In the Footsteps of St. Patrick

The Breastplate of St. Patrick...........

2011-07-24T12:10:00.001+01:00

I bind unto myself today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever.
By power of faith, Christ's incarnation;
His baptism in the Jordan river;
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spicèd tomb;
His riding up the heavenly way;
His coming at the day of doom;*
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
Of the great love of the cherubim;
The sweet 'well done' in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors' faith, Apostles' word,
The Patriarchs' prayers, the Prophets' scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord,
And purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
The virtues of the starlit heaven,
The glorious sun's life-giving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea,
Around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward,
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar my course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility,
I bind to me these holy powers.

Against all Satan's spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart's idolatry,
Against the wizard's evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave and the poisoned shaft,
Protect me, Christ, till Thy returning.

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same.
The Three in One, and One in Three,
Of Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

_______________________________________

Eucharistic Congress 1932

2011-07-24T12:05:00.000+01:00

Irish Martyrs - Bl. Patrick O'Healy (Bishop) & Bl. Cornelius O'Rourke (Franciscan Priest)

2011-02-16T21:31:00.000Z

Bishop Patrick O'Healy and Father Cornelius O'Rourke, Franciscans: tortured and hanged at Kilmallock 22nd August 1579

Patrick O'Healy was born about 1545 in Co Leitrim and became a Franciscan. He was educated at the university of Alcalá in Spain. He seems to have spent some time in Rome - perhaps sent there with letters from King Philip II of Spain requesting help from Pope Gregory XIII for an invasion of Ireland. It may have been while he was there that he was made bishop of Mayo in 1576. He spent some time in Paris where he took part in public disputations at the university, amazing his hearers by his mastery of patristic and controversial theology, as well as of Scotist philosophy.

After Pope St Pius V (1566-72: Antonio Ghislieri OP) excommunicated Queen Elizabeth in 1571, the Earl of Desmond spent some time on the continent negotiating with King Philip II of Spain and Pope Gregory XIII (Ugo Buoncompagni: 1572-85) to make Ireland a kingdom allied under Spain with the Pope's illegitimate son, Giacomo, a possible candidate for King. Patrick O'Hely was certainly involved in these negotiations at the start, but after an abortive attempt to sail to Ireland from Ferrol in north-west Spain went to France.

In autumn, 1579, he and fellow Franciscan Father Conn O'Rourke from the ruling house of Breifne sailed from Brittany and arrived off the coast of Kerry. Whether aware of it or not, they were seen as part of the invasion force of Spaniards and Italians with James Fitzmaurice Earl of Desmond which had landed at Smerwick harbour.

O'Healy and O'Rourke landed at Askeaton, were captured and brought to Limerick. Sir William Drury, Elizabethan President of Munster and the Chief Justice offered to promote O'Healy if he would take the Oath of Supremacy. Both refused, were tried and found guilty of treason.

The sentence of death was carried out at Kilmallock in 1579. Before their execution they imparted absolution to each other and recited litanies together. In the Church of SS. Peter and Paul, Kilmallock, there is a stained glass window of three martyrs - Bishop Patrick O'Healy and Father Conn O'Rourke, and Father Maurice MacEnraghty, a secular priest and native of Kilmallock, who was martyred in Clonmel in 1585.

Bishop O' Healy and Fr. Con O' Rourke were given recognition of their sacrifice in 1992 when they were amongst seventeen Irish martyrs who were beautified by Pope John Paul II on September 22nd.

Bl. Margaret Ball - Mother and Martyr 1515 - 1584 (Meath & Dublin)

2011-02-14T20:24:00.006Z

Born Margaret Bermingham about 1515 in Skreen, Co Meath. Her father, Nicholas Birmingham, left England due to his opposition to the religious reforms of King Henry VIII He purchased and farmed land in Corballis, County Meath. The family was politically active; her brother, William Birmingham, protested in London against Thomas Radclyffe, Earl of Sussex, when he imposed the Protestant Reformation on behalf of the boy-king Edward VI. When she was fifteen years old Margaret married Alderman Bartholomew Ball of Ballrothery. His wealthy family operated the bridge over the River Dodder, which is still known as Ballsbridge. Margaret and Bartholomew lived at Ballygall House in north county Dublin and had a town house on Merchant's Quay in the City of Dublin. They had ten children, though only five survived to adulthood. Her husband was elected Mayor of Dublin in 1553, making Margaret the Mayoress. She had a comfortable life with a large household and many servants, and she was recognised for organising classes for the children of local families in her home.

Queen Elizabeth I reversed the policy of her sister Queen Mary Tudor and imposed her Religious Settlement. In 1570 the Papacy responded with the bull "Regnans in Excelsis" which declared Elizabeth to be an illegitimate usurper. Margaret's eldest son, Walter Ball, embraced the "new religion" and was appointed Commissioner for Ecclesiastical Causes in 1577. Margaret was disappointed with her son's change of faith and tried to change his mind. On one occasion, she told him that she had a "special friend" for him to meet. Walter arrived early with a company of soldiers, and found that the "special friend" was Dermot O'Hurley, Archbishop of Cashel. He was celebrating Mass with the family. Walter had his mother arrested and locked in the dungeons of Dublin Castle,

When the family protested, Walter declared that his mother should have been executed, but he had spared her. She would be allowed to go free if she "Took the Oath", which probably referred to the Oath of Supremacy. Her second son, Nicholas, who supported her, was elected Mayor of Dublin in 1582. However, Walter was still Commissioner for Ecclesiastical Causes, which was a crown appointment. He outranked Nicholas and kept him from securing the release of their mother. Nicholas visited her daily, bringing her food, clothing, and candles.

Margaret died in 1584 at the age of sixty-nine, which was an advanced age at the time. She was crippled with arthritis and had lived for three years in the cold, wet dungeon of Dublin Castle with no natural light. When she died she was buried in the cemetery at St. Audoen's Church in Dublin. Although she could have altered her will, she still bequeathed her property to Walter upon her death.

Margaret had remained in the dungeon when she could have returned to a life of comfort at any time by simply 'taking the oath'. Two generations later this pattern was repeated when Francis Taylor, who was Mayor of Dublin 1595-1596, was condemned to the dungeons after exposing fraud in the parliamentary elections to the Irish House of Commons. He refused to 'take the oath' and died in Dublin Castle in 1621. Taylor was married to Gennet Shelton, a grand-daughter of Margaret. Margaret and Francis could not have known each other, but they were beatified together, along with Dermot O'Hurley, on September 27th 1992 by Pope John Paul II.

Irish Martyrs - Blessed Dominic Collins Jesuit Brother (Cork)

2011-02-13T11:11:00.018Z

Blessed Dominic Collins (1566-1602) Irish martyr, Jesuit brother

When the Desmond Rebellion was put down in 1583, Dominic Collins of Youghal became a professional soldier in the Catholic armies of Europe. Ten years later he joined the Jesuits in Santiago de Compostela. Sent back to Ireland in 1601 as a companion to Fr James Archer SJ with the Spaniards going to Kinsale, he was eventually captured and put to death for his faith. Patrick Duffy tells his story.

Early life: a soldier of fortune
Dominic Collins was born into a leading Catholic family in Youghal, Co Cork in 1566. Both his father and his brother served as mayor in the town.and he may have attended the Jesuit school set up in the town in 1577. The local people recognised Elizabeth as Queen, but did not want Anglicanism as the new religion. So when the Desmond Rebellion was crushed (1583), there was little else for a young Catholic man of ambition to do but to seek a career on the continent. Sailing to France, Dominic enlisted in the Catholic army of the Duke of Mercoeur and quickly became a military governor. He later transferred to the Spanish army and was in the garrison at La Coruña.

Joins the Jesuits
Here in 1598 he met the Jesuit priest, Father Thomas White from Clonmel, who had earlier founded the Irish College at Salamanca and had come to La Coruña to hear the confessions of Irish soldiers during Lent. Dominic confided in Fr White his intention of joining the Jesuits. Fr White explained the difficulties of studies for the priesthood. Dominic said was happy to be a Jesuit brother.

The Jesuits were reluctant to accept him, feeling that a battle-hardened soldier would not settle into religious life, but Dominic persevered and was admitted to the novitiate in Santiago de Compostela. Here he proved his mettle when the Jesuit College was struck by a plague. Dominic tended the victims, nursing some of them back to health and comforting the others in their last hours.
A report sent to Rome at this time describes him as a man of sound judgment and great physical strength, mature, prudent and sociable, though inclined to be hot-tempered and obstinate.

Battle of Kinsale
At this time Ireland was in turmoil. O'Neill and O'Donnell had revolted in Ulster and in 1601 King Philip III of Spain decided to send an army to help them. An Irish Jesuit, Father James Archer, who was acting as O’Neill’s envoy with Rome and Spain, asked that Dominic, who knew the needs of soldiers, be sent with him to Ireland.

Siege of Dunboy Castle
After the shock defeat of the Irish and the Spanish at the Battle of Kinsale, Fr Archer went back to Spain. Dominic went with O'Sullivan Beare’s men to the Beara peninsula and was along with a group of 143 soldiers under the command of Richard McGeoghegan, who took refuge inside Dunboy Castle. This was a small square fortress on the mainland overlooking Beare Island. Here Lord Carew, the president of Munster and an army of 4,000 soldiers besieged them for several months.

During the siege, Dominic, though a veteran of many battles, could not as a religious take part in the fighting, but he could and did give bodily and spiritual assistance to the wounded and the dying. Knowing too how keen Carew would be to capture a Jesuit, he thought that by handing himself over as a hostage he could negotiate an honourable cease-fire. But Carew refused any negotiations and the besieged surrendered. Carew ordered Dominic and two others to be kept prisoners while the rest were hanged in the market-place, fifty-eight on that day, and the remaining twelve four days later. A plaque on the ruins of Dunboy Castle today commemorates their brave struggle.

Interrogation and torture
The three surviving prisoners were brought to Cork for interrogation. As the other two had little to reveal, they were soon executed. But Carew interrogated Collins, hoping he could persuade him to become a Protestant and thus gain a propaganda victory. He alternately tortured Dominic and made him primises of preferment to high ecclesiastical office. Some of Dominic’s own family visited him, urging him to save his life by pretending a conversion which he could afterwards repudiate. But Dominic would have none of it, and clearly made a choice of a martyr's death.

Martyrdom Taken to Youghal on 31st October 1602, he was marched by a troop of soldiers through the streets to the place of execution - the first time he had seen his home town in fifteen years. He wore his black Jesuit gown and addressed the crowd in Spanish, Irish and English, cheerfully telling them that he had come to Ireland to defend the faith of the Holy Roman Church, the one true path to salvation. So moved were the crowd that the hangman fled and a passing fisherman was forced to do the job.

Influence
Left hanging on the gallows, the rope eventually broke and Dominic’s body fell to the ground. Under cover of darkness, local Catholics took his body away and buried him with respect in a secret place. From that day he was venerated as a martyr in Youghal and his fame quickly spread throughout Ireland and Europe. In the Irish Colleges of Douai and Salamanca the Jesuits showed his portrait and many favours and cures were attributed to his intercession. Although used to the rough life of the army camp, Dominic always kept a strange innocence and gentleness. He is one of the most attractive of all the Irish martyrs.

Dominic Collins was beatified - along with Francis Taylor and 13 other Irish martyrs - on the 27 September 1992, by Pope John-Paul II.

Liturgically his feast is celebrated on the 20th June, or the 30th of October (in the Society of Jesus).

Irish Martyrs - Bl. Terence Albert O'Brien Bishop (Limerick)

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Bishop Terence Albert O'Brien, Dominican: hanged and beheaded at Gallow's Green, Limerick 30th October 1651

Terence O'Brien was born into a well-off farming family near Cappamore in east Limerick in 1601. He became a Dominican in 1621 taking the name Albert. He studied in Toledo, Spain, where he was ordained in 1627. Returning to Ireland, he served as prior in Limerick and Lorrha near Portumna before becoming Provincial of the Irish province in 1643. He attended the general chapter of his order in Rome in 1644 where he made known the martyrdom of Father Peter Higgins.

On his way home he visited two Irish Dominican foundations in Portugal and it was while he was there that he learned of his appointment as co-adjutor to the ailing bishop of Emly. This was the time of the Catholic confederation of Kilkenny. The Confederation was divided between the Old English, generally of Norman families who were prepared to agree on moderate terms with King Charles and the Irish, led by returned exiles and supported by the papal nuncio Rinuccini. In 1649 the parliamentarians under Cromwell abolished the monarchy and Cromwell wreaked havoc in Ireland.

After the siege of Limerick in 1651, Bishop O'Brien, who had encouraged citizens to resist, was captured as he tended the sick in the plague house. Tried by court-martial, he was condemned to death. As he went to the gallows, he spoke to the people: "Do not weep for me, but pray that being firm and unbroken in this torment of death, I may happily finish my course." After his death by strangulation his body was left hanging for three hours and treated with indignity by the soldiers. They cut off his head and spiked it on the river gate where it remained fresh and incorrupt, because, people said, he had preserved his virginity throughout his life. His headless body was buried near the old Dominican priory of Limerick, a wall of which still stands in the grounds of St Mary's Convent of Mercy.

A small silver pectoral cross of Bishop Terence Albert was given to the Irish Dominicans by the last surviving member of the O'Briens of Tuogh. According to family tradition, the bishop gave the cross to his mother shortly before his execution, and it had been passed on as a family heirloom from generation to generation. The image accompanying this article is a detail from a stained glass window (by Murphy and Devitt) in the Terence Albert O'Brien Chapel in St Saviour's Church, Glentworth, Street, Limerick.

On 27 September 1992, O'Brien and sixteen other Irish Catholic Martyrs, including Dermot O'Hurley, were beatified by Pope John Paul II. A large backlighted portrait of him is on display in St. Michael's Church, Cappamore, Co. Limerick, which depicts him during The Siege of Limerick.

The Polish Community in Ireland

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The Polish Dominican Chaplaincy celebrated its 5th year this week. Bishop Wojciech Polak celebrated the Mass on this glorious occasion, which also included the confirmation of a group of young adults.

The Dominican Church in Dublins City Centre where their Chaplaincy is located is in St. Saviours Church, Dominic Street, Dublin 1.

Overall the Polish Community have contributed much to the Irish Church over the past number of years, with all of their Catholic traditions (procession, litanies etc), with their witness of reverence and respect for the Mass, their attendance at Confessions which are regularly heard by the Priests both in the Polish Chaplaincy in St. Audoens Church and also at St. Saviours the Dominican Church and other Churches where they are located throughout Dublin and the entire country. We thank God for their presence and their contribution to the Church here in Ireland in these most difficult times.

Reform and Renewal in our Churches.....

2011-02-07T16:23:00.001Z

As we are now just over a year away from the Eucharistic Congress, we can hope and pray that we would renew our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Are there any ways in which we can help to bring more reverence and respect to Jesus presence in the Tabernacle and also to the Holy Mass ? We could ask people gently to be silent in Church after Mass to talk outside if they have to, as unfortunately talking is very common place in our Churches after Mass, which is not respectful to the presence of God. There is a Church in the midlands which has signs up asking for reverence and silence in the Church and asks people nicely to talk to Jesus in their own hearts after receving Him in Holy Communion and after Mass and wait to talk to their friends outside. This is very well respected in this particular church and shows the love that the Priest has for the presence of God in the Church.

We must learn to know and love Jesus and to know that He is our healer and our Saviour. We must give Him our time after receiving Him in Holy Communion. He is hurt deeply by our apathy and our ignorance.

In the Diary of St. Faustina Jesus said, "My great delight is to unite Myself with souls ... When I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not recognize Love! They treat Me as a dead object" (1385) ...

Pope John Paul II Homily to the Irish in Dublin's Phoenix Park, 1979 (Conclusion)

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I end, dear brothers and sisters, beloved sons and daughters of Ireland, by recalling how Divine Providence has used this Island on the edge of Europe for the conversion of the European continent, that continent which has been for two thousand years the continent of the first evangelization. I myself am a son of that nation which received the Gospel more than a thousand years ago, many centuries later than your homeland. When in 1966, we solemnly recalled the millennium of the Baptism of Poland, we recalled with gratitude also those Irish missionaries who, among others, participated in the work of the first evangelization of the country that extends East and West from the Vistula.

One of my closest friends, a famous Professor of History in Cracow, having learned of my intention to visit Ireland, said : "What a blessing that the Pope goes to Ireland. This country deserves it in a special way". I too have always thought like this. Thus I thought that the centenary of the Sanctuary of the Mother of God at Knock constitutes, this year, a providential occasion for the Pope's visit to Ireland. So, by this visit, I am expressing my sense of what Ireland "deserves", and also satisfying deep needs of my own heart. I am paying a great debt to Jesus Christ, who is the Lord of history and the author of our salvation.

Hence I express my joy that I can be with you today, 29 September 1979, Feast of Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael, Archangels, and that I can celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and give witness before you to Christ and to his Paschal Mystery. Thus I can proclaim the vivifying reality of conversion through the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance, in the midst of the present generation of the sons and daughters of Ireland. Metanoeite, "Be converted" ! (Mk 1 :15). Be converted continually. Be converted every day; because constantly, every day, the Kingdom of God draws closer. On the road of this temporal world, let Christ be the Lord of your souls, for eternal life. Amen.

Homily of Pope John Paul II to the Irish in Phoenix Park Dublin 1979 Part 7 (1)

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7. I wish also at this time to recall to you an important truth affirmed by the Second Vatican Council, namely: "The spiritual life, nevertheless, is not confined to participation in the liturgy" (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 12). And so I also encourage you in the other exercises of devotion that you have lovingly preserved for centuries, especially those in regard to the Blessed Sacrament. These acts of piety honour God and are useful for our Christian lives ; they give joy to our hearts, and help us to appreciate more the liturgical worship of the Church.

The visit to the Blessed Sacrament—so much a part of Ireland, so much a part of your piety, so much a part of your pilgrimage to Knock—is a great treasure of the Catholic faith. It nourishes social love and gives us opportunities for adoration and thanksgiving, for reparation and supplication. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Hours and Eucharistic processions are likewise precious elements of your henitage—in full accord with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council.

At this time, it is also my joy to reaffirm before Ireland and the whole world the wonderful teaching of the Catholic Church regarding Christ's consoling presence in the Blessed Sacrament : his real presence in the fullest sense : the substantial presence by which the whole and complete Christ, God and man, is present (cf. Mysterium Fidei, 39). The Eucharist, in the Mass and outside of the Mass, is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and is therefore deserving of the worship that is given to the living God, and to him alone (cf. Mysterium Fidei, 55; Paolo VI, Address of 15 June 1978).

And so, dear brothers and sisters, every act of reverence, every genuflection that you make before the Blessed Sacrament, is important because it is an act of faith in Christ, an act of love for Christ. And every sign of the Cross and gesture of respect made each time you pass a church is also an act of faith.
May God preserve you in this faith this holy Catholic faith—this faith in the Blessed Sacrament.

Pope John Paul II Homily to the Irish, Phoenix Park, Dublin 1979 Part 6

2011-02-04T07:20:00.000Z

6. The Eucharist is also a great call to conversion. We know that it is an invitation to the Banquet ; that, by nourishing ourselves on the Eucharist, we receive in it the Body and Blood of Christ, under the appearances of bread and wine. Precisely because of this invitation, the Eucharist is and remains the call to conversion. If we receive it as such a call, such an invitation, it brings forth in us its proper fruits. It transforms our lives. It makes us a "new man", a "new creature" (cf. Gal 6:15; Eph 2:15; 2 Cor 5 :17). It helps us not to be overcome by evil, but to "overcome evil with good" (Rom 12 :21). The Eucharist helps love to triumph in us—love over hatred, zeal over indifference.

The call to conversion in the Eucharist links the Eucharist with that other great Sacrament of God's love, which is Penance. Every time that we receive the Sacrament of Penance or Reconciliation, we receive the forgiveness of Christ, and we know that this forgiveness comes to us through the merits of his death—the very death that we celebrate in the Eucharist. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we are all invited to meet Christ personally in this way, and to do so frequently.

This encounter with Jesus is so very important that I wrote in my first Encyclical Letter these words: "In faithfully observing the centuries-old practice of the Sacrament of Penance—the practice of individual confession with a personal act of sorrow and the intention to amend and make satisfaction—the Church is therefore defending the human soul's individual right : man's right to a more personal encounter with the crucified forgiving Christ, with Christ saying, through the minister of the sacrament of Reconciliation : 'Your sins are forgiven' ; 'Go, and do not sin again'". Because of Christ's love and mercy, there is no sin that is too great to be forgiven ; there is no sinner who will be rejected. Every person who repents will be received by Jesus Christ with forgiveness and immense love.

It was with great joy that I received the news that the Irish Bishops had asked all the faithful to go to Confession as part of a great spiritual preparation for my visit to Ireland. You could not have given me a greater joy or a greater gift. And if today there is someone who is still hesitating, for one reason or another, please remember this : the person who knows how to acknowledge the truth of guilt, and asks Christ for forgiveness, enhances his own human dignity and manifests spiritual greatness.

I take this occasion to ask all of you to continue to hold this Sacrament of Penance in special honour, for ever. Let all of us remember the words of Pius XII in regard to frequent Confession : " Not without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was this practice introduced into the Church " (AAS 35, 1943, p. 235).
Dear brothers and sisters: the call to conversion and repentance comes from Christ, and always leads us back to Christ in the Eucharist.

Pope John Paul II Homily to the Irish in Phoenix Park Dublin, 1979 Part 5

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5. Yes, it is from the Eucharist that all of us receive the grace and strength for daily living to live real Christian lives, in the joy of knowing that God loves us, that Christ died for us, and that the Holy Spirit lives in us.
Our full participation in the Eucharist is the real source of the Christian spirit that we wish to see in our personal lives and in all aspects of society. Whether we serve in politics, in the economic, cultural, social or scientific fields—no matter what our occupation is—the Eucharist is a challenge to our daily lives.

Dear brothers and sisters: there must always be consistency between what we believe and what we do. We cannot live on the glories of our past Christian history.

Our union with Christ in the Eucharist must be expressed in the truth of our lives today—in our actions, in our behaviour, in our life-style, and in our relationships with others. For each one of us the Eucharist is a call to ever greater effort, so that we may live as true followers of Jesus : truthful in our speech, generous in our deeds, concerned, respectful of the dignity and rights of all persons, whatever their rank or income, self-sacrificing, fair and just, kind, considerate, compassionate and self-controlled—looking to the well-being of our families, our young people, our country, Europe and the world. The truth of our union with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is tested by whether or not we really love our fellow men and women; it is tested by how we treat others, especially our families : husbands and wives, children and parents, brothers and sisters. It is tested by whether or not we try to be reconciled with our enemies, by whether or not we forgive those who hurt us or offend us. It is tested by whether we practise in life what our faith teaches us. We must always remember what Jesus said: "You are my friends if you do what I command you" (Jn 15 :14).

Homily of Pope John Paul II to the Irish in Phoenix Park Dublin 1979 Part 4

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4. And so, it becomes all the more urgent to steep ourselves in the truth that comes from Christ, who is "the way, the truth and the life" (Jn 14 :6), and in the strength that he himself offers us through his Spirit. It is especially in the Eucharist that the power and the love of the Lord are given to us.

The Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ offered up for us is an act of supreme love on the part of the Saviour. It is his great victory over sin and death—a victory that he communicates to us. The Eucharist is a promise of eternal life, since Jesus himself tells us : "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day" (Jn 6 :54).

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is meant to be the festive celebration of our salvation. In the Mass we give thanks and praise to God our Father for having given us Redemption through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is also the centre of the Church's unity, as well as her greatest treasure. In the words of the Second Vatican Council, the Eucharist contains "the Church's entire spiritual wealth" (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 5).

Today I wish to express the gratitude of Jesus Christ and his Church for the devotion that Ireland has shown to the Holy Eucharist. As Successor of Peter and Vicar of Christ, I assure you that the Mass is indeed the source and summit of your Christian life.

On Sunday mornings in Ireland, no one seeing the great crowds making their way to and from Mass could have any doubt about Ireland's devotion to the Mass. For them a whole Catholic people is seen to be faithful to the Lord's command : Do this in memory of me. May the Irish Sunday continue always to be the day when the whole people of God—the pobal Dé—makes its way to the House of God, which the Irish call the House of the People—the teach an phobail—. I have learned with great joy that large numbers also come to Mass several times each week and even every day. This practice is a great source of grace and of growth in holiness.

Pope John Paul II - Homily to the Irish in Dublin's Phoenix Park 1979 Part 3

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3. Yes, Ireland, that has overcome so many difficult moments in her history, is being challenged in a new way today, for she is not immune from the influence of ideologies and trends which present-day civilization and progress carry with them. The very capability of mass media to bring the whole world into your homes produces a new kind of confrontation with values and trends that up until now have been alien to Irish society. Pervading materialism imposes its dominion on man today in many different forms and with an aggressiveness that spares no one. The most sacred principles, which were the sure guides for the behaviour of individuals and society, are being hollowed out by false pretences concerning freedom, the sacredness of life, the indissolubility of marriage, the true sense of human sexuality, the right attitude towards the material goods that progress has to offer.

Many people now are tempted to self-indulgence and consumerism, and human identity is often defined by what one owns. Prosperity and affluence, even when they are only beginning to be available to larger strata of society, tend to make people assume that they have a right to all that prosperity can bring, and thus they can become more selfish in their demands. Everybody wants a full freedom in all the areas of human behaviour and new models of morality are being proposed in the name of would-be freedom. When the moral fibre of a nation is weakened, when the sense of personal responsibility is diminished, then the door is open for the justification of injustices, for violence in all its forms, and for the manipulation of the many by the few. The challenge that is already with us is the temptation to accept as true freedom what in reality is only a new form of slavery.

Pope John Paul II - Homily to the Irish in Dublin's Phoenix Park 1979 Part 2

2011-01-31T10:54:00.000Z

2. From the Upper Room in Jerusalem, from the Last Supper, in a certain sense, the Eucharist writes the history of human hearts and of human communities. Let us reflect on all those who, being nourished on the Body and Blood of the Lord, have lived and died on this island, bearing in themselves, because of the Eucharist, the pledge of eternal life. Let us think of so many generations of sons and daughters of this country, and, at the same time, sons and daughters of the Church. May this Eucharist of ours be celebrated in the atmosphere of the great communion of the Saints. We form a spiritual union in this Mass with all the generations who have done God's will throughout the ages up to the present day. We are one in faith and spirit with the vast throng which filled this Phoenix Park on the occasion of the last great Eucharistic hosting held on this spot, at the Eucharistic Congress in 1932.

Faith in Christ has profoundly penetrated into the consciousness and life of your ancestors. The Eucharist transformed their souls for eternal life, in union with the living God. May this exceptional Eucharistic encounter of today be at the same time a prayer for the dead, for your ancestors and forebears. With their help, may it become more fruitfully a prayer for the living, for the present generation of sons and daughters of today's Ireland, preparing for the end of the twentieth century, so that they can meet the challenges that will be put before them.

3. Yes, Ireland, that has overcome so many difficult moments in her history, is being challenged in a new way today, for she is not immune from the influence of ideologies and trends which present-day civilization and progress carry with them. The very capability of mass media to bring the whole world into your homes produces a new kind of confrontation with values and trends that up until now have been alien to Irish society. Pervading materialism imposes its dominion on man today in many different forms and with an aggressiveness that spares no one. The most sacred principles, which were the sure guides for the behaviour of individuals and society, are being hollowed out by false pretences concerning freedom, the sacredness of life, the indissolubility of marriage, the true sense of human sexuality, the right attitude towards the material goods that progress has to offer.

Pope John Paul II - Homily to the Irish in Dublin's Phoenix Park 1979 Part 1

2011-01-30T13:22:00.000Z

Dear brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ,

1. Like Saint Patrick, I too have heard "the voice of the Irish" calling to me, and so I have come to you, to all of you in Ireland. From the very beginning of its faith, Ireland has been linked with the Apostolic See of Rome. The early records attest that your first Bishop, Palladius, was sent to Ireland by Pope Celestine; and that Saint Patrick, who succeeded Palladius, was "confirmed in the faith" by Pope Leo the Great. Among the sayings attributed to Patrick is the famous one addressed to the "Church of the Irish, nay of the Romans", showing them how they must pray in order to be "Christians as the Romans are".

This union of charity between Ireland and the Holy Roman Church has remained inviolable and unbreakable down all the centuries. You Irish Catholics have kept and loved the unity and peace of the Catholic Church, treasuring it above all earthly treasures. Your people have spread this love for the Catholic Church everywhere they went, in every century of your history. This has been done by the earliest monks and the missionaries of Europe's Dark Ages, by the refugees from persecution, by the exiles and by the missionaries—men and women—of the last century and this one.

I have come to you as Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the whole Church, in order to celebrate this union with you in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, here in Ireland's capital city of Dublin, for the first time in Irish history. As I stand at this moment, a pilgrim for Christ to the land from which so many pilgrims for Christ, peregrini pro Christo, went out over Europe, the Americas, Australia, Africa, Asia,

I am living a moment of intense emotion. As I stand here, in the company of so many hundreds of thousands of Irish men and women, I am thinking of how many times, across how many centuries, the Eucharist has been celebrated in this land. How many and how varied the places where Mass has been offered—in stately mediaeval and in splendid modern cathedrals ; in early monastic and in modern churches; at Mass rocks in the glens and forests by "hunted priests", and in poor thatch-covered chapels, for a people poor in worldly goods but rich in the things of the spirit, in "wake-houses" or "station houses", or at great open-air hostings of faithful—on the top of Croagh Patrick and at Lough Derg. Small matter where the Mass was offered ; for the Irish, it was always the Mass that mattered. How many have found in it the spiritual strength to live, even through the times of greatest hardship and poverty, through days of persecution and vexations. Dear brothers and sisters, dear sons and daughters of Ireland, permit me, together with you, to glance back over your history, in the light of the Eucharist celebrated here for so many centuries.

Cured at Knock Shrine in 1989

2010-11-12T21:23:00.000Z

Marion Carroll was completely healed of multiple sclerosis at Knock Shrine in the 1980's.. Here is her story.

Back in 1989 Marion was literally crippled with pain. She was carried into the Basilica at Knock on a stretcher and brought to the alter where a bishop blessed her.

In the interview she said “I was brought over to the Basilica and it was at the time that I got this beautiful feeling, a magnificent feeling. It was like a whispering breeze telling me that if the stretcher was opened I could get up and walk.”

After she realized what had happened she said she didn’t know what to do. She said “I didn't say anything in case I looked stupid. When I got back to St. John's-the rest home for the sick at Knock, I asked for the stretcher to be opened and I was able to stand up and I even drank a cup of tea unaided. There was no stiffness and no pain, it was like experiencing every bit of happiness you have ever dreamed of".

Marion now spends her time helping in the Church and speaking to those who feel in need of divine aid. She joked “When you work for the lord you’re given a mop and a bucket. So that’s what I do for him.”

She has written her autobiography about her experience and she speaks about it with those who ask but she also feels that her cure was a personal gift to her. She said “I meet a lot of people who tell me that they had this or that experience with our Lord and I tell them ‘That’s beautiful but that’s a gift to you. It doesn’t mean that you should go out and share it’.”

On September 3, 1989, Marion entered Knock Shrine in a stretcher. She had recently been bought an electric wheelchair. She said that she had stopped her family taking any photographs of her in her weak and ill condition as she believed that she would soon die and wished her children to only remember her as a healthy woman.

More than ten years on and Marion has no symptoms of her illness. Doctors are dumbfounded. They agree that no combination of the drugs or therapies, which she had been subscribed, could have cured her so instantly and completely.

She walked out of Knock that day, cured.

Vatican Explains Visit to Respond to Ireland Abuse

2010-11-12T21:05:00.000Z

1st Phase Expected to End by Easter

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 12, 2010 (Zenit.org).- At the start of the apostolic visitation called to respond to sexual abuse by clergy in Ireland, the Vatican is clarifying the purpose and goals of the visit.

A press release today explained the context of the visitation as well as the objectives shared by the visitators. The first stage of the visit is expected to be completed by Easter 2011.

"The visitation will identify whether the mutual relationship of the various components of the local Church, seminaries and religious communities is now in place, in order to sustain them on the path of profound spiritual renewal already being pursued by the Church in Ireland," the statement explained. "It also has the goal of verifying the effectiveness of the present processes used in responding to cases of abuse and of the current forms of assistance provided to the victims."

The Vatican clarified that the visitation is not an investigation into individual abuse cases nor a "trial to judge past events." Nor in any way will it interfere with local civil authorities in their investigations and processes.

Though the visitators are not expected to receive allegations of new or old cases of abuse, the Vatican added, "if any were to arise, such allegations must be reported to the respective ordinaries or major superiors who have the duty to inform the competent civil and ecclesiastical authorities, in conformity with the current civil and ecclesiastical laws."

The visitators will, however, be available "to meet with those who have been deeply wounded by abuse and who wish to be met and heard, beginning with the victims themselves and their families," the Vatican statement explained.

It continued, "They will be received in the same fatherly manner in which the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has on several occasions greeted and listened to those who have suffered the terrible crime of abuse."

Implemented: The Vatican statement noted that the visitators will monitor the functioning and implementation of 2009 guidelines on safeguarding children, looking to see if there are ways in which these directives need to be improved. The statement contained practical directives for contacting the visitators so that confidentiality will be protected.

It went on to mention the visitation to Irish seminaries. "The visitator, [Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York], will examine all aspects of priestly formation," the Vatican noted. "He, or his assistants, will conduct private interviews with all staff members, all seminarians and, where applicable, other parties normally involved in the life of the seminary. It is not his task to meet with victims of abuse who, as noted above, may be instead received by the visitators of the four metropolitan archdioceses."

As well, the statement mentioned the visitation to religious houses. The statement explained: "The first phase of this visitation will consist in responding to a questionnaire which seeks information regarding the involvement of institutes in cases of abuse, the responses offered to victims, and the compliance of the institute with the protocols contained in Safeguarding Children, Standards and Guidance Document for the Catholic Church in Ireland.

"The questionnaire also seeks to ascertain how each community is dealing with the revelations and their consequences. Additionally it asks what is being done, in the light of past experiences, to assist members in their primary mission of radically witnessing to Christ's presence in the world."

The visitators will submit their reports to the Vatican's congregation for consecrated life, which will "determine what further steps should be taken to contribute to a revitalization of consecrated life in Ireland."

Respect
The Vatican informed that interviews with the visitators should not be expected during the first phase of the visitation, given "the delicate nature of the subject matter and out of respect for persons involved."
"When the visitation is complete," the statement concluded, "the Holy See, after reviewing all the material submitted by the visitators and offering suggestions for the spiritual renewal of the archdioceses, seminaries and religious houses, will issue a comprehensive summary of the results of the visitation."

The Eucharist

2010-11-07T19:29:00.000Z

In Ireland in 2012 the Eucharistic Congress takes place in Dublin. We need to build up a real living faith in the true presence of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. In our Churches here in Ireland, people often gather to talk unnecessarily, immediately after Mass in the Church completely oblivious to the presence of Jesus who we have just received in Holy Communion and also who is present in our Church. We need to realise how to prepare to receive Jesus and to adore Him afterwards.

If we truly realised His presence and spent more time in thanksgiving we would truly see miracles take place.

Another blog I have started is called The Eucharist - Jesus is With Us. You can locate it at http://eucharistjesuswithus.blogspot.com/

Catholic Conference for Men - November 21st 2010

2010-10-21T19:57:00.000+01:00

Why a Mens conference?

Visit a typical Catholic Parish in Ireland, and one will find that on average over two thirds of the congregation are women. Why are there so few men actively participating in the life of the church?

In a major recession, with rising unemployment (300,000 men on live register), the growth of debt, and suicide four times more common among irish men, does the Gospel offer men hope, in the midst of challenging times?

Meant4More is a one day conference which is seeking to bring men together from across Ireland to look afresh at their Christian faith, and in particular to challenge them to respond to the call to follow Christ. The conference is an initial "testing of the waters", to offer a model of bringing men together to celebrate their faith, receive inspiring teaching, and be offered a variety of resources to assist them as this time.

Please check out their website to find out more http://www.meant4more.ie/ and also pray for the success of this much needed venture.

Living the Gospel of Jesus........

2010-10-17T12:19:00.000+01:00

The new Bishop of Killaloe Dr Kieran O'Reilly (pictured) has praised the role of the youth in his diocese.

Speaking on a recent visit to Saint Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh in County Tipperary and a special ceremony for some of the twenty parishes in the Diocese of Killaloe east of the River Shannon, Dr O'Reilly said that it was time for new beginnings in many different ways.

Evoking the gospel he said that if he were, “to ask for one thing it would be, in the Diocese of Killaloe to fan into a great flame as described by Saint Paul, the many gifts each one of us had received in the Holy Spirit.” “Having done that we would be able to burn with the passion of the Gospel.”

He added that his great prayer is that young people will be a part in the diocese and that, “their energy and their passion will be fanned into a flame so that they can bear witness to the Gospel in the world in which we live.” “The Gospel was always about hearing, listening and going. It was not something simply to be kept inside. It was to be spread and if there was one thing I would beg for in our lives it would be that we rediscover the power and the strength of the Word of God.”

Devotion to the Nation

2010-10-17T11:37:00.000+01:00

During the celtic tiger years this country boomed materially, but spiritually it was drying up. Now that the foundations of material wealth are crumbling many people are deprived in ways they didn't know before.

Frank Duff, the founder of the Legion of Mary wrote a document on the True devotion to the Nation which means looking after the spiritual and moral welfare first before the material advance......

The Legion has a compelling motive for that service of the community. It is that Jesus and Mary were citizens of Nazareth. They loved that town and their country with a religious devotion, for to the Jews faith and fatherland were so divinely intertwined as to be but one. Jesus and Mary lived the common life of their locality with perfection. Every person and thing there was an object of deepest interest to them. It would be impossible to conceive them as indifferent or neglectful in any respect.

Today the world is their country and each place is their Nazareth. In a baptised community they are bound more intensely to the people than they were to their own blood-kindred. But their love has now to issue through the Mystical Body. If its members exert themselves in this spirit to serve the place in which they live Jesus and Mary will move through that place shedding their beneficial influences not

only on souls but on the surroundings.

There will be material betterment; problems will shrink. Nor is true betterment to be gained from any other source.

This attention to Christian duty in each locality would add up to patriotism for the nation. This word denotes uncharted territory, for what is true patriotism? There is no map or model of it in the world. An approximation is the devotion and self-sacrifice which develop during a war. But this is motivated by hate more than by love, and appropriately it is directed towards destroying. So it is imperative that a correct pattern of peaceful patriotism be provided. It is this spiritualised service of the community which the Legion has been urging under the title: True Devotion to the Nation. Not only is that service to be undertaken out of the spiritual motive but it and all the contacts arising from it must be used to promote the spiritual. Operations which produced advance but only on the material plane would falsify the whole idea of True Devotion to the Nation. Cardinal Newman perfectly expresses that basic idea when he says that a material advance unaccompanied by a corresponding moral manifestation is almost too awful to consider. The correct balance must be preserved.

Eleven Men join the Dominicans

2010-10-01T18:04:00.000+01:00

Wonderful news for vocations in Ireland when the Irish Dominicans joyfully celebrated the first profession of eleven brothers of the province who have just completed their novitiate year. The event took place during the celebration of the Eucharist at Saint Mary's priory church at Pope's Quay in Cork. The eleven brothers made profession in the hands of the prior of the novitiate community, Fr Edward Conway OP. A large number of Dominican friars gathered to celebrate the event along with the families and friends of the newly professed brethren. Having completed the novitiate and made profession, these eleven brothers will now move to the student house of the Irish Dominican province at Saint Saviour's, Dublin. Please keep these young Dominican friars in your prayers and those who will accompany them through their formation.

http://irishdominicanvocations.blogspot.com/

Legion of Mary National Pilgrimage to Knock

2010-10-01T17:55:00.000+01:00

Cardinal Sean Brady has praised the role of the Legion of Mary in Irish society.

Speaking at the National Legion of Mary pilgrimage in the packed Knock Basilica in County Mayo, Cardinal Brady said that the founder of the Legion of Mary, Servant of God Frank Duff, “was a man ahead of his time.” He added, “'he opened the way for the Legion of Mary. He did so at a time when the role of the lay faithful still had to struggle for full recognition. Frank Duff's message has much to teach us in our present situation. His genius was to translate doctrine into action.”

“Today we are confronted by a question; it is not are you rich or poor as if one or the other would make us morally better. The question is not how much do you own but how much do you care.”

Cardinal Brady went on to say that, “like St Francis of Assisi and Padre Pio, Frank Duff cared. He cared enough to want to do his utmost to share the compassion of Jesus Christ with all especially the poor.” Cardinal Brady also told the congregation that several Popes have written about the Legion and that Frank Duff's favourite statement was that made by Pope Paul VI. It said, “What I like most about the Legion is that it empowers the little people to become apostles.”
Cardinal Brady said, “I would say it empowers not just the little people but all people who care.”
The Legion of Mary is a catholic lay organisation that was founded in Dublin by Servant of God Frank Duff on September 7 1921. Frank Duff died in November 1980.

From Catholic Ireland website...

The Irish Church - A spiritual desert... ?

2010-09-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

We hope and pray that the Apostolic Visitation which is to take place this Autumn will help in the renewal of our Church, which has grown tired, weary and apathetic. It is almost like a spiritual desert apart from a few well springs of hope in some areas. To see 170 Priests attending the Association of Catholic Priests meeting last week was very disheartening. The media had said 300 attended but this was not the case according to a Catholic newspaper.

This is some of the agenda from that meeting : Notice there is no reference to the need for more prayer, sacrifice, or working for the salvation of souls...

*A re-structuring of the governing system of the Church, basing it on service rather than on power, and encouraging at every level a culture of consultation and transparency, particularly in the appointment of Church leaders.
*An equal place for women in all areas of Church life, including the governing systems and the various forms of ministry.
*A re-evaluation of Catholic sexual teaching and practice that recognises the profound mystery of human sexuality and the experience and wisdom of God's people.
*Promotion of peace, justice and the protection of God's creation locally, nationally and globally.
*Recognition that Church and State are separate and that while the Church must preach the message of the Gospel and try to live it authentically, the State has the task of enacting laws for all its citizens.
*Liturgical celebrations that use rituals and language that are easily understood, inclusive and accessible to all.

We don't need this, we need holy Priests in our country, Priests who bring the Truth of the Gospel to us. We need more prayer, penance and more appreciation of the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Confession. We also need much Catechesis for all of us to learn about the beauty of our faith and our Church.

The ideals and agenda of the Association of Catholic Priests has nothing to offer Priests or the lay faithful who wish to live out their faith in obedience to Christ and to His Church. The liberal agenda has nothing to do with Catholicism or Christ. It will lead us to a dead end and is putting many souls at risk. We have seen the hunger and joy that the Holy Father's visit to the UK has brought. So many people were running after the Holy Father through the streets of London in sights never seen before, as though they were running towards Christ Himself. This should give a loud answer to the world of what people really desire with all their hearts. The answer is simply Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. For what else is there, and to whom shall we go if not to Him ?

It would be great to see instead an Irish Confraternity of Catholic Priests formed that would foster and help to develop a real sense of what the Priesthood really is, who are faithful to the Magesterium and give support to those who need renewal and refreshment in their lives. An example of this is the Australian Confaternity of Catholic Clergy...http://www.australianccc.org/
Their aims are as follows:

* To give glory and honour to the Most Blessed Trinity

* To assist the eternal salvation and holiness of members

* To foster unity among Catholic Priests and deacons with the bishops
in loyalty to the Supreme Magisterium

* To encourage faithfulness to priestly life and ministry

* To assist bishops, priests, and deacons in the fulfilment of their ministry
of teaching, sanctifying, and ruling.

To overcome unhealthy activity in our Church, we must counter it with good rather than giving out endlessly about things that are not good in our Church...we need to pray that a Confraternity will be formed to help our Priests and to help foster good and holy vocations in our Church and to help so many souls....

The Apostolic Visitation to our country will begin in the four Metropolitan Archdioceses of Ireland (Armagh, Dublin, Cashel and Emly, and Tuam) and will then be extended to some other dioceses.

The Visitors named by the Holy Father for the dioceses are: His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Emeritus Archbishop of Westminster, for the Archdiocese of Armagh;

His Eminence Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, for the Archdiocese of Dublin;

The Most Reverend Thomas Christopher Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, for the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly;

The Most Reverend Terrence Thomas Prendergast, Archbishop of Ottawa, for the Archdiocese of Tuam.

The Fraternity of St. Genesius - Praying for the Acting Profession

2010-09-17T21:12:00.000+01:00

The Fraternity of St Genesius was founded on 19th January 2007 in Drogheda, Ireland, and was formally approved as a Catholic Private Association of The Faithful on 27 August of the same year. The Fraternity was founded in response to the calls of the Servant of God, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI for the renewal of culture, and as a means of supporting the men and women of the theatrical and cinematic arts through spiritual accompaniment.

As the Church has always understood, and as iterated by the Second Vatican Council, the Church is missionary by nature and she has a deep concern for all men and women whom she sees as the children of God and who are called to come to know and love him. In response to this, the Church preaches the Gospel in the modern world and looks to every area of human life to see Christ’s presence and then seeks to make that presence known to those who inhabit or work within those areas so they may also recognise the presence of the Lord, know that they are not alone and that they are called to know Christ, to seek his Face, to achieve holiness in their daily lives and be received into his kingdom. It is this teaching which is at the heart of the Fraternity’s mission.
Above taken from http://www.stgenesius.com/

Eucharistic Congress in Dublin 2012

2010-09-16T20:41:00.000+01:00

On 22 June 2008, during a live broadcast to participants at the final Mass of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec city, Pope Benedict XVI announced:

"Dear friends, as this significant event in the life of the Church draws to a conclusion, I invite you all to join with me in praying for the success of the next International Eucharistic Congress, which will take place in 2012 in the city of Dublin !

I take this opportunity to greet warmly the people of Ireland as they prepare to host this ecclesial gathering. I am confident that they, together with all the participants at the next Congress, will find it a source of lasting spiritual renewal."

The Holy Father has also confirmed the dates of the Congress, which will be celebrated in Dublin from
10 - 17 June 2012.

Knock Marriage Bureau - What is it about ?

2010-09-15T20:12:00.000+01:00

The Knock Marriage Introductions Bureau, authorised by the Archbishop and Bishops of Connacht, was established in 1968 under the patronage of Our Lady of Knock.

The purpose of the Bureau is to help Catholics to meet suitable prospective Marriage partners. As this is a branch of Catholic Action, it is presumed that all applicants are practising Catholics, free to marry and definitely seeking a catholic marriage. In 2008, 98 men and 118 women applied to the
bureau for introductions. An age breakdown on this was as follows, in the 20 to 45 age group there were applications from 63 men and 94 women.

No definite promise can be made that all those who apply to the Bureau will find a life partner; but all who register can rely on the Bureau doing its utmost to help them.

No addresses are divulged by the Bureau to either person concerned in an introduction.
No introductions are suggested between people from the same parish.
All applications are treated in the strictest confidence.
Find out more at http://www.knockmarriagebureau.com/

Perpetual Adoration - Ferns, Co. Wexford

2010-09-15T19:51:00.000+01:00

The Institute of Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament was established in Wexford in 1875 by the then Bishop of Ferns, Most Rev. Dr. Thomas Furlong, Mother Mary Joseph Bennett and six of her companions. These two pioneers intended that the convent would be a place apart, a house of prayer which would serve as a source of inspiration and spiritual energy for all the people of the diocese of Ferns.

The sisters are particularly devoted to the veneration of the Eucharist, the mysterious presence of Christ among us. In order that everyone might partake in the special privilege of this prayer the present convent was built next to a parochial church, the church of the Assumption, in 1887. From that day to this adoration has continued uninterrupted in the church and its adjoining chapel thereby bringing blessings to the whole Christian community.

http://www.actionireland.com/Sisters/

Help Us Dry the Tears (HUDT)

2010-09-15T19:38:00.000+01:00

The Children's Charity H.U.D.T. (Divine Mercy in Action) which is based in Skerries, Co. Dublin was founded by Val Conlon inspired by Jesus' revelations to Saint Faustina, where Jesus said "I demand from you deeds of mercy which are to arise out of love for me. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it."(Diary 742)
Their Mission is to help the destitute, the homeless, especially the abandoned and suffering children but most importantly filling the spiritual void left behind after the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe with the message of God's Divine Mercy.

HUDT are involved in many projects all around the world and you can find out more about them at http://www.hudt.org/

Can we give one hour a week to Pray for our Priests..?

2010-09-13T11:01:00.000+01:00

A friend and I thought about having a Prayer meeting for Priests two years ago. We started and we continue to this day with devoting just one hour each week to prayer for our Priests. It is structured around the Divine Mercy devotion and we pray specifically for our Priests though we do have intercessory prayers for other intentions during our meeting. We begin with the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, we then read from the Diary of St. Faustina and have a small reflection on it. We also pray St. Faustina's prayer for Priests. Then we have intercessory prayers for Priests and others. We finish with the Chaplet of Mercy. It just takes one hour. Thats all. Our Priests give us their lives, their sacrifices each day to celebrate Mass, they are our Confessors, they are precious to our Lord and we need them. It is not too much to pray for them for one hour each week in any way that you wish, whether through Adoration, offering Masses, praying the Rosary etc...you don't need a big prayer meeting. In Matthew 18:20 the Lord said 'Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst'. We are asked to pray for and not to criticise our Priests, they need our support, our prayers and encouragement. Thank You Lord for our Priests.

Prayer and Fasting for the Irish Church

2010-09-12T10:41:00.000+01:00

In March this year the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI asked the Irish Church to offer up our Friday fasts and penance for the Church for a year. As head of our Church, we ought to listen to him and do what he asks of us. We have alot to offer reparation for also in our own lives.

Dé hAoine is Irish for Friday and is translated into 'the fast'. In the old monastic life in Ireland, in St. Patricks time and later, the monasticism here was one of the strictest forms with rigorous fasts, penances and prayer.

The principal practices of their monasteries are, of course, known from many sources. With regard to food the rule was very strict. Only one meal a day, at 3 o'clock p.m., was allowed, except on Sundays and Feast days. Wednesdays and Fridays were fast days, except the interval between Easter and Whit Sunday. Lent and Advent were fast seasons. The food allowed for days not fast was barley bread, milk, fish, and eggs. Flesh meat was not allowed except on great feasts. Milk, butter, and flesh were prohibited on fast days. The daily routine of monastic life was prayer, study, and manual labour.

http://www.libraryireland.com/WestCorkHistory/Monasteries.php

Today, of course in our ordinary daily lives, we are not asked to take on rigorous penitential fasts but perhaps for those of us who are able to, we can fast on bread and tea/water on Fridays and offer all our little problems and difficulties to the Lord for our Church and in reparation for the sins of abuse. Unfortunately not much is said here in Ireland about fasting, penance. While the Holy Father's letter has been printed on many websites, we don't really see much follow up on what he asked us to do. We must make reparation and acknowledge that grave sins were committed against innocent children. It is not enough to have special walks and special monuments etc. To me they are meaningless. The Holy Father has asked us for penance and more prayer, especially Eucharistic Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. We ought to listen and do what he says. Reparation, more prayer and sacrifices have to be made to bring healing to our Church.

Lord Jesus have mercy on us for we have sinned..

Sacred Heart of Jesus Picture from http://www.passionistnuns.org/blog/

Addicted to Pornography ? There is Help....

2010-09-02T20:33:00.000+01:00

theporneffect.com has been established to expose the reality of porn for what it is; a weak and whimpering counterfeit of love which is emasculating men, degrading women and destroying marriages. They are an online community which offers support and encouragement to those affected by sexual sin. They speak internationally to men and women about the beauty of sex, the problem of porn and the healing which is possible. They do not apologise for their Catholic identity and understand that as men and women regardless of creed and culture, we are all in this together...Until porn disappears, neither will they.

Founder

Matt Fradd is a 26 year old Australian ministering in Ireland with his Texan wife and two children, Liam & Avila. He has been proclaiming the Gospel to youth around to world for over 7 years. He served as a missionary with NET Ministries in Canada and Ireland where he proclaimed the Gospel to over 11,000 teens over the course of 1 and a half years. He has a burden on his heart to expose the grim reality of Porn and to lead men and women addicted and wounded by the pornographic culture into union with Jesus Christ.
Matt Fradd has been heard or seen on BBC, EWTN, The Irish Morning Show, Catholic Answers Live & continues to share his personal story of addiction and healing to people all over the world.

Response to Vocations Crisis

2010-08-29T22:16:00.000+01:00

Below is a recent article I found on some Irish Catholic websites in relation to the vocations crisis in our country....which does not mention the need for prayer but some 'imaginative thinking'.

A shortage of priests is forcing change in the manning of parishes in a number of dioceses with priests now being asked accept responsibility for a multiple of parishes.

In the Diocese of Killaloe there has been an increase in the number of priests taking on responsibility for more than one parish. The pattern of placing emphasis on clusters of parishes working closely together became one of the features of the Killaloe diocesan plan in 2004. According to the appointments announced by the outgoing Bishop of Killaloe Bishop Willie Walsh, two priests returning home from abroad will each take on responsibility for two parishes.

Bishop Walsh said that arising from the appointments the diocese would have 95 priests in fulltime parish ministry in either parish priest or curate capacity and five priests who are engaged in full time school chaplaincy, teaching diocesan administration and other pastoral work. A further eight Killaloe priests will be serving overseas in various ministries while seven priests from the diocese will be fully retired from active ministry. There are currently four priests studying for the priesthood from the Diocese of Killaloe.

It was qutoed that “new imaginative thinking” was needed to deal with the shortage of working clergy as the dearth of vocations over recent decades begins to bite.

above taken from http://www.cinews.ie/article.php?artid=7550

This article below in contrast contains the answer to the problems of the crisis of hearing and supporting good vocations.

In this article below by Fr. Roger Landry...
http://www.catholicity.com/commentary/landry/00742.html

The Pope implies by his title and throughout the letter that the "vocations crisis" plaguing some dioceses and countries is not so much a "calling" crisis — because the Harvest Master has never ceased to call people to follow Christ "more closely" as "his privileged ministers and witnesses" — but more a problem of "hearing" or "response." The shortage of priests and religious in some parts of the world flows not because God has abandoned calling men and women to collaborate intimately with him in the mission of salvation, but because so many have stopped listening to him in prayer, or have never been trained how to interpret the vocational signs he gives, or have never really cultivated the habit of generous, loving response to God so as to be ready to "place their entire existence freely at his service" if in fact he calls.

This is the reason why, in order to cultivate the soil to bear fruit if in fact God plants the seed of a priestly or consecrated vocation, the Pope says the first step is to "appeal to the divine initiative with unceasing prayer." Not only does the Lord of the Harvest respond to such petitions made with trusting faith in his providence, but such prayer also brings those whom the Lord may be calling to serve him in this way into prayerful dialogue so that they may hear his summons when he makes his plans for them clear.

Prayer is not the only thing that is needed, however. Pope Benedict says that three other steps are required for those who are called to be able to answer responsibility and with conviction.

“Strange to say, I often think that prayer – the Unum Necessarium (the one thing needed) – is the one aspect of vocations work which we tend to forget or to undervalue.” – Pope Benedict XVI

My view* Many of the new orders now in the USA are brimming over with new vocations. It should be obvious as to why this is happening. It is because they live out their charism, they pray, they wear their habits, and they accept fully the teachings of the Church and are faithful to the Magesterium.

Let us pray for new orders, reforms of old orders (both for men and women) and for a renewed Catholic seminary in our country

Can We Be Saints ?

2010-08-24T21:34:00.000+01:00

Frank Duff, the founder of the Legion of Mary, wrote a great booklet called 'Can we be Saints' and here below is an extract...

The Secret of Perseverance is Prayer

From reading the lives of the Saints, one would conclude that they fall, roughly, into two classes: those who gave themselves to contemplation, and those who spent their lives in active works. In reality they were all alike. All were souls whose whole lives were prayer. Prayer was their business. Their good deeds were only valuable because they sprang from prayer; they bore the same relation to prayer that the trunk of a tree bears to the roots; good deeds are a visible part of prayer; and good deeds cannot live without prayer.

The present is a period when successful appeal is being made to Catholics to show by works of charity the Faith that is in them. That the most ordinary act may become holy when inspired by a holy intention is well understood and the words of Christ Himself, assuring us that "Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family you did it to me," draws us powerfully on to the service of our neighbour.

The possibilities of holiness here are immense. But it is not sufficiently recognised that a proper balance of regular prayer and good works is essential to perseverance in the latter. There is a tendency to consider good works as prayerful enough in themselves. Their variety makes them easy, while prayer is difficult. Besides, we like to see results, and usually we do not see the results of prayer. So we reduce our prayers to little or nothing satisfying ourselves with the recollection that we are doing plenty of practical work for our neighbour.

Readers of Canon Sheehan will remember how a similar course of reasoning ended in the case of Luke Delmege in complete loss of spirituality and in disaster.

Of course, this is an extreme case. But we all know of many with noble qualities, holy intentions, and high promise, who just reach a certain point and no further. In a way, these makings of Saints who give up advancing are most to be pitied. It is far easier to pick a sinner out of the mire than to induce such people to get out of the rut of mere goodness, which God never intended for them.

Let us sound once more the note upon which we began a little while ago. The cause of all this pitiful failure is this: there is not Prayer enough.

The Visit of John Paul II

2010-08-24T11:26:00.000+01:00

From September 29 to October 1, 1979, Pope John Paul II visited our country. Here below is an excerpt from the talk he gave then in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. It was quite prophetic considering what was going to come upon our country in later years..

Faith in Christ has profoundly penetrated into the consciousness and life of your [Irish] ancestors. The Eucharist transformed their souls for eternal life, in union with the living God. May this exceptional Eucharistic encounter of today be at the same time a prayer for the dead, for your ancestors and forebears. With their help, may it become more fruitfully a prayer for the living, for the present generation of sons and daughters of today's Ireland, preparing for the end of the twentieth century, so that they can meet the challenges that will be put before them.

Yes, Ireland, that has overcome so many difficult moments in her history, is being challenged in a new way today, for she is not immune from the influence of ideologies and trends which present-day civilization and progress carry with them. The very capability of mass media to bring the whole world into your homes produces a new kind of confrontation with values and trends that up until now have been alien to Irish society.

Pervading materialism imposes its dominion on man today in many different forms and with an aggressiveness that spares no one. The most sacred principles, which were the sure guides for the behavior of individuals and society, are being hollowed out by false pretenses concerning freedom, the sacredness of life, the indissolubility of marriage, the true sense of human sexuality, the right attitude towards the material goods that progress has to offer. Many people now are tempted to self-indulgence and consumerism, the human identity is often defined by what one owns. Thus they can become more selfish in their demands. Everybody wants a full freedom in all the areas of human behavior and new models of morality are being proposed in the name of would-be freedom.

When the moral fiber of a nation is weakened, when the sense of personal responsibility is diminished, then the door is open for the justification of injustices, for violence in all its forms, and for the manipulation of the many by the few. The challenge that is already with us is the temptation to accept as true freedom what in reality is only a new form of slavery.

And so, it becomes all the more urgent to steep ourselves in the truth that comes from Christ, who is "the way, the truth and the life" Jn. 14:6), and in the strength that he himself offers us through his Spirit. It is especially in the Eucharist that the power and the love of the Lord are given to us.

The Angelus on Air

2010-08-23T16:06:00.000+01:00

The broadcasting of the Angelus on the national airwaves is celebrating its 60th birthday this month.

It was first broadcast on August 17 1950 from Dublin's Pro-Cathedral on what was then known as Radio Éireann, at the request of the then Archbishop of Dublin Dr John Charles McQuaid. He specifically requested for the first stroke of the bell to sound at exactly 6:00pm to allow for automation and a foolproof clock system.

Indeed such was its popularity that when RTÉ One opened on New Year’s Eve in 1961 the practice was further extended to the sound of a bell tolling and included visuals. These visuals usually included pictures of the Annunciation and an automated tape being used for sound. The number of strokes of the bell was also decided upon by Archbishop McQuaid. He claimed that the three-three-three-nine format was the best one to be used to the recitation of prayers and hence the Angelus has 18 bell tolls today.

The presentation of the Angelus was rebranded in 2009 when seven visual reflections replaced Catholic imagery. According to RTÉ religious programmes editor Roger Childs the new format was to encourage viewers to take time out “from the weariness, the fever and the fret of contemporary life.” http://www.cinews.ie/article.php?artid=7528

My view * These images that they now use for the Angelus prayer do nothing to inspire one to pray. We must always use images to help us to draw closer to God. We need to see and hear things that uplift our souls as we are not just material beings. When we remove the spiritual aspect of our faith and reduce it to mediocrity it becomes boring and uninviting. That is not our faith. Our Catholicity is so rich and beautiful, full of depth and mystery, let us try to express it using images of beauty, holiness and inspiration.

The Mass Rocks in times of Persecution

2010-08-23T15:28:00.000+01:00

A Mass rock (Carraig an Aifrinn in Irish) was a stone used in mid-seventeenth century Ireland as a location for Catholic worship. Isolated locations were sought to hold religious ceremony, as observing the Catholic mass was a matter of difficulty and danger at the time as a result of both Cromwell's campaign against the Irish, and the Penal Law of 1695. Bishops were banished and priests had to register to preach under the 1704 Registration Act. Priest hunters were employed to arrest unregistered priests and Presbyterian preachers under an Act of 1709.

In many instances a stone would be taken from a church ruin, and relocated to a rural area, with a simple cross carved on its top. Because the activity was illegal, the services were not scheduled and their occurrence was communicated verbally between parishioners. The practice had waned by the late seventeenth century, when worship moved to thatched Mass houses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_rock

Another link regarding the Mass Rocks..
http://www.creeslough.com/MassRock.html

Knock Shrine - A Place of Prayer for All Nations

2010-08-23T13:36:00.000+01:00

The Story of Knock began on the 21st August 1879 when Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist appeared at the south gable of Knock Parish Church. The apparition was witnessed by fifteen people, young and old. From this miraculous Apparition Knock has grown to the status of an internationally recognised Marian Shrine.

The personal pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II in 1979, commemorating the centenary of the apparition, inspired an even greater devotion to the Shrine and endorsed the indelible seal of Vatican approval. Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited the Shrine in June of 1993. One and a half million pilgrims visit the Shrine annually.

Check out the Knock Shrine website on my links..

Our Church in Ireland

2010-08-23T10:57:00.000+01:00

Our Church has taken some severe blows over the past few years especially in the last two years with the revelations of the Reports on child abuse. But the Church remains because it is Christ's Church and all hell shall not prevail against it. The Catholic Church is full of sinners and saints. But Christ came to save us, He is our Saviour, our Redeemer who can make all things new. We must never give up hope. He is cleansing our Church, painful as it is but also necessary. God is at work here in our Church. Let us hope and pray and trust in Gods unlimited mercy for a new fresh outpouring of Gods Holy Spirit on all of us.

I hope this blog gives you hope that all is not lost in Ireland...rather it is time for a new beginning.