise the randomness of evolution (e.g. Jacques Monod)). He is also a vocal opponent of reductionism (the idea that we are 'nothing but' vehicles for genes, or neural networks, or complex material machines).

Well done to the Iona Institute for continuing to raise the level of public discourse in Ireland...

Dominican Year of the Rosary

2008-01-15T11:06:00.000Z

From the website of the Irish Dominicans:

'A Dominican Year of the Rosary began on the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, 6th January 2008. Fr Carlos A. Azpiroz Costa OP, Master General of the Dominicans, wrote on 1st January, World Day of Peace, to all Dominican brothers and sisters announcing a Year of the Rosary for the Dominican Order. The Dominican Year of the Rosary is the first year in a nine year celebration culminating in the Dominican jubilee in 2016. In that year will occur the 8th centenary of the Dominican Order's approval by Pope Honorius III in 1216. Beginning on 6th January of this year, the years leading to the Dominican Jubilee Year are to be, at the request of the General Chapter of the Order held in Bogotá (Colombia) during the summer of 2007, “a time to enter into a serious renewal of Dominican life and mission as preachers.” Fr Costa notes in his letter that while the rosary has not disappeared, it has slipped from the grasp of Dominicans as a “uniquely Dominican contribution to the life of the Church.” He proposes that, in 2008, Dominicans throughout the world focus on rediscovering the rosary as “a means of contemplation and an instrument of prophetic preaching.” The Master General’s letter offers a reflection on the rosary in three parts: his personal memories of the rosary, a theological reflection on the rosary, and in the third part he writes about the rosary and popular religious practices. Noting that in the most violent moments of the twentieth century people turned to the rosary as a means of praying for peace, Fr Costa suggests that the praying of the rosary for peace could be promoted once again.'

I couldn't find the text of Fr Costa's letter online, but here's a page with the letters of the last four Masters of the Order. Some real gems there...

Faith and the Sea

2008-01-14T12:12:00.000Z

A friend of mine posted some photos of the Blessing of the Thames on facebook today. Here's the moment itself:

As far as I know, this is quite an ancient tradition, and it got me thinking about the metaphorical significance of rivers and seas, especially in relation to the Faith... Probably the most famous example in this category is the powerful poem Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold, who gives poetic expression to the Victorian crisis of faith (fourth stanza):

'The Sea of Faith

Was once, too, at the full, and round earth's shore

Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled.

But now I only hear

Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,

Retreating, to the breath

Of the night-wind, down the vast edges drear

And naked shingles of the world.'

A more positive analogy between sea and faith is drawn by the Anglican priest-poet RS Thomas. Here the seas (and the fact that they have been 'baptized') stand for the resilience of the Christian faith (excerpt):

'Here,

on my knees in this stone

church, that is full only

of the silent congregation

of shadow and the sea's

sound, it is easy to believe

Yeats was right, just as though

choirs had not sung, shells

have swallowed them; the tide laps

at the Bible; the bell fetches

no people to the brittle miracle

of the bread. The sand is waiting

for the running back of the grains

in the wall into its blond

glass. Religion is over, and

what will emerge from the body

of the new moon, no one

can say.

But a voice sounds

in my ear. Why so fast,

mortal? These very seas

are baptized. The parish

has a saint's name time cannot

unfrock. In cities that

have outgrown their promise people

are becoming pilgrims

again, if not to this place,

then to the recreation of it

in their own spirits. You must remain

kneeling. Even as this moon

making its way through the earth's

cumbersome shadow, prayer, too,

has its phases.'

The line, 'These very seas/are baptized' brought to mind the famous blessing of Galway bay, a beautiful tradition described in detail here. It involves the prior of the beautiful Dominican church in the Claddagh blessing Galway's fishing fleet on the Sunday nearest the feast of the Assumption. I remember seeing it (from the Prom in Salthill) as a child, but not knowing why so many boats were gathered in one place! The Galway hookers involved (they're traditional fishing boats, btw!), make a beautiful silhouette:

As part of the blessing the Benedicite canticle is sung. It includes the resonant lines:

Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; fountains, bless the Lord.

The ceremony ends on a Marian note (appropriately!) as the prior reminds the fishermen of the following words of St Bernard:

When you are tossed about among the storms and tempests of life, look to the star, call upon Mary.

The Kite Runner (Spoiler!)

2008-01-02T23:00:00.000Z

Last night I went to see the film The Kite Runner for the second time this week! This time I brought two brothers and my dad. I haven't read the book, but I've been absolutely captivated by the story. To give a summary of the film either makes it sound gruesome (it involves child abuse and lots of violent scenes in Afghanistan), or political (it makes a contrast of life in Afghanistan before and after the rise of the Taliban). It is neither. Above all, it is a story - there is no hint of an agenda. And, while gruesome at times, the story is really one of friendship and redemption.

Having seen the film last night, I noticed an interesting aspect of one of the readings from the breviary for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God:

But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. (Gal 4:4,5)

For anyone who has seen The Kite Runner, the resonance between this reading and the film will be obvious. At a certain point, the main character of the film, Amir, must undertake a dangerous journey into Afghanistan (and his courage at this point is vital to the plot) to find and adopt a boy, Sohrab, who has ended up in a desperate existence. It struck me that there are imaginative parallels between this story and the story of redemption, particularly as the latter is elaborated by the great Protestant theologian Karl Barth. For him, the notion of 'The Way of the Son into the Far Country' (borrowed from the parable of the prodigal son) is a central motif in soteriology and Trinitarian theology.

The Kite Runner then is a must-see, if only because it portrays beautifully (and perhaps unwittingly) Christ's love-bidden journey into our country to save us from desperation and to lead us to sonship of the Father.

Retreat

2008-01-01T17:19:00.000Z

I'm organising a retreat for some of my students in January. The aim of the retreat is to get them to think about the question 'Are you going to leave God at school?' I'm thinking of basing my talk on the following excerpt from the homily preached at his inauguration (especially the italicised bits):

'At this point, my mind goes back to October 22 1978, when Pope John Paul II began his ministry here in St. Peter's Square. His words on that occasion constantly echo in my ears: 'Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors for Christ!'... The Pope was... speaking to everyone, especially the young. Are we not perhaps all afraid in some way? If we let Christ enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to Him, are we not afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our freedom? And once again the Pope said: No! If we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation. And so, today, with great strength and great conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and He gives you everything. When we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundred-fold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ - and you will find true life. Amen.'

It seems to me that one of the reasons young people stop practising their faith when they leave school is because they want to have the 'university experience' in all its glory! I'm hoping to convince them that the 'university experience' is not diminished but enhanced by its including Christ. If you have any ideas along this line that might help in planning the retreat, please help!

Blair's Conversion

2007-12-22T14:44:00.000Z

I've just read stories on the RTE and BBC websites confirming Tony Blair's reception into full communion with the Catholic Church. This is surely a sign of hope for the English-speaking Church - we have benefitted enormously in the past from articulate and passionate converts from Anglicanism. I hope and pray that Blair continues this fine tradition.Although I'm sure many bloggers will comment on his failure to uphold Church teaching on life and family issues in his political career, surely, at this time, it is more appropriate to give thanks to the Good Shepherd for bringing another soul into His great flock.

Advent and Penance

2007-12-19T14:22:00.000Z

Fr Vincent Twomey SVD, a moral theologian and professor emeritus at Maynooth, has spoken out recently (in the excellent magazine of the Divine Word Missionaries: The Word) against the premature celebration of Christmas, pointing out that this effectively bypasses the liturgical season of Advent.

'For historical reasons', Fr Twomey writes, 'that are too complicated to go into here, the Irish Church does not know how to celebrate Advent properly. It should be a time of fasting and prayer, like Lent, though not so rigorous, so that we can truly break into festive joy on Christmas night and sustain it for the following 12 days'. One side effect of this bypassing Advent is that Christmas is often experienced as an anti-climax 'due to the fact that we have anticipated it too early'.

On the whole, I agree with him! There is some hope though, for the Catholic who wants to 'get in the Advent spirit' - the Divine Office! Praying morning and evening prayer every day with antiphons and readings appropiate to the spirit of the season is a great reminder that we are still waiting for Jesus...

Fr Twomey also rightly points out that Advent is a penitential season, hence the purple vestments worn at Mass. People often complain of 'Christmas overload' - maybe Advent fasting then, far from making people miserable, would make Christmas itself more enjoyable for all... Fasting itself seems to be a forgotten practice in the Catholic Church in Western Europe but the following poem (my all-time favourite) by Patrick Kavanagh (right) really hits the nail on the head. My old French teacher used to recite the last three lines regularly (no idea why!) and they've really had an impact on me:

Advent

We have tested and tasted too much, lover-

Through a chink too wide there comes in no wonder.

But here in the Advent-darkened room

Where the dry black bread and the sugarless tea

Of penance will charm back the luxury

Of a child's soul, we'll return to Doom

The knowledge we stole but could not use.

And the newness that was in every stale thing

When we looked at it as children: the spirit-shocking

Wonder in a black slanting Ulster hill

Or the prophetic astonishment in the tedious talking

Of an old fool will awake for us and bring

You and me to the yard gate to watch the whins

And the bog-holes, cart-tracks, old stables where Time begins.

O after Christmas we'll have no need to go searching

For the difference that sets an old phrase burning-

We'll hear it in the whispered argument of a churning

Or in the streets where the village boys are lurching.

And we'll hear it among decent men too

Who barrow dung in gardens under trees,

Wherever life pours ordinary plenty.

Won't we be rich, my love and I, and please

God we shall not ask for reason's payment,

The why of heart-breaking strangeness in dreeping hedges

Nor analyse God's breath in common statement.

We have thrown into the dust-bin the clay-minted wages

Of pleasure, knowledge and the conscious hour-

And Christ comes with a January flower.

Videos of St Josemaria

2007-12-19T14:16:00.000Z

There are some very interesting short videos on the official Opus Dei website. They're about two minutes each and focus on a particular theme: Making Christ Known, Looking at the Crucifix, Working for Love. If you can't be bothered with spiritual reading, why not try this twenty first century alternative?!

Home!

2007-12-19T13:51:00.001Z

I'm finally home for Christmas, after an immensely enjoyable trip to Rome. Fr Hugh in the Irish College (my former curate) was very kind to me out there - he did everything from drawing maps to interpreting papal speeches (in 'real time'!). I was really impressed with the warmth and friendliness of the Irish College. The priests and seminarians that I met there were all very engaging and cheerful - they didn't seem infected with the cynicism that affects many clergy. Even more encouraging, they were all refreshingly normal!

I didn't visit loads of churches this time, but I spent a lot of time in each one I visited. I spent hours in San Clemente (the church of the Irish Dominicans in Rome), being given an expert tour by fr Terence OP, a young priest studying at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. I bought dozens of postcards of the apse mosaic (above) with the intention of building a display in my classroom. It's absolutely full of theology: it portrays Trinitarian theology, ecclesiology (theology of the Church), and soteriology (theology of salvation)... As an example, the spirals of acanthus vines growing out from the 'Tree of Life' include little agricultural scenes, signifying the fact that ordinary lay Christians are drawn into the mystery of salvation as much as priests and nuns:

Rome!

2007-12-12T10:08:00.000Z

Sorry I've been posting so infrequently lately - I've been mad busy here trying to sort everything out before the Christmas holidays. Anyway, tomorrow I'm off to Rome! Can't wait - I've been once and loved it. This time I'm staying in the Irish College in Rome, thanks to the kindness of a former curate in my home parish.

I'm really looking forward to visiting the church of San Clemente again with its beautiful mosaic:

... and its amazing underground basilica, discovered by Joseph Mullooly OP 150 years ago this year!:

Catholic Educator's Resource

2007-11-30T16:49:00.000Z

For any readers involved in (or interested in) catechesis or Catholic education, I heartily recommend the Catholic Educator's Resource, a huge collection of short articles (suitable roughly for 16-18 yr olds) on all sorts of topics: from Tolkien to abortion, from Lent to population control. Authors include Janet Smith, Karl Keating, Dwight Longenecker and Matthew Pinto. Well worth a look, whether you're looking for answers yourself, or involved in answering others'.

Sisters of St John in Derry

2007-11-15T22:10:00.000Z

I recently found the following press release from the Diocese of Derry (thanks to Laus Crucis' very interesting post on the new movements in Ireland):

'Diocesan Mass welcoming new Religious Order
On 1 October, in St. Eugene's Cathedral, Bishop Hegarty celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving and Welcome for a new Religious Order to the Diocese of Derry: the Contemplative Sisters of St. John the Evangelist. The three Sisters now resident in the diocese were accompanied, to the Mass, by two Sisters representing the leadership of the Congregation world-wide.

Mass was concelebrated by Bishop Francis Lagan (Auxialiary Bishop of Derry), Mgr. Bryan McCanny (Vicar General) Fr. Colum Clerkin (Episcopal Vicar for Religious), Fr. Seamus Kelly (Vicar Forane for the Derry City Deanery) and other priests of the diocese.

On behalf of the diocese, Bishop Hegarty welcomed the Sisters of St. John. He spoke of the Sisters' contemplative vocation as "one of prayer, intercession, study and witness". He expressed the hope that the initial three Sisters would be "followed by additional Sisters and also Brothers". Bishop Hegarty expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Congregation and to its leadership, in particular, for their generosity in coming to Derry. The bishop noted that "a new seed is sown in the diocese", with the prayer: "May the Lord of the harvest promote and prosper its growth, so that it will yield much fruit for the local church and that through it God will be praised and glorified".

The Sisters live at 10 Belvoir Park, Culmore, Derry. The Sisters are contemplative, spending their lives in prayer, rather than having any pastoral work. They live by the providence of God, depending on the generosity of others. If anyone wishes to speak with a Sister, they welcome visitors from Monday to Friday, 2pm until 5pm.

MASS is celebrated in the convent on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8.30am.

EVENING PRAYER is celebrated in the convent from Monday to Friday at 5.45pm.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION is on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 6.15pm until 7.15pm, and Thursday 7pm until 9pm. All are welcome to Mass, Evening Prayer and Eucharistic Adoration

The Superior is Sister Mary Magdalen. For information on the Sisters' life and Order: www.stjean.com or contact the Sisters directly in Belvoir Park.'

A new seed is sown indeed! Thank God for the courage of Bishop Hegarty in taking this step.

Dying on the Vine

2007-11-13T09:15:00.000Z

I was very interested to read the following from a reflection by Cardinal Sean O'Malley OFMCap, by all accounts a simple and holy man, on the increasing emphasis in religious orders on 'Peace and Justice' and 'ecotheology'. These are of course, worthy themes, but they are often exclusive of a genuinely rich, Christocentric, theology. Moreover, when the religious education of young people in Britain and Ireland is at an all-time low relative to the overall level of education, and when more and more young people are simply getting by without the Church, surely our priorities should be reconsidered. Cardinal Sean's final sentence packs a punch, and cannot be ignored:

'I have not seen the recommendations for the new Constitutions. I am told that there is a desire to introduce more Peace and Justice and Ecology into the Constitutions. I believe the Capuchins should be very much embodied in promoting the social Gospel of the Church. I would like to express two caveats. First of all there is the danger of a false sense of security. In other words by talking a lot about the social justice themes we might think that we are living a radical form of the Gospel Life. I see many religious communities in my country produce documents worthy of the Green Party, but they are dying on the vine themselves.'

In light of this, I was a little disappointed by the tone of the Presentation Sisters' prospective description of their international gathering in India:

'Presentation Sisters from around the world are en-route to India for an International Presentation Association (IPA) meeting with the theme Cry of the Earth, the Cry of the Poor. The Sisters from each Province will present reflections and questions on their actions for justice and lead the group in prayer using native themes, songs and prayers.'

I'm not trying to denigrate for a minute the fine work of many hundreds of Presentation Sisters, but I wonder whether the cold phrase 'actions for justice', with no mention of the God of justice, will ever inspire zeal in the hearts of young women...

Bishop of Limerick on Inter-Religious Dialogue

2007-11-07T11:02:00.000Z

Recently, some Irish bishops have been making some challenging and substantial statements on social and religious issues. Hopefully these are signs of a trend away from the tradition of episcopal platitudes. Here's an article about comments by Dr Donal Murray on inter-religious dialogue (remember he's the bishop who invited the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal to Limerick):

'The bishop of Limerick has said inter-religious tolerance cannot be achieved by the playing down of individual beliefs. Dr Donal Murray told graduate teachers at the Mary Immaculate Training College in Limerick that that the world of education in Ireland was undergoing rapid change. He said they would be facing children from other countries and of other faiths and none in their classrooms and this was a challenge Irish teachers never faced in the past. The bishop said the patterns of school patronage and school provision would have to change to meet the new situation.

Dr Murray said giving many religions equal weight was not supportive of each but tended to “relativise” them all and produced “a strange hybrid in which the primary value is personal choice... It is vital that we do not try to settle on the one hand for an idea of tolerance which amounts to saying: ‘Believe what you like, it is of no concern to anyone else’ or ‘It does not much matter what you believe because all beliefs are equally true’”, Dr Murray declared. “The suggestions that on the one hand faith has nothing to do with the real world and on the other that it makes no difference whether it is true or not would be destructive of tolerance” he said. “Neither attitude recognises what these beliefs mean to the people who hold them... Nor can real tolerance be achieved by any party to the dialogue playing down, or being ignorant of, his or her own beliefs”'.

Bishop of Dromore on the Liturgy

2007-11-04T14:59:00.000Z

CatholicIreland.net has the following report on the comments of the Bishop of Dromore on the new translation of the Roman Missal. It's great to hear a bishop's comments being informed by sound liturgical theology rather than just pastoral concerns. I've highlighted the bits that I liked best ;)

An Irish bishop involved with the commission tasked with translating the Roman Missal, has said that the changes in the prayer of the Church at first instance, will be quite difficult for both priests and people, but the introduction of the new translations will also provide opportunities for priests.

“Any change in the public prayer of the Church is disruptive and irritating for priests and people, and so there needs to be preparation for the new project and an explanation of it,” Bishop John Mc Areavey told ciNews. But Dr McAreavey, who is part of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), said the new missal would provide a chance for priests to look again at their own style of celebrating Mass.

“We can develop sloppy habits in our style of presiding at Mass. The introduction of the new translation provides an opportunity for a new catechesis of priests of all generations,” he said. Among the “sloppy habits” cited by Dr McAreavey, was the practice of some priests of substituting their own words for the prayers of the Mass. "The personality of the priest should never intrude to the point that people are aware of him,” said Dr McAreavey.

He distinguished between a priest putting his own stamp on a sermon, and putting his stamp on the prayers of the Church. “The basic thing is that when a priest prays, he is praying in the name of the Lord or in the name of the people. Therefore there is a formality in that. The style of the presiding priest should not be so personal or unique as to have people leaving Mass thinking of Fr X and not the prayer of the Church," he added...

According to Bishop McAreavey, this translation represents a “fairly significant change of style because the translation done in the late 60s was done with an emphasis on intelligibility and accessibility.” While agreeing that there was a gain in this approach, the bishop felt something was lost too - the “complexity, subtlety and richness of texts". “The emphasis in the new translation is on fidelity to the original while also promoting texts that are pastorally accessible and intelligible and also relatively easy to proclaim.”

Articles in respected journals like The Tablet, have been critical of some of the new
translations saying they are not “people friendly”, but Dr McAreavey disagrees. “My feeling about the prayers is that the content doesn’t have to hit you in the face at the first praying, but over a long period, it moulds the faith of the Church.”

“It is particularly important that the new translation of the Mass captures and conveys the richness of the Roman Missal. Bishop Philip Boyce, who is part of the Vox Clara, a consultative group for that congregation, said the new texts will be “much more faithful to the faith, and therefore much richer.”

Storytelling Project

2007-11-01T14:20:00.000Z

My uncle, Brian Mac an Bhaird, from Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, is a fantastic storyteller. He has a lyrical way of telling stories, influenced as he is by the folk poetry of Ulster. He has released a bilingual CD of his stories (all factually based) called Irish Musings or Aislingí Fánacha. They can be ordered by visiting his website: Irish Musings.

WYD in Britain??

2007-10-30T17:42:00.000Z

I was reading an article from the Catholic News Agency about Brazil's desire to host World Youth Day 2010 and came across a sentence that surprised me:

'Brazil is competing with Spain, Great Britain and other countries to host the next WYD, said Bishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha'.

Has anybody heard anything about a British bid for WYD? It would provide a great boost for the church here if it were to happen...

CofI parishes to become Catholic

2007-10-26T11:07:00.000Z

From breakingnews.ie:

'Two Church of Ireland parishes in the North have reportedly asked to be received into the Catholic Church. According to the Irish Catholic newspaper, one parish from the Republic is also seeking admission. The parishes in question are in Down, Tyrone and Laois and are currently members of the 'traditional rite' of the Church of Ireland. The Irish Catholic newspaper says the parishes have asked the Vatican for "full, corporate, sacramental union" under the authority of the Pope. The 'traditional rite' group was set up in Ireland in 1991 by those unhappy with some of the more liberalising decisions taken by the Church of Ireland, such as the ordination of women ministers.'

Very interesting move... I hadn't realised that there was such a thing as the 'traditional rite' in the Church of Ireland. I wonder why they chose the Catholic Church though - on one of the parish websites, it mentions that there is an emphasis in the 'traditional rite' not only on liturgical conservatism, but also on 'the reformed tradition within Anglicanism'. I hope Rome is a happy home for them!

Published... on paper!

2007-10-25T21:14:00.000Z

Sorry to self-promote, but I'm quite excited at my print debut in the current edition of FAITH magazine! It's only a book review, and pretty boring and technical, but if you want to read it, you can find it here.

The Beati

2007-10-25T19:56:00.000Z

I'm reading a collection of writings of the early Irish monks edited and translated by Uinseann Ó Maiddín OCSO, a Cistercian monk of Mount Melleray. All the different rules included mention the recitation of the Beati, psalm 119, which seems to have been an immensely important text for the Celtic monks. When you read the following excerpts, and think of their life of wholehearted seeking after God, it kinda makes sense:

'... Blessed are they who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart...
I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you....
My soul is consumed with longing
for your laws at all times...
I am laid low in the dust;
preserve my life according to your word...
I have chosen the way of truth;
I have set my heart on your laws.
I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD;
do not let me be put to shame.
I run in the path of your commands,
for you have set my heart free...
I have sought your face with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise...
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path...'

The eighth-century Rule of Comghall stipulates that 'The monk should make one hundred genuflections/prostrations while chanting the Beati morning and evening'...!

Literature, Censorship and the Church

2007-10-25T19:43:00.000Z

Much is made in the Catholic blogosphere of 'Catholic writers', people like GK Chesterton, Flannery O'Connor and Evelyn Waugh, whose Catholic faith was intrinsic to their literary output. The phrase 'the Catholic imagination' is often used, referring to the ability to see ordinary 'stuff' as potentially sacramental, pointing beyond itself. The relationship between the Catholic Church and the literary world has not always been a positive one, however, especially in Ireland. Few of our great literary geniuses escaped some form of persecution from the church, usually via state censorship bodies (their approach is typified by the name of the 1926 Committee on Evil Literature). I took a random sample of two books from my shelves: one of them, a collection of short stories by Frank O'Connor, mentioned the negative appraisal of the author by his parish priest (apparently, O'Connor was 'at the head of the pagan Dublin muses'), while the other, Joyce's Portrait mentions in the introduction that Joyce went to Paris in 1902 'to escape the narrow-mindedness of Irish Catholicism'. This type of interaction between Catholicism and literature is far from that found in England in the middle of the 20th century with its flood of 'literary converts', and strikes me as a tragically missed opportunity.

I'm writing all this because I recently read a very thought-provoking essay on the role of the Catholic writer by Georges Bernanos, author of Diary of a Country Priest. Bernanos seems to point out the folly of the Irish Church's attitude to literature in the 20th century by noting that 'Catholic writers cannot be part of the teaching Church'. Catholic writers rather, 'are brothers speaking to brothers, not doctors of the Church or stewards'.

In light of this then, the role of the Catholic writer seems not very different from that of other writers. 'The firest duty of a writer is to produce good books, in the light of his own ideas of his art and the resources at his disposal, without special consideration for anything or anyone, for every book bears witness, and hence must above all be sincere'. The extra dimension involved in the work of a Catholic is that he is concerned to 'work freely beneath the gaze of God' (this phrase reminded me of Tolkien's notion of 'sub-creation'). Catholic literature then, is not necessarily edifying, or encouraging, or full of piety (related to this point, Bernanos pens the neat bon mot: 'Mediocre art is a scandal, and even more of a scandal when it claims to be edifying').

Cardinal Newman seems to make a similar point:

'I say, from the nature of the case, if Literature is to be made a study of human nature, you cannot have a Christian Literature. It is a contradiction in terms to attempt a sinless Literature of sinful man. You may gather together something very great and high, something higher than Literature ever was; and when you have done so, you will find that it is not Literature at all.'

Perhaps then, we can speak of Catholic writers, but should be more circumspect when using the term 'Catholic literature'. The Irish bishops in the 20th century seemed to expect that a Catholic literature (i.e. literature which edifies) was possible, especially in newly-independent Catholic Ireland. I think Bernanos is right to say that it is 'absurd... to submit books to the judgment of illiterate ecclesiastics'. If we are to follow JPII in apologising for past failings, surely the Irish Church should mention this violence against art in their list...

Government in the Church

2007-10-25T13:36:00.000Z

I've been reading a retreat book based on the characteristics of St Dominic recently. It's written by a Dominican preacher and spiritual director, Alain Quilici OP. Each chapter title has the format 'Man of ....'. I was particularly struck by the title 'Man of Government'. It's not often we think of government and organisation as a holy thing, a charism for the building up of the church. I found the following interesting:

'In order to be a man of government, one must combine knowledge with a good practice of the laws which are the guardians of the freedoms of both individuals and groups. But one must also know how to lead men and women so that they give the best of themselves. Saint Dominic had all of these qualities. He was the founder of his order which, by withstanding the passage of time, shows the solidity of his institution'.

The Dominicans are almost unique amongst the older orders in their stability - they never split into different orders, unlike the Franciscans, or the Benedictines. I'm convinced that young people in the church, especially those of us who are attached to the 'new movements' (like Youth 2000, Regnum Christi, Focolare etc.) can learn a lot about stability and organisation from these 'old movements'. Anybody got ideas on how this learning might take place?

Apologies!

2007-10-23T14:24:00.000Z

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted on this blog! I've been mad busy with work at the school since term began, and it's only now that half-term has arrived that I've managed to draw breath and have a think about things. I'll be posting more musings over these few days...

Christina on Confession

2007-10-03T12:53:00.000Z

News broke recently that Christina Aguilera is pro-life and part of a movement that has spoken out against Amnesty International's decision to renounce its neutrality on the issue of abortion. I thought some of you might be interested in the lyrics of one of her songs, which seems to me to be an excellent meditation on repentance and confession! [I tried, and failed, to find a non-obscene picture of Christina to illustrate this post :)]

'Lord have mercy on my soul
For I have walked a sinful road
That I'm down on my knees
Lord have mercy on me, please

Ohh yeah

Jesus, I must confess
That in all my loneliness
I've forsaken and I've sinned
Leaving fragments of a man so broken

I could tell you what I've done
Or should I tell you where I went wrong?

Well the more that I start to play
My deceitful, evil ways
Keep on growing stronger by the day

Oh lord have mercy on my soul
For I have walked a sinful road
So I'm gonna get down on my knees
Beg forgiveness to help set me free
Lord have mercy on me, please

Mother Mary full of grace
In my weakness, I've lost faith
I've been careless, and I have been warned
And the devil inside me is torn
God bless the men that I have scorned

Oh lord have mercy on my soul
For I have walked the sinful road
So I'm gonna get down on my knees
Beg forgiveness to help set me free
Lord have mercy on me, please

So don't let me fool around no more
Send your angels down to guide me through that door
Well I've gone and confessed my regrets
And I pray I'm not held in contempt
I'm so lost, and I need you to help me repent
Oh lord have mercy on my soul

Oh I'm begging, I'm pleading, I'm needing
I want you to know

So I'm down upon my knees
Oh lord, I need forgiveness
I need forgiveness from you.'

Dominican Website

2007-09-25T09:39:00.000Z

The Irish Province of Dominicans has recently set up a great new website. It's clear that a lot of thought has been put into the structure of the website, and the design is nice and simple. The site's gallery is very comprehensive, with lots of Dominican art and architecture (and a Dominican boat - see if you can find it!) from all around Ireland.There's a brief set of details on each of the Irish houses, and some of the houses abroad (including presences in Alabama, Jerusalem, India, Uruguay, Lisbon, Rome and Fribourg!).

Also included is a description of each of the many projects and apostolates of the Irish Province.

Finally, of interest to young men and women discerning a call to religious life, there are sections on Dominican life and vocational discernment.

Check it out, and well done to the team behind it!

New Novices

2007-09-23T14:56:00.000Z

Here's a picture of the three new novices of the Irish Province of Dominicans who were clothed in Limerick on the 14th September, the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross:

From l-r: Br. Luuk Jansen (a Dutch IT engineer and convert to the Faith - he was baptised in my parish church!); Br. Matthew Martinez (from Trinidad, a vicariate of the Irish Province); Br. Colm Mannion (who spent the last few years working at the Morning Star hostel for homeless men in Dublin); Fr Philip McShane (novicemaster).

St Dominic and St Catherine, pray for them!

Knock Photos

2007-09-23T14:19:00.000Z

Youth 2000 Ireland have just posted some great photos of the Knock Youth Festival. Here's a sampling...

The backroom team:

A scene from the drama I mentioned:

Smiley, happy people!:

They don't look much but they probably would've done better against Georgia than the boys in green!:

The highlight of each day:

Source and Summit:

St Cuthbert

2007-09-22T18:26:00.000Z

I visited the very impressive Durham Cathedral today, on a rare day off... The Church is Norman and has massive columns all the way up the aisle. The cathedral houses the tombs of St Cuthbert and St Bede (the ecclesiastical historian). Cuthbert's feast coincides with my birthday, so I felt a special affinity :)

Cuthbert lived in Scotland and the north-east of England in the seventh century. As a young man, he was a shepherd, living the same life of solitude that formed St Patrick on Sliabh Mis. Despite his longing for the life of a hermit, he was made Bishop of Lindisfarne and became, like Patrick, a missionary bishop, evangelising the local people. In 687 he returned to his monastic home, and died the same year.

Above all else he was afire with heavenly love

- St Bede (writing of Cuthbert)

Policy on Comments

2007-09-22T18:15:00.000Z

A lot of my comments (mostly unpublished) are coming from a particularly diligent and, unfortunately, hate-filled, reader. For his/her benefit, I feel I should clarify that comments which are personally offensive will, of course, not be published.

I have no problem engaging with people who disagree with, and even dislike, my beliefs - I had to get used to it at Cambridge - but I will not provide a forum for ad hominem attacks. So please, don't bother putting in as much effort as you are: your hatred will come to nothing.

Biblical Typology

2007-09-20T13:05:00.000Z

I was teaching a class on Abraham today, and I mentioned that the early Christians read the story of the near-sacrifice of Abraham as a type, or prefiguration, of God sending his own son as a sacrifice. The (first year) students loved this idea and quickly noticed parallels. The altar is built on a hill, which Abraham and Isaac climb carrying wood - Christ was crucified on a hill and carried the wood of the cross to the top. Isaac is replaced with a lamb - Christ, the lamb of God, takes our place on the cross.

It was great to see these students engaged in an imaginative and symbolic (rather than merely discursive or allegorical) reading of the biblical text. Next class I plan to show them some examples of Christian art that share their approach!

Happy Hannah!

2007-09-12T21:36:00.000Z

Here's a lovely pic of Hannah, a friend of mine who has recently entered the Poor Clares in Galway:

Children of Hope

2007-09-12T21:08:00.001Z

Little children are naturals when it comes to praying, in my experience. Fr Antoine of the Community of St John (who are setting up a community of sisters in Derry) is at the forefront of a movement, Children of Hope, which is focussed on 'leading children into the mystery of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist so as to realise how much He loves them'.

They take as their inspiration Pope Benedict's recommendation that, 'in their catechetical training, and especially in their preparation for First Holy Communion, children be taught the meaning and the beauty of spending time with Jesus, and helped to cultivate a sense of awe before his presence in the Eucharist'.

Check out their website... if you have the opportunity, why not start a group in your parish?

Listen

2007-09-12T20:57:00.000Z

'The first word of his Rule reveals the core of Benedict's experience in the cave: Ausculta, 'Listen!' This is the secret: Benedict listens, trusting that God is there and that God will speak. Then he hears a word in the silence; and thus he becomes the father of a civilization, the civilization born from contemplation, the civilization of love born from listening to the word that springs from the depths of the Trinity. Benedict became the word he heard, and slowly his voice 'went forth through all the world' (Ps 19:4). Disciples came, then monasteries appeared, then a civilization grew around them - not only salvaging what was precious in the classical world, but opening as well an unimagined path into a new world. It was the sons and daughters of St Benedict who reclaimed the land, who organized society, who preached the gospel as missionaries, who wrote the books as scholars, nurturing all that makes for a truly human life. It is astonishing to consider how much came from so little: 'This is the Lord's doing and a marvel in our eyes' (Ps 118:23).'

- John Paul II
Address to Benedictine Abbesses and Prioresses

Limerick CFRs

2007-09-03T07:59:00.000Z

Here's a pic of the new community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Moyross, Limerick.

Interesting Comment...

2007-09-02T12:40:00.000Z

'I posted a comment on your blog. I don't know yet if you will put it up but maybe you better not. I'll grind you into the floor. Any twenty one year old in this day and age who mouths off about being a Catholic can only be suffering mental problems. But hey! its the only socially acceptable form of insantiy so you're not likely to get locked up any day soon. It's a shame that in your stupidity you will now be allowed to harm children in the classroom.'

I still can't decide whether the comment above (left after the post about the Iona Institute) is a joke... I'm not sure how seriously I can take someone who accuses strangers of having 'mental problems' after threatening to grind them into the floor :)

Anyway Henry, if your OTT comment was not a joke, take a chill pill, and I'd be happy to engage calmly and rationally with you!

Iona Institute Conference

2007-09-01T09:10:00.000Z

From CatholicIreland:

The Iona Institute, a think tank for marriage and the family, is running its first conference on the ‘The Fragmenting Family’ which will be held on Friday September 14th. Speakers at the half day gathering, which will include inputs from Professor Patricia Casey, Psychiatrist, Anastasia de Waal, Analyst with Civitas and author Brenda Almond, will present data from Census 2006 as it relates to family breakdown and family structure in Ireland and will give a clear statistical overview of family life in Ireland today.

According to social affairs commentator and Director of Iona, David Quinn, the topic for the conference was chosen because of the wide ranging family law proposals currently under consideration. “The government is considering making sweeping changes in family law, and if these changes are implemented, they will extend a significant number of marriage like rights to non married couples. This has obvious implications for marriage, and for the family – the extent to which it, for example, will be favoured under tax law etc.,” he told ciNews. Mr Quinn, who will also be addressing the conference, said the conference will focus in particular on cohabiting relationships, which are the single fastest growing family form in Ireland today.

The Iona Institute would like to see marriage preserved as the form of family most favoured by the state and society. “I am not saying that we should not help the poor, and other forms of family, but marriage is the most pro-child social institution there is, and it needs to be preserved. It is irresponsible for the state to pretend that all family forms have the same effect on children, because they don’t. Marriage, on average, serves children best.” In support of this statement, Mr Quinn cited figures released recently in the UK, which show that last year 125,000 children aged 16 and under, saw their married parents divorce. Roughly the same number of children, were affected by the split up of their cohabiting parents, but statistically there are a far greater number of married families in the UK, so a smaller percentage of children of marriages were affected by the breakups, he said.

In the US, President Bush has given financial support to pro family projects under his "healthy marriage iniative." According to Bradford Wilcox, Fellow of the Witherspoon Institute & professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, the initiative "has shown a welcome spotlight on marriage in government, the academy, and the social services." While it is too soon yet to see whether the programs designed at strengthening marriage, "especially among the poor and working classes, will work," he told ciNews, he felt the initiative had gotten "a lot of people thinking about the ways in which marriage benefits children and adults and how public policy might be used to strengthen marriages.” Mr Wilcox said that a number of programs are currently being evaluated and they should have the results from those programs in a year or two.

The Fragmenting Family will be held in the Davenport Hotel in Dublin on Friday 14th September from 9.30am to 1.00pm. Admission is free.

David Quinn will introduce the conference. Dr Patricia Quinn, Professor of Psychiatry at UCD will speak about what Census 2006 tells us about family trends. Anastasia de Waal, an analyst with Civitas, a social affairs think tank based in London, will speak about Cohabitation: what social sciences tell us, and Professor Brenda Almond , Professor of Moral and Social Philosophy at the University of Hull, and author, will speak about the fragmenting family, which is also the title of her book.

Admission is free.

Settling In

2007-08-29T10:01:00.000Z

I arrived at the school on Saturday and have been getting to know the place (and periodically getting lost) ever since. North Yorkshire is a remarkably beautiful place - the view of the valley from my window takes my breath away every morning! The teaching staff are helpful and encouraging, but even with all this help, the task ahead of me (and the other new teachers) is pretty intimidating! Prayer has been a help though... and there's no better place for prayer than the Abbey Church here :)

Blogging might be less regular over the next few weeks as I settle into the rhythm of teaching, although I'll do my best to keep sharing any interesting theological tit-bits I come across! (I won't, of course, be blogging about my students, or about private school matters...).

Lifehouse

2007-08-21T14:35:00.001Z

This is an American version of the drama that the mission team did in Knock (http://felixrandal.blogspot.com/2007/08/mime-and-drama.html). If you watch it, pay close attention to the details. It made a really big impact on the teenagers at Knock - it's essentially telling the story of their lives, in the context of communicating the message of God's active love for us. It left quite a few very emotional...

Alive and Active!

2007-08-21T13:29:00.000Z

Recently, the thought of starting my new teaching job have been starting to worry me a bit. What if I'm a disaster? What if I say the wrong thing? What if I don't fit into the department? Anyway, as preoccupied as I was, I turned to the Bible for my daily dose. What I read was scarily appropriate for my situation, challenging yet comforting:

My child, if you aspire to serve the Lord,
prepare yourself for an ordeal.
Be sincere of heart, be steadfast,
and do not be alarmed when disaster comes.
Cling to him and do not leave him,
so that you may be honoured at the end of your days.
Whatever happens to you, accept it,
and in the uncertainties of your humble state [juniorest teacher in the school],
be patient, since gold is tested in the fire,
and the chosen in the furnace of humiliation.
Trust him and he will uphold you,
follow a straight path and hope in him.
You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;
do not turn aside, for fear you fall.
You who fear the Lord, trust him,
and you will not be robbed of your reward.
You who fear the Lord, hope for those good gifts of his,
everlasting joy and mercy.
Look at the generations of old and see:
who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame?
Or who ever, steadfastly fearing him, was forsaken?
Or who ever called to him and was ignored?
For the Lord is compassionate and merciful,
he forgives sins and saves in the times of distress.
- Ecclesiasticus 2:1-11

Apparently the Word of God is alive and active then! Praise God!

Death Linked to the Pill

2007-08-15T11:46:00.000Z

From BreakingNews.ie:

'An inquest has reportedly heard how a 31-year-old woman collapsed and died as a result of taking the contraceptive pill. Reports this morning say Julie Hennessy, a native of Cork who was living in Dublin, died in March after developing deep vein thrombosis. A doctor told yesterday's inquest that she developed the condition as a result of taking the oral contraceptive pill. She had been taking the pill for a number of years.'

God Labours for Us

2007-08-14T10:08:00.000Z

I came across the following in the Dialogue of St Catherine of Siena and loved it (this is God speaking to Catherine):

'Sometimes I allow the world to show them [God's servants] what it is, so that, feeling its diverse and various passions, they may know how little stability it has, and may come to lift their desire beyond it, and seek their native country, which is Eternal Life.

And so I draw them by these, and by many other ways, for the eye cannot see, nor the tongue relate, nor the heart think, how many are the roads and ways which I use, through love alone, to lead them back to grace, so that my Truth may be fulfilled in them.'

This stuff is theological gold dust!

Dominican Preaching

2007-08-14T10:04:00.000Z

Fr Gerard Dunne OP over at Irish Dominican Vocations had this to say about the preaching mission of the Order of Preachers:

'The Constitutions of the Order contain the formula which Saint Dominic is said to have repeated many, many times - namely: 'To speak of God or with God'. This indicates clearly enough that he envisaged a preaching that should be positive, doctrinal [I take this to mean focussed on the central mysteries of Christianity: the Trinity, the Incarnation etc.], theocentric and an exposition of Christian revelation.'

This type of preaching shouldn't just be the task of Dominicans, though...

NaPro Again!

2007-08-14T08:40:00.000Z

Dr Phil Boyle, whose work I mentioned here recently, has received a great PR boost thanks to the vocal support of Kathy Sinnott MEP (a disability rights and pro-life campaigner). Here's a CatholicIreland.net report on her interview with the Sunday Tribune:

'“The kind of joy he brings people is well beyond me,” said Irish MEP Kathy Sinnott, paying tribute to fertility care doctor Dr Philip Boyle.

In an interview with the Sunday Tribune Magazine Sunday, Ms Sinnott said that Dr Boyle “uses his skills, humanity and creativity to bring something really special to people… joy.”

Dr Boyle specializes in Natural Procreative Technology (NAPRO), providing couples struggling with infertility an alternative to IVF treatment. His work is focused on finding the underlying medical problem and treating it while restoring health. Dr Boyle says that in reality he doesn't cause the conception of the baby, he helps to clear the obstacles so that the couple can conceive themselves. The average couple walking through Dr Boyle's door for the first time are 36 years old with a history of five years of infertility. Half of those who persist will have a baby, although the rate of success drops to about 30 per cent if the woman has undergone IVF, because of the hormonal bombardment and scarring that can happen during the egg collection.

“Imagine the joy of a couple who have had six miscarriages when they finally hold their healthy newborn. And then finding that, because their infertility has been cured and not just circumvented, they can have a second and a third healthy baby without help,” Ms Sinnott said. “In my work, I try to meet the needs of the people who come through my Munster constituency office or through the Hope Project, the disability group I founded 11 years ago. I can share knowledge with people, accompany them through a maze of bureaucracy, campaign at their side, speak up for them, and offer my support and under-standing.“I love to serve, but in comparison to Philip, what I do is pedantic.”

The MEP said what she liked about Dr Boyle was the way he brings joy.

“He works not only towards health but also empowerment, cooperation and respect,” she said.
“I have always been focused on health, and as an MEP, I devote a lot of time to health issues. Meeting the challenge of disability or disease is really important, but we must also aim for recovery and the restoration of health and better still, prevention. “This is why Philip Boyle is a man after my own heart. His work is focused on finding the underlying medical problem and treating it while restoring health.”

Ms Sinnott paid tribute to Dr Boyle’s optimism and enthusiasm, saying that he “loves his work and “is tangibly awed by the miracle of life.”

“One couple told me that they wonder if it was Dr Boyle's confidence as much as the surgery, supplements, lifestyle changes and charting that gave them their precious daughter,” she said.

Dr Boyle is currently organising a 10th anniversary party for the 750 babies he has helped into the world. He is expecting several brothers and sisters to tag along, as Mum and Dad’s infertility is now a thing of the past.'

Lectio Divina

2007-08-13T19:54:00.000Z

One of the main aims of Youth 2000 is to lead young people to Christ by encouraging them to pray daily. At the recent Knock Youth Festival, this was made very clear, with particular emphasis on the prayerful reading of scripture (what better way in for the semi-churched?). Carole Brown (A Light to the Nations) gave workshops every day on the method of prayer called Lectio Divina. On the final day of the Festival, Carole gave a testimony about the importance in her own life of daily nourishment from the Bible. This talk preceded a short ceremony where those who did not own a Bible were given a copy. They weren't just blithely passed around, however. Rather, by way of teaching those present something of the power of the Word of God, the Bibles were handed to the recipients by priests, who said the words, 'This is the Word of the Lord', the response of the recipient being, 'Thanks be to God'. [As an aside, if you think this reverence for scripture is another example of Youth 2000 being 'more Protestant than it realizes' (as a recent commenter had it), how about this: 'The Church has always venerated the divine Scriptures just as she venerates the body of the Lord' - Dei Verbum].

What I took away from all this was how urgent it is for me to get to know the Bible. I read loads of theology, and know a bit about it, but I don't know my Bible better than the average Catholic. Carole rightly took me to task for this, telling me how important it was for theologians (and catechists, teachers, priests, parents) to love their Scriptures. Dei Verbum (one of the documents of the Second Vatican Council) declared that all those who are 'active in the ministry of the Word' (including catechists) should read and study the Scriptures 'so that none of them will become an empty preacher of the word of God outwardly, who is not a listener to it inwardly'.
To this end I've started doing a bit of lectio divina myself. I've only been doing it for a week, but I've found it very rewarding. Spending a bit of time with a scripture passage unlocks a lot more meaning, and you can really feel yourself being formed and moulded by the Word. The method I've been using is that of Carol Lankford (a consecrated virgin in the States). It can be found online. At Knock we were given a suggested scheme of readings from Scripture, and I've been sticking to this. Does anybody know of any good online Bible reading scheme?

CFRs in Limerick

2007-08-10T10:08:00.000Z

One of the most important events in the Irish Church this year is the recent arrival of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in Limerick (check out the story at CatholicIreland.net). For a Church that's struggling to move beyond maintenance and towards evangelization, the up-front, Christ-centred approach of the Greyfriars could be part of the solution. Also, wherever they are present, they have an impressive ministry to young people, largely because many of the friars are themselves young men, but also because they make no attempt to water down the faith. Their radical poverty itself speaks of the commitment needed to follow Christ, and their way of life implicitly offers a challenge to cultural Catholicism. St Francis, pray for them!

Galway Races

2007-08-08T18:16:00.000Z

Sorry for the departure from matters theoblogical, but last week we went to Ladies' Day at the Galway Races. Galway receives more than a quarter of a million visitors in the course of Race Week, and the city is packed at night. Galwegians themselves normally leave for this period in a mass exodus, and this was my first race week in Galway, so we made the most of it!

It all started off well, with everybody dressed to the nines for photos in our back garden:

Kamilla, Gemma and Anne-Marie

Kamilla and myself

At the races we met some of Annie's glamorous friends:

Although it was Ladies' Day, there were indeed some horses at the races:

When all was over, on our way home, this little traveller kid was busy charming the socks off the punters with his rendition of Dirty Old Town:

St Dominic

2007-08-07T16:42:00.000Z

Tomorrow is the feast of St Dominic, one of my favourite saints (about whom I've posted before). The general chapter of the Dominicans is meeting in Bogota at the moment. It concludes tomorrow (not sure if they elect a new Master though), so ask for Dominic's intercession! Fr Allan White OP, the prior provincial of the English province, had these profound words to say to the chapter:

'We know we shall not be saved by our institutions, our projects our priorities or our frontiers, but only by sheer naked commitment to Christ, the Word which we bear and in whose name we glory. All we have to offer is the Word and the name.'

This Christ-centredness is typically Dominican, and a renewal of Dominican thought and spirituality will do a lot to renew those institutions in the Church that seem to have forgotten the sufficiency of Christ.

On the 750th anniversary of the canonization of St Dominic (in 1984) the then-Master of the Order, Damian Byrne (from the Claddagh, the parish next to mine!) wrote a letter outlining the 'signal intensity' with which Dominic lived the 'three essential elements of the Christian life: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving'. Quoting from documents used in the canonization process, he writes the following:

'Prayer - "Beyond all doubt he was very fervent and constant in prayer, more so than any man I have ever known". We notice that St Dominic, while ever faithful to the obligation of choral prayer, had his own highly personal rhythm of private prayer. "He prayed more than the other brothers who lived with him, and kept longer vigils...

Fasting - He was also frugal in eating and drinking, but particularly as regards any special dish. Each of us needs to examine his or her lifestyle - our eating, drinking, our holidays, and our travel. We also need to broaden our outlook on penance in the way that Pope John XXIII did when he said that we must allow ourselves to be scourged, and to scourge ourselves a little, too...

Almsgiving - "Moved by compassion and mercy, Brother Dominic sold his books (which he had annotated) and other possessions, and gave the money to the poor"'.

St Dominic, pray for us!

NaPro Pics

2007-08-06T22:33:00.001Z

A friend of a friend, Piotr, stayed in our house last November to be trained in the incredibly successful and morally unproblematic family planning and fertility treatment method NaPro Technology. A friend of mine did a dissertation on this topic last year, and commented on how woefully underappreciated NaPro is by the medical mainstream. Anyway, Piotr just sent a CD of pictures, and here are some from the Fertility Care Centre at the Galway Clinic, one of the major centres of NaPro, with three doctors fully trained in the method (out of a European total of 13!).

Here's Dr Phil Boyle, the main man behind NaPro in Ireland:

The swanky foyer of the Galway Clinic:

These little guys (among many others) owe their lives to NaPro!:

Catholic Educators' Blog

2007-08-06T22:17:00.000Z

I've got a load of pics from Race Week that I'll be posting soon, but in the meantime I thought I'd make a proposition to the Catholic blogosphere: I'm thinking of starting a group blog for Catholic teachers (or perhaps a more limited one for Catholic teachers of 'religion' or 'theology' at secondary school). A renewal in catechesis at school is badly needed - perhaps sharing our experiences and ideas might bring us some way towards that goal. Send me an email (c.e.mcdonough@gmail.com) if you're interested in contributing or know of someone who might...

Christ and the Imagination

2007-08-04T10:05:00.000Z

More on the importance of the imagination...! (I did a lot of study on this sort of thing last year)

Imprint Christ... onto your heart, where he [already] dwells; whether you read a book about him, or behold him in an image, may he inspire your thoughts, as you come to know him twofold through the twofold experience of your senses. Thus you will see with your eyes what you have learned through the words you have heard. He who in this way hears and sees will fill his entire being with the praise of God.

- St Theodore the Studite (759-826), defender of the practice of painting and venerating holy images.

Mime and Drama

2007-08-04T09:34:00.000Z

Many traditionally-minded Catholics are very scornful when it comes to the use of drama or mime in catechesis, evangelisation, or the liturgy (here's an example). Until recently I shared this sense, cringing at the sight of dramatic 'interpretations' of the Gospel etc. While I still think drama is far too focussed on the performers to be appropriate during Mass, I was very moved by a drama put on (not during the Mass!) by the Youth 2000 Mission Team at the recent Knock festival. I was somewhat sceptical to begin with, but the performers had genuine skill, and had been practising for weeks. It began with James, obviously meant to represent God, standing behind a lifeless Maura. He began animating her, breathing life into her, and offering to her the gifts of creation.

Then in walks the sin of Lust, distracting and seducing Maura. God retreats to the sidelines. Lust is followed by Jealousy, a curvaceous girl who belittles Maura. Five more sins follow, all of them distracting and confusing Maura, all of them separating her from God, who looks on with love and concern. The sins then line up between Maura and her Creator as they fight to get to each other (this was the central message of the piece: God is constantly fighting to get to us, or, as St Ignatius said, 'God labours for us'). After Maura is thrown to the ground three times, God finally breaks through the column of sin to redeem and embrace her.

This drama was professionally done (set very well to music), dynamic, grounded in good theology, and it had a massive impact on myself and others at the festival. I've posted before about the importance of forming the imagination, and I think good drama can have this effect, feeding us with powerful images of God's love for us. Well done to the Mission Team!

A New Senator

2007-07-31T18:40:00.000Z

I heard a most welcome bit of news at the Knock Youth Festival - Rónan Mullen, a pro-life journalist and barrister, has been elected to the Seanad, the upper house of the Irish parliament. He was standing as an independent, and a reader of this blog, and all-round nice guy, Kevin Leavy, managed his campaign.

Rónan has been intelligently articulating pro-life and pro-family arguments for years, and the Seanad will be better off for his eloquence and vision. And who knows what the future holds!

I encourage you all to visit his website. The section on 'The Dignity of the Person' sets out his 'ethic':

'Every society should be judged on how it treats its most vulnerable members.

In a just society there can be no second-class citizens. Public policy should be geared towards helping disadvantaged members of society to survive and thrive, to flourish and reach their potential.

This can only happen if in our schools, our public advertising campaigns, in the shaping of legislation and the delivery of public services, we emphasise the dignity of each person and the importance of solidarity across the community.

The notion of respect for life is meaningless unless it applies across the board. Whether born or unborn, old or young, able-bodied or coping with disability, Irish or foreign, each human person has a claim on our understanding and support.'

Well done to all his collaborators for all their hard work - it could be the start of something new in Irish politics...

Knock Youth Festival

2007-07-31T10:30:00.000Z

After leaving the Spanish kids in Reading I popped up to Ampleforth for the FAITH Movement catechesis camp for 9-15 year olds (Bashing Secularism has a post with the low-down). I got to meet with the Head of Theology (my new boss!) to discuss plans for the coming academic year (I might be running an extra-curricular discussion group - if anybody can think of any films or texts that would be useful spurs for theological discussion, please let me know).

After a night in Hull, where some of the helpers watched Transformers (bit of a disappointment, but some class scenes), I got an early train to Manchester to fly to Knock to join 1000+ other young people for the Youth Festival there. It was an amazing weekend, with really inspiring talks by such people as fr John Harris OP (the national spiritual director for Youth 2000) and Ronan Johnston (famous in Ireland as the pianist from The Lyrics Board and You're a Star!). The festival was totally Christ-centred, with continuous eucharistic adoration (even during the night). There was a lot of praise and worship, and some fantastic workshops on things like vocational discernment, discipleship, evangelization, and chastity. On the Saturday night, the healing service took place, which involved confessions (52 priests in action!) and an individual blessing with the Host in the monstrance. This event in particular touched many hearts, and in the testimonies the following day, most people referred to this blessing as very significant. The testimonies themselves were very encouraging, most of them following a similar pattern: "I have been away from the Church recently, I didn't want to come to the retreat, I had an experience of God's love for me, and I plan to return to the sacraments and prayer". Genuine conversions occurred during the weekend, praise God! Say a prayer that these young people will continue to stay close to Christ.

Also, it was great to see so many young (and not-so-young!) Dominicans at the festival :)

[I'll get pics up when I get my hands on some.]

Trip to London

2007-07-20T17:16:00.001Z

We went to London last Tuesday. Pretty standard touristy trip, brightened up by our students' complete lack of inhibitions (one of the little guys managed to travel the length of a carriage on the Tube hanging off the hand-rails!).

Here's myself and Sebastian (another teacher) with some of the lads.

This Catalan (wannabe) mod found an affinity with some of the street sculpture...

The trip ended, of course, with a visit to the great temple of Western Culture...

Gary Halpin

2007-07-20T17:05:00.000Z

One of the housemasters at the school here is Gary Halpin, a former international rugby player (prop) for Ireland (he played his club rugby for London Irish, Harlequins, and Leinster). He gave a talk a few nights ago to our Catalan students about his life as a rugby player and life at the school. The guys loved him, despite his formidable appearance. Here's a pic of them trying on jerseys he gathered during his career:

The night ended with a surprise - a sing-song led by Gary himself (sorry the pic's blurry):

After a rendition of the 'Fields' dedicated to myself, he ended up with a song we didn't expect from a prop, Britney Spears' 'Hit Me Baby One More Time'!

Confessio

2007-07-19T14:46:00.000Z

What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops (Mt 10:27).

'I am, then, first of all, rustic, an exile, evidently unlearned, one who is not able to see into the future, but I know for certain, that before I was humbled I was like a stone lying in deep mire, and He that is mighty came and in His mercy raised me up and, indeed, lifted me high up and placed me on top of the wall. And from there I ought to shout out in gratitude to the Lord for His great favours in this world and for ever, that the mind of man cannot measure'

(St Patrick's Confession, 12)

Lay Cistercians

2007-07-19T14:20:00.000Z

The Cistercians, a reformed branch of the Benedictine order (which was founded in the sixth century for 'prayer and work'), have a long and glorious history in Ireland. Their most famous representative is St Malachy, who founded Mellifont Abbey in the 11th century. Today, the Irish Cistercians are present at New Mellifont, Mount Melleray, Roscrea (where they run a school), Bolton Abbey, Bethlehem Abbey (in NI), and Glencairn (nuns). I came across a very interesting initiative on the Mt St Joseph (Roscrea) website: 'Vigils', a community of young lay Cistercians. They have lots of interesting info on their site about Cistercian spirituality, including a beautiful article by an American Cistercian nun on 'Guarding the Heart'. Check these sites out - the Church in Ireland benefits so much from these contemplatives...

The Importance of the Imagination

2007-07-16T16:48:00.000Z

I'm reading an amazing book by Fr Vincent Twomey at the moment: 'The End of Irish Catholicism'. It's had a pretty profound impact on me so far, and I intend to review it on this blog soon. For the moment, I'll stick up a short extract that really chimed with me. I said before (in my post on Faith and Film) that it seems to me that the formation of the imagination is an essential part of catechesis, but one that is often ignored. Here's what Fr Twomey has to say on a similar topic, the place of the imagination in our response to secularisation:

'The Church must once again catch the imagination of people at large, appealing to the heart. What is needed is pre-evangelisation. Discourse comes later.

What all this amounts to is the need for a new, more imaginative look at Catholic public culture, above all the liturgy and the shape of our Feast Days. Art and architecture, music and ritual, need to be developed that will enable us to raise up our hearts to God, truly celebrate our liberation in Christ, and forge communal bonds through public celebration. Dostoyevski perceived that, when truth is hidden by public lies, and goodness hidden from public view, then beauty - art, music, literature, and I would add liturgy, which is, or ought to be, art at its most sublime - will save the world'.

Hear hear!

Reading Oratory School

2007-07-13T12:42:00.000Z

Things are going great here at the Reading Oratory School. The guys we're teaching are incredibly eager and well-behaved. There's loads of spiritual activities organised for them (Mass, meditations, Rosary), but there's no sense that this is a 'churchy' camp. They have endless energy despite spending hours playing sport. This 'life-to-the-full' Catholicism is very edifying for myself and the other teachers (both friends from Cambridge). Daily Mass is celebrated in the Old Chapel, a beautiful rustic converted-barn:

Here's a close-up of the beautiful altar-frontal:

This porcelain Madonna and Child is above one of the doors:

Finally, here's a pretty gruesome statue of a saint. Does anybody know who she is, or what's embedded in her forehead?! (UPDATE: I'm told it's probably St Rita...):

The rumour has spread among the students that the chapel is haunted: apparently an image of a young girl appeared in a photo taken of the chapel by a Basque student last year... They've requested a midnight "ghostbustering" visit to the Chapel - I'll report all the gory details here!

Fr Willie Doyle SJ

2007-07-08T21:35:00.000Z

Here's a short piece from a collection of snippets from the writings of Fr William Doyle SJ, an Irish Jesuit, and military chaplain who died in the First World War:

'Keep smiling. It is a grand thing to cultivate a smile. Keep the corners of your mouth up, especially if you are in an attack of the dumps. There are three D's to be avoided - the Devil, the Doctor, and the Dumps. The Devil, we all know, is bad enough; the Doctor is very little better; and the Dumps are the Devil himself! So I repeat, keep smiling, it is the very best remedy for gloom. The devil loves nothing better than a gloomy soul; it is his plaything. Smile a while, and while you smile another smiles, and soon there's miles and miles of smiles, and life's worth while because you smile.'

If you think that sounds a bit cheesy, remember the author also wrote this, at the Somme:

'By cutting a piece out of the side of the trench, I was just able to stand in front of my tiny altar, a biscuit tin supported by two German bayonets. God's angels, no doubt, were hovering overhead, but so were the shells, hundreds of them, and I was a little afraid that when the earth shook with the crash of the guns, the chalice might be overturned. Round about me on every side was the biggest congregation I ever had: behind the altar, on either side, and in front, row after row, sometimes crowding one upon the other, but all quiet and silent, as if they were straining their ears to catch every syllable of that tremendous act of Sacrifice - but every man was dead! Some had lain there for a week and were foul and horrible to look at, with faces black and green. Others had only just fallen, and seemed rather sleeping than dead, but there they lay, for none had time to bury them, brave fellows, every one, friend and foe alike, while I held in my unworthy hands the God of Battles, their Creator and their Judge, and prayed to Him to give rest to their souls. Surely that Mass for the Dead, in the midst of, and surrounded by the dead, was an experience not easily to be forgotten.'

Pro-Family Poem

2007-07-08T21:04:00.000Z

There's a lot of campaigning being done on the issue of the place of the traditional family in Western society (a welcome arrival on the scene of public debate on this issue is that of the Iona Institute). Arguments from statistics and natural law are indeed important, but equally important is the appeal to the almost universal experience of familial love. Below is a poem by Seamus Heaney that treats this issue beautifully. The last stanza includes an incredibly striking image for ordinary, unglamorous love.

Mossbawn 1: Sunlight

There was a sunlit absence.
The helmeted pump in the yard
heated its iron,
water honeyed

in the slung bucket
and the sun stood
like a griddle cooling
against the wall

of each long afternoon.
So, her hands scuffled
over the bakeboard,
the reddening stove

sent its plaque of heat
against her where she stood
in a floury apron
by the window.

Now she dusts the board
with a goose's wing,
now sits, broad-lapped,
with whitened nails

and measling shins:
here is a space
again, the scone rising
to the tick of two clocks.

And here is love
like a tinsmith's scoop
sunk past its gleam
in the meal-bin.

Visiting Hannah

2007-07-08T16:12:00.001Z

I visited my friend Hannah in the Poor Clares on Friday. She's been there about two months, and is happy that she's found her home, but it was humbling to hear of the daily difficulties involved in living an enclosed life. She noted how quick she was to speak of 'dying to self' when 'on the outside', but that enclosure and community life have really taught her the meaning of that phrase. The intensity of suffering involved in such a life is unimaginable, but the sisters (whom I also met) radiate a joy of equal intensity. Whatever the contemplative life may be, it isn't boring!

New Dominicans!

2007-07-08T16:07:00.001Z

Three Irish and one Trinidadian have been accepted to the novitiate of the Irish Province of Dominicans. I've met the three guys from Ireland, and I can vouch for their worthiness! One of them is working with homeless men at the Legion of Mary's hostel in Dublin, another has just qualified as a teacher, and the third is a Dutch man who wasn't even brought up a Christian (the story of his conversion is recounted in this month's Alive magazine, in the 'What God means to me' section).

Congratulations to all concerned! You're in our prayers lads.

Teaching English in Reading

2007-07-08T15:51:00.000Z

I'm leaving for Reading tomorrow, where I'll be teaching English to Spanish teens at a camp run by Opus Dei. Last year was great craic with lots of this:

... piles of this:

... daily this:

... even a little bit of this!:

Summorum Pontificum

2007-07-07T09:49:00.000Z

The impending publication of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum allowing for greater liberty in the celebration of the old rite of Mass (from now on to be called the 'extraordinary Roman Rite', it seems) is great news for the Church. It's all too easy for traditionalists to lose the run of themselves amid all the champagne glasses though... The Catholic blogosphere is favourable towards good liturgy in a way that many good Catholics in parishes simply aren't, thanks to a generation of malformation. For example, a recent survey in Ossory diocese showed that 'young people want more participation at Church ceremonies, by way of reading and being Eucharistic ministers and expressed a preference for... action liturgies'.

The Motu Proprio is indeed great news, but a great deal of catechesis and formation is needed before reverent liturgy becomes genuinely 'popular'. That's the task in hand - let's get to it!

Summer Plans

2007-07-04T14:21:00.000Z

As usual, I'm having a pretty hectic summer... On Tuesday, I'm leaving Galway to go to the Reading Oratory school to work there at an English language camp for Spanish kids. Straight after that, I'm heading up to Ampleforth for the FAITH youth session for Scotland and the north of England (I'll hopefully be meeting with school teaching staff to prepare me (somewhat) for my job there next year...). Then it's straight to Knock for the youth festival there (I'm hoping to take a group from my parish there, please pray that there'll be takers!).

After all that, I have the small matter of learning to drive before I start work...