Reality September 2017

UNLIKELY REFORMER

A GLOBAL PROBLEM?

SCHOOL CHAPLAINCY

THE FAITH NEEDS OF OUR YOUTH

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SEPTEMBER 2017

HOMELESSNESS

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POPE PAUL III

Informing, Inspiring, Challenging Today’s Catholic

THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A CATHOLIC WEDDING

RURAL DEPOPULATION A PASTORAL RESPONSE

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NURTURING A YOUNG CHURCH THE CHALLANGES OF YOUTH MINISTRY

Redemptorist-Communications @RedComsIreland �2.50 �2.00

AUTUMN

Ennismore Retreat Centre

1-3 September Res: €175 Non-Res: €100 Cry of the Earth John Feehan Saturday 30 September 10.30am – 4.30pm €60 Day of Reflection – “The call to Contemplation: learning from Julian of Norwich” Fr. Donagh O’ Shea Sunday 8th October 3.00 – 6.00pm Donation: €25 Wellbeing and Transformation Patrick Sheehan

ST DOMINIC’S

Friday 13th October 10.00am. – 4.00pm €60 Getting the past out of the present – Dealing with difficulty emotions Fr. Jim Cogley 8-10 December Res: €175 Non Res: €100 Advent Weekend Retreat Fr. Benedict Hegarty O.P. Wednesday 13th December 7.30pm – 9.15pm Donation: €10 Advent Evening of Reflection Martina Lehane Sheehan

All Day Retreats include a 4 course lunch!

Vouchers are available at Reception in values of €25 & €50 – redeemable towards any of the events on our programme.

Newly released book Surprised by Fire; Become who you are meant to be.

By Martina Lehane Sheehan

IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE FEATURES 12 THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE What do we mean when we call marriage a sacrament?

By Fr Raphael Gallagher CSsR

18 FINDING THE VOICE TO GIVE GOD PRAISE Music is essential in the worship of God

By Sarah Adams

20 A PLACE TO BELONG:NURTURING LINKS BETWEEN SCHOOL AND PARISH School Chaplains form a unique bond between students and the parish community By Áine Feeley

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22 HOMELESS IN BELFAST, MANILA OR LAGOS? A young Filipina, now living in Belfast, reflects on what it means to be homeless

By Summer Lambatan

24 POPE PAUL III: TRENT’S UNLIKELY REFORMER A history of Pope Paul III who summoned the Council of Trent

By Dr Salvador Ryan

32 WHERE HAVE ALL THE HUSBANDS GONE? A popular writer was once an associate editor of Reality

By Maeve Binchy

36 COPING PASTORALLY WITH THE DECLINE IN RURAL IRELAND Rural depopulation and the increasing isolation of rural communities is a cyclical problem for many parts of Ireland

By Bishop Fintan Monaghan

38 NURTURING A YOUNG CHURCH AMONG THE MILLENNIALS Some challenges to youth ministry in Ireland today

By Gerard Gallagher

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OPINION

REGULARS

11 BRENDAN McCONVERY

04 REALITY BITES 07 POPE MONITOR 08 FEAST OF THE MONTH 09 REFLECTIONS 28 PRAYER CORNER 41 UNDER THE MICROSCOPE 42 TRÓCAIRE 45 GOD’S WORD

17 DAVID O'DONOGHUE 31 CARMEL WYNNE 44 PETER McVERRY SJ

REALITY BITES CHURCH’S HEALTH CHECK VATICAN CITY

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STATE OF AFFAIRS

The health of the Catholic Church can be measured in many ways, and the Vatican has a special office just for that purpose. The Central Statistics Office each year issues a 500page Statistical Yearbook of the Church. This year’s book, based on numbers from the end of 2015 counted 1.28 billion Catholics, about 17.7 percent of the global population. Ten years earlier Catholics were just over 1.1 billion or about 17.3 percent of the population.

Catholics worldwide operate almost 118,000 hospitals, clinics, homes for the aged, orphanages, counselling and rehabilitation centres, an increase of 3,000 in ten years.

For the year ending Dec. 31, 2015, there were 5,304 bishops, 281,514 diocesan priests, 134,142 religious order priests, 45,255 permanent deacons, 54,229 religious brothers, 670,330 religious sisters, 351,797 lay missionaries and more than 3.1 million

REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

catechists. Figures like these need to be put into context. In Tajikistan, there are 38 Catholics for every priest, the best Catholicsto-priest ratio in the world. There are however only four priests and fewer than 200 Catholics in this central Asian republic where 96% of the population is Muslim. Catholics on the nineisland nation of Tuvalu in the South Pacific have a ratio of 120 Catholics for every priest.

At the other end of the scale are Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which have tens of thousands of Catholic foreign workers from countries like India and the Philippines but there are severe restrictions on priests. According to the Year book, the ratio of Catholics-to-priest is 52,000to-1 in Qatar and a staggering 125,000-to-1 in Saudi Arabia.

The worldwide average is 3,091 Catholics for every priest. Brazil tops the list for Catholic citizens with more than 172 million or

26.4% of all Catholics of the entire American continent. It is followed by Mexico (110.9 million), the Philippines (83.6 million), USA (72.3), Italy (58.0), France (48.3), Colombia (45.3), Spain (43.3), Democratic Republic of the Congo (43.2) and Argentina (40.8).

Male non-clerical religious are in decline globally: they have fallen from 54,665 in 2010 to 54,229 in 2015, but the largest numbers are still to be found in Europe and America.

Women religious are currently in clear decline. Globally, they have decreased from 721,935 in 2010 to 670,320 in 2015, or 7.1% in five years. If the number of seminarians per million Catholics is taken into account, priestly vocations are more common in Asia (245.7 seminarians per million Catholics), and Africa (130.6 per million). For Europe and America, this figure is 65 and 53.6 seminarians per million Catholics.

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SEIZURE OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES TURKEY

EMIGRANT WHO BUILT NEW YORK CATHEDRAL TYRONE

DEEDS HAD LAPSED

Turkish authorities have seized approximately 50 properties, totalling hundreds of thousands of square metres, from the Syrian Orthodox Church on the grounds their ownership deeds had lapsed.

The property seized included one of the oldest monasteries still in existence, Mar Gabriel, dating back to the fifth century. It is a centre where the Syriac language, a dialect of Aramaic, the original language of Jesus, is a living language. This corner of Turkey is known as Tur Abdin, the Mountain of the Servants of God, a high plateau between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Many of its ancient monasteries have been abandoned, as the Syrian faithful have fled to Europe to escape poverty and persecution over the past half-century. This is not the first time that the government of President Erdogan has seized Christian church property. Last year, it took control of six churches belonging to Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox churches in the Diyarbakir. As the Erdogan regime grows more Islamist, its crackdown on Christians becomes more severe. The situation of Christians in Turkey (0.1% of the population) is precarious. Most do not have any legal status.

The Treaty of Lausanne (1923) recognised as minorities only those of Armenian, Greek Orthodox, and Jewish origin. Syrians, Roman Catholics and all Protestant denominations are not recognised, so they must battle through the courts to keep or to recover property confiscated from them by the State.

Deyrulumur is the oldest surviving Syriac Orthodox monastery in the world.

It is located on the Tur Abdin plateau near Mardin, Midyat, Turkey

LOCAL BOY WHO 'DONE GOOD'

John Hughes

St Patrick's Cathedral

John Hughes was born near Aughnacloy, in County Tyrone in 1797 while Ireland was still under the Penal Laws. His education was shortened by his family’s poverty, and he was forced to take work as a gardener in a local estate.

His family emigrated to America and settled in Pennsylvania. He failed in his attempts to restart his education, but Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, America’s first canonised woman, was impressed by the young man’s character and persuaded the seminary rector to admit him. He was ordained priest in 1826. Slightly more than ten years later, he was appointed auxiliary bishop of New York eventually becoming Bishop and then Archbishop when the diocese was raised to the rank of an archdiocese in 1850. He died in 1864.

As bishop, he was passionate about providing education of high quality for the growing number of largely emigrant Catholics in the city. He founded St. John's College (now Fordham University), and invited many religious congregations to staff schools at every level in the city. Among them were the Jesuits to whom he entrusted his college. Foreseeing the expansion of the city, he began construction of a new cathedral in Fifth Avenue, between 50th and 51st Street. He laid its cornerstone on August 15, 1858 but it was not completed until after his death. Due to its location in what was considered a rural part of Manhattan, the new cathedral was initially dubbed "Hughes' Folly" by the press for many years. His foresight proved providential, and the new cathedral was soon in the centre of midtown Manhattan. To celebrate the 220th anniversary of his birth, a Blue Plaque of the Ulster Historical Circle was unveiled in St McCartan’s Church, Augher, on 24 June, 2017 by Archbishop Eamonn Martin.

A LONG ROAD TO PRIESTHOOD?

Fr Magner celebrates his ordination with his Courtesy of Diocese of Cloyne two daughters

Early summer is usually the time for ordinations to the priesthood.

One of this year’s new priests is Fr John Magner, ordained for the Diocese of Cloyne. John began his studies for the priesthood more than fifty years ago but his path to the altar was a roundabout one. A native of Casteltownroche, he entered the seminary of St

Patrick’s College, Carlow in 1964.

He left after a few years, as he did not feel called to the priesthood just then. He worked for most of his life as a credit controller, first in Sunbeam, Cork and then for the credit union. He married Maria O’Mahony and they had a happy life that produced two daughters, Gemma and Emily. Maria died

in 2005. Seven years later, John asked his bishop if he could begin the studies for the priesthood interrupted many years before.

After completing his courses of philosophy and theology in Maynooth, he was ordained

by Bishop William Crean on Sunday, 25 June in Saint Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork continued on page 6

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REALITY BITES

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CHEMISTS WIN RIGHT OF CONSCIENCE

THE SHROUD HELD BODY OF TORTURE VICTIM

The General Pharmaceutical Council, the regulatory body that sets professional standards for pharmacists in Britain, has backed away from controversial proposals to abolish the right of people with religious convictions to object to dispensing the morning-after pill, contraceptives and hormone-blocking drugs used by transsexual patients. In new guidance issued in June, it says: "Professionals have the right to practice in line with their religion, personal values or beliefs as long as they act in accordance with equalities and human rights law and make sure that personcentred care is not compromised."

The council’s original proposals published in December had sought to "shift the balance" away from the rights of pharmacists to work according to their consciences to "the needs and rights of the person in their care." This was criticised by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and by the Anscombe Bioethics Centre, a Catholic institute, as a threat to the religious freedom of the pharmacists. The Anscombe Centre warned the council that, if it were passed, Christians would be effectively prohibited from practicing in the pharmacy profession.

New research indicates that the Shroud of Turin, the linen cloth believed to have been used to wrap the body of Jesus after his crucifixion, shows traces of blood from a victim of torture.

Scientist have identified very small particles attached to the linen fibres of the shroud as "nanoparticles.” Nanoparticles are not typically found in the blood of a healthy person: instead, they show high levels of substances called creatinine and ferritin, usually only found in patients who have suffered multiple traumas like torture. Their presence on the Shroud points to the violent death of the person whose image is on it. The fact that these particles have only been identified comparatively recently, makes the claim that the Shroud is a medieval forgery unlikely. The findings were published in the US scientific journal, PlosOne, in an article, ”New Biological Evidence from Atomic Resolution Studies on the Turin Shroud.” This is not the first time the Shroud relic has benefitted from recent discoveries in science or technology. The image emerged clearly when it was photographed for the first time in 1898, and almost every generation since, new models of investigation

SAN FRANCISACO

EVIDENCE OF A VIOLENT DEATH

ICONS AND ICONOGRAPHY IN IRELAND

The Shroud of Turin

NEW BISHOP OF RAPHOE

The Association of Iconographers Ireland is this year celebrating its 25 anniversary. A Cistercian nun, Sr Paula Kiersey, began writing icons in 1982 under the guidance of Fr Robert de Caluwé, a Finnish iconographer.

She in turn organised the first icon course in Cork, and soon after, the Association was launched. The Association establishes contact between iconographers, brings distinguished icon artists to Ireland for courses, Icon written by publishes a newsletter and organises courses for both beginners and Patrick Macken advanced iconographers. It now has a number of Irish tutors who give courses following the Greek/Byzantine style of painting and teach this using a method developed by Eva Vlavianos, a Greek icon writer. To celebrate the anniversary, several exhibitions have been organised throughout the country. An exhibition of icons by members of the North & West group will be held in the Hyde Bridge Gallery, Yeats Memorial Building, Sligo from September 6th - 26th. It will be officially opened by Bishop Kevin Doran on September 5th at 6.00 pm, followed by a short talk by the chairperson of the Association of Iconographers.

Opening times are 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. New members are always welcome and details of upcoming events and how to become a member are available on the Association’s blog page https://iconographersireland.wordpress.com th

REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

have focussed on it, often bringing new data to light but without delivering a final verdict on its authenticity.

Most Rev Alan McGuckian SJ was ordained Bishop of Raphoe in St Eunan’s Cathedral, Letterkenny, on Sunday 6 August. A native of Cloughmills, Co Antrim, he studied first at Queen’s MCGUCKIAN SJ University, Belfast, before entering the ALAN Bishop of Raphoe Society of Jesus, completing his BA in University College, Dublin. After ordination, he taught, in Clongowes Wood, College, and was director of the Jesuit Communications Centre from 1992-2003. From 2012 until his appointment to Raphoe, he was director of the Living Church Office of the diocese of Down and Connor. The first Jesuit ever to be nominated as a bishop in Ireland, Bishop McGuckian is a fluent Irish speaker. He has served as chaplain to many of the Gaelscoileanna in the diocese of Down & Connor, and was for a time chaplain in the University of Ulster at the Jordanstown and Belfast campuses.

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POPE MONITOR KEEPING UP WITH POPE FRANCIS POPE RESTORES LOST PROPERTY Pope Francis took advantage of a visit of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands to return a long-lost royal stick which had belonged to sixteenth century Dutch King, William I of Orange. The stick - which resembles a baton or sceptre – had found its way into the Jesuit Catalan archives. According to a press release from the National Military Museum of the Netherlands, its return represents "a testimony of reconciliation, and of the current union between the two countries and religions.” Queen Máxima, who is a Catholic, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She greeted Pope Francis in “porteño,” a dialect of Spanish spoken by people from the Río de la Plata basin of Argentina, according to Catholic News Agency. “How are you?

Delighted to see you again,” she said. Pope Francis had been a member of the board of governors of her school. During the visit, the Pope gave the royal couple a medallion depicting St Martin of Tours dividing his cloak in order to clothe a poor man and special copies of some of his recent writings, including the encyclical, Laudato Si and the Apostolic Exhortation on the family, Amoris Laetitia. The royal couple gave the Pope a supply of tulips in the papal colours of white and yellow, which they suggested could be planted in the Vatican gardens.

Pope Francis talks with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands during a private meeting at the Vatican

COMPLAINING FORBIDDEN A new sign has appeared on the door of Pope Francis’s apartment in the Vatican. “Complaining forbidden,” it says, “First Law for health and well-being. Transgressors are subject to victim syndrome, with consequent lowering of the sense of humour and the weakening of the capacity to solve problems. Sanctions will be doubled when there are children around. Start acting to change your life for the better.” The sign is the work of an Italian psychologist and psychotherapist Salvo Noé, who gave it to Pope Francis after meeting him during one of the weekly audiences. Dr Noé specialises in the psychology of the work environment.

Pope Francis has often spoken about the danger of too much complaining. He said on one occasion that Christians who complain too much or who are melancholic “have more in common with pickled peppers than the joy of having a beautiful life.”

A NEW KIND OF SAINT? Pope Francis has approved a new track to sainthood, alongside martyrdom and heroic practise of the virtues over many years. This new way is giving one's life in a heroic act of loving service to others. In an apostolic letter, the pope approved new norms allowing for candidates to be considered for sainthood because of the heroic way they freely risked their lives and died prematurely because of "an extreme act of charity." Known as a motu proprio (on the pope’s own initiative), it was published on July 11,

under the title Maiorem hac dilectionem ("No greater love than this has anyone than to lay down their life for their friends").

Traditionally, a “martyr” was someone who died for their religious beliefs, that they were killed from “hatred of the faith.” While there are still many examples of martyrdom of this kind, there are also many cases where this acid test does apply. Here is an example.

In 2011, two Catholic missionaries were killed in Burundi. One was a Croatian

religious sister and the other an Italian lay volunteer. The sister was killed immediately by robbers who had burst into the convent. Another nun and the layman were taken as hostages. The second nun escaped, while the layman was shot. Strictly speaking, they would not qualify as candidates for martyrdom, as the killers’ motives were primarily theft, and in all likelihood, they were probably Catholics. Yet these people had chosen to spend their lives living among some of the world’s poorest and most exploited people because their faith compelled them to. Prior to the

motu proprio, their path to canonisation would have been long and complicated, as canon lawyers argued the claim to martyrdom.

“It is certain,” according to the Apostolic Letter, “that the heroic offer of one’s life, suggested and sustained by charity, expresses a true, full and exemplary imitation of Christ, and because of that, it’s worthy of that admiration that the community of the faithful usually reserves to those who have voluntarily accepted the martyrdom of blood or who’ve exercised Christian virtue to a heroic degree.”

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FEAST OF THE MONTH ST AILBE OF EMLY

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September 12

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St Ailbe is honoured as the patron saint of Munster where he was recognised as an alter Patritius, another Patrick. The Life of Declan proclaims, “Let humble Ailbe be the Patrick of Munster.” Those words may veil a long-standing tension which we shall address presently.

Ailbe is credited with preaching throughout Munster, and is associated with founding a monastery in Emly. Though it bears his name, the Rule of Ailbe was composed long after his death, and contains some practical directions for monastic living of a very early date.

The mediaeval Life of Ailbe shows no evidence that it is based on material preserved by his own monastic family.

Although many questions relating to St Patrick remain unanswered, we still have a reasonably satisfactory picture of the man. The same can’t be said of Ailbe. I’m afraid this saint had a rather shady background. We are told that he was the son of Olchú, a word meaning Great Hound. That’s harmless enough, but the ground of hard facts slips from under our feet as we learn that baby Ailbe was reared by a she-wolf, and that Ailbe was the name of a hound-god, after which Mag-Ailbe, the great plain in the centre of Leinster is said to have been named.

How does all this square with the saint of Emly? It is virtually certain that Emly was originally a pagan sanctuary before it became a Christian centre. In relation to certain saints such as Ailbe, Brigid, Senan and MacCartan, one cannot be sure if the name associated with a particular shrine is that of the saint or of the pre-Christian deity. That leaves people named Ailbe in a quandary: are they taking after Ailbe the hound or Ailbe the saint? It might depend on which side of the bed they get out in the morning!

To return to Ailbe as ‘the Patrick of Munster:’ there is a long-standing belief backed up by several local traditions, that a number of saints were active missionaries in the southern part of the country before Patrick. They include Kieran of Saighir, Declan of Ardmore, Ailbe of Emly, and Ibar of Beggary Island in Wexford Harbour.

Some Lives of the saints suggest that these early missionaries, while sharing the same faith as Patrick, were loath to relinquish their independence and give allegiance to him. Ibar of Beggary Island is represented as the most determined in opposing Patrick’s demand for the submission. “The only safe general deduction,” concludes James F. Kenney in The Sources for the Early History of Ireland, “is that before the great development of the Patrick Legend, there were local legends in various parts of southern Ireland telling of the Christianisation of those districts by saints who knew not Patrick”.

Emly survived as a centre of worship during the Early Middle Ages (500-1000 CE), enjoying prestige as the principal episcopal see in Munster. At the Synod of Rath Breasel in 1111, Emly became a diocese in its own right. This arrangement continued until its union with the archdiocese of Cashel in the 18th century.

During the centuries of persecution , Emly came up trumps with two martyrs, now beatified.

Blessed Dermot O’Hurley, archbishop of Cashel, a native son, was put to death after most cruel torture on June 30, 1584. The Dominican, Blessed Terence Albert O’Brien, became bishop of Emly in 1647 and was put to death at Balls Bridge, Limerick, on October 31, 1651.

The persecution gradually eased in the generation prior to Daniel O’Connell’s winning of Catholic Emancipation in 1829. As early as 1810, the Catholics of Emly built a substantial church that served the people well until the present church was built in the 1880s, when Archbishop Croke of GAA fame blessed the foundation in 1880, and later celebrated the Mass at its official opening on the Feast of the Epiphany in 1883. Oh, those Tipperary people were so fortunate in having a Corkman at the helm in those days!

John J O’Riordan CSsR REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

Reality Volume 82. No. 7 September 2017 A Redemptorist Publication ISSN 0034-0960 Published by The Irish Redemptorists, Unit A6, Santry Business Park, Swords Road, Dublin 09 X651 Tel: 00353 (0)1 4922488 Web: www.redcoms.org Email: sales@redcoms.org (With permission of C.Ss.R.)

Editor Brendan McConvery CSsR editor@redcoms.org Design & Layout David Mc Namara CSsR dmcnamara@redcoms.org General Manager Paul Copeland pcopeland@redcoms.org Sales & Marketing Claire Carmichael ccarmichael@redcoms.org Administration & Accounts Michelle McKeon mmckeon@redcoms.org Printed by Nicholson & Bass, Belfast Photo Credits Catholic News Service, Shutterstock, Trócaire,

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Redemptorist Communications is a ministry of the Irish Redemptorist Province in which lay people and Redemptorists collaborate to communicate the Gospel message – to inform, inspire and challenge through pastoral publications and other media

REFLECTIONS Reasons Why a Pastor Quit Attending Sporting Events 1. The coach never came to visit me.

2. Every time I went, they asked for money.

3. The people sitting in my row didn’t seem very friendly.

4. The seats were very hard.

5. The referees made a decision I didn’t agree with.

6. I was sitting with hypocrites—they only came to see what others were wearing!

7. Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.

8. The band played some songs I had never heard before.

9. The games are scheduled on my only day to sleep in and run errands.

10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.

11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches, anyway.

12. I don’t want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.

PATRICK MALONE

Great injustice is done to God’s grace whenever we say that sins are punished by his judgment, without first saying, as the Gospel clearly does, that they are forgiven by his mercy!

POPE FRANCIS

I was brought up to believe I was lucky. Even though we were poor, I was lucky to be a Catholic; to be born in Liverpool – everybody wanted to be born in Liverpool!

If I complained about my eyesight, my parents would say, "You're lucky you're not blind." My upbringing gave me a sense of confidence even if we didn't have much.

ROGER MCGOUGH

Priests are called to be fishers of men, not keepers of the aquarium.

This is my fifty-sixth birthday, the day on which I have concluded fifty five years.

I have outlived many friends. I have felt many sorrows. I have made few improvements. Since my resolution formed last Easter, I have made no advancement in knowledge or in goodness; nor do I recollect that I have endeavoured it. I am dejected but not hopeless.

SAMUEL JOHNSON

Nobody is ordinary if you know where to look.

Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message.

MAEVE BINCHY

MALCOLM MUGGERIDGE

CARDINAL WINNING

What is the province of the laity? To hunt, to shoot, to entertain.

MGR TALBOT’S RETORT TO NEWMAN’S ESSAY, ON CONSULTING THE FAITHFUL

People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don't find myself saying, "Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner." I don't try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.

The market doesn’t really care very much whether you’re a Buddhist or a Baptist as long as you buy the stuff it has to offer.

Consumerism is wonderfully liberal-hearted, all-inclusive and open-minded.

TERRY EAGLETON

Never ruin an apology with an excuse.

I was born in the island of Ireland. I have Irish traits in me - we don't all have the traits of what came from Scotland. There is the Celtic factor, and I am an Irishman because you cannot be an Ulsterman without being an Irishman.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

IAN PAISLEY

CARL ROGERS

9

From Redemptorist Communications

ONE MAN, ONE GOD The Peace Ministry of Fr Alec Reid C.Ss.R.

By Martin McKeever C.Ss.R.

Fr Alec Reid made an extraordinary contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process. As a member of the Clonard community for over forty years, Fr Alec’s peace ministry emerged from a religious community deeply rooted in west Belfast.

Fr Alec saw himself as a servant of Christ in a situation of political conflict. He felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to reach out and work for peace. His contribution to peace in Ireland is immeasurable, and there would not have been a peace process without his hard work and determination.

This unique book by Fr Martin McKeever C.Ss.R. explores the extraordinary work of this good and simple priest.

€14.95 £12.95 plus

p&p ON SALE NOW To order: T: 00353 (1) 4922 488 | E: sales@redcoms.org | W: www.redcoms.org

EDI TO R I A L UP FRONT BRENDAN McCONVERY CSsR

GOOD NEWS FOR THE FAMILY: JOY FOR THE WORLD

Most

of the weddings I have done in my forty years or so of priesthood have fallen into two categories. The first are family weddings.

Having done weddings for my brother, sisters and cousins, I am now into the second round of nephews, nieces and second cousins, and there are still a few more to go. The second type is much more varied. These include the weddings I have done while replacing the parish priest during summer holidays, and most of these have happened to be outside Ireland. Most were in English, but some have been in French or German. Most were in churches, but two at least were in the chapels of castles, with the reception in the courtyard and the meal in the great hall.

On a few occasions, I shared the celebration of the liturgy and the preaching of the Word with a brother pastor from another Christian church. One occasion, I was accompanied by an imam: on another, the groom asked me to read the traditional Jewish marriage blessing in Hebrew. In most continental countries, the couple go to the mairie, or town hall, for the civil ceremony a day or two before the church ceremony. In Ireland, north and south, I get the uncomfortable feeling that, in recent years, I have become an unpaid civil servant, responsible for the loose ends of the civil marriage, and should even a minor irregularity arise, I might well be responsible for a fine of several hundred pounds. I would shed few tears were the Irish Churches to abandon the civil administration of marriage and hand it over completely to the state. This is especially the case when the understanding of church and state of the meaning of what takes place when marriage vows are exchanged drifts further and further apart.

Marriage is changing. While most Irish couples still prefer a traditional church wedding, there is an increasing demand for

other forms. Approximately 30% of Irish marriages are civil ceremonies. There are many reasons why that is so – remarriage after divorce, for instance, or simply people with no religious affiliation feeling less compelled to go to the local church to humour mammy or even granny. While the commonest form of civil marriage is a brief ceremony in the local registry offices, an increasing number of groups and individuals are offering more ceremonial forms of celebration. The Humanist Association of Ireland has more than twenty marriage celebrants legally licensed by the state. The Spiritualist Union of Ireland, which believes in communication with the spirits of the deceased, has a similar number. “Pagan Life Rites” is a website that offers twelve priests and priestesses who are registered as legal solemnisers of marriage. It claims that its marriage ritual or “hand-fasting” ritual was the marriage rite recognised by Ireland’s ancient Brehon Laws. “Marry Me Ireland” is not associated with any particular faith or religion, but trains celebrants to preside at non-religious, semireligious, mixed faith, spiritual and holistic wedding ceremonies. Sometimes these groups make their facilities available, but the ceremony is usually performed at a venue of the clients’ choice. They also offer ceremonies for other high points in the life cycle, such as the birth or naming of a baby, a funeral or even the celebration of a divorce or separation. Their ceremonies are custom made to the specification of the couple, with their choice of music or poetry. Nor do they come cheap. People who think church ceremonies are expensive, can expect to pay around €400 for the services of a celebrant alone: the hire of the venue and all that goes with it is extra.

In less than a year’s time, Ireland will host the World Meeting of Families. It offers us the opportunity to take time to reflect on the

importance of the many shades of meaning in that human reality of family and especially on the meeting’s theme, The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World. That will be our theme for this year in Reality. We begin this month with an article by Fr Raphael Gallagher, a distinguished Irish moral theologian, who brings us back to some of the basic questions, particularly what we mean when we say that for Catholics, marriage is a sacrament and what difference does that make.

To end on a personal note. From February, I have been on the injured bench following surgery, and I want to thank my colleagues, Paul Copeland, Claire Carmichael, Michelle McKeown and Fr David McNamara for keeping the magazine functioning normally.

My place as editor was taken by Triona Doherty and I want to pay a special tribute to her dedication and creativity during these months, and for the sparkle she brought to the pages of Reality. We are delighted that Triona will continue to work with us in Redemptorist Communications in other capacities.

Brendan McConvery CSsR Editor

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THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY THAT FOR CATHOLICS, MARRIAGE IS A SACRAMENT, AND WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE? FR GALLAGHER, WHO HAS TAUGHT MORAL THEOLOGY FOR MANY YEARS, TRACES THE HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC UNDERSTANDING OF MARRIAGE.

BY RAPHAEL GALLAGHER CSsR

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have celebrated many marriages in Catholic churches. I have been a guest at civil weddings in different locations. They all had one thing in common: a public ceremony to express the love between two people which they hoped would last for ever.

There was also a major difference. The ceremonies in the church were sacraments, the others were not. What does sacrament mean?

This is not easy to explain. It does not appear to be an urgent issue in current debates about marriage. These focus on questions that grab more immediate attention in social media. For the church, explaining how marriage can be a sacrament is critical. It may even be the most important pastoral issue facing the church here as we prepare for the World Meeting of Families in 2018.

WHAT’S IN A WORD? The church has called marriage a sacrament since the early centuries. This gives a first

clue to the difficulty we face now. Sacrament is a Latin-derived word, and the dominant language in the church up to the 5th century was Greek. The meaning conveyed in what we now call a sacrament was first expressed in a Greek word: mystery. When we hear the word ‘mystery’ we might think of something that can’t be explained. We may even wander off mentally to detective-stories by Agatha Christie or Stephen King which solve the mystery of the whodunnit. When the church decided to use the Latin word ‘sacrament’ to translate the Greek word ‘mystery’ it was a momentous choice. Words matter.

BACK TO BASICS There was marriage before Christ. It is a human reality, first and foremost. The church did not try to abolish marriage, but it had to explain how marriage could be part of our Christian journey in life. Combining the human reality of marriage, which is often messy, and the high ideal of being a

disciple of Christ was not stress-free. The early church began to call it a mystery, as the bible understands mystery: ‘For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one. This is a great mystery, and I mean in reference to Christ and the church’ (Ephesians 5: 31-32) Think of what the priest invites us to proclaim after the consecration of the Mass.

‘The mystery of faith’. We look at a human reality, a host, but our faith supports us in converting that reality to another level of meaning. Someone who is not a catholic can say: “that is only a piece of bread.” The catholic can say: “yes, it is that, but there is another reality present through faith in that host. And it is as real as the material reality.

It is the real presence of Christ, a mystery of faith.”

It is this sense of mystery which the church began to apply to another human reality, marriage. Marriage is for the benefit of

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There was marriage before Christ. It is a human reality, first and foremost the people who marry, and it is a value for society because it gives an agreed basis for the procreation of children, their nurturing and upbringing. For the Catholic, marriage is also a way to mature as a disciple of Christ.

To call marriage a sacrament (or mystery, in this biblical sense) is to link it to the life of being disciples of Christ.

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A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY Officially, we have seven sacraments in the catholic church. Marriage is the only one of those recognised sacraments that has a meaning outside the community of believers. If the church calls marriage, something that exists outside the church, a sacrament we might think it would be easy to ‘identify’ the difference between marriages that are sacraments and those that are not.

It may have easier in the earlier centuries of the church. The church began to be officially recognised by the state after the decriminalisation of Christian worship by the Edict of Milan in 315. Christians were free to marry, as Christians, though the laws governing marriage were administered by the public authorities. In these laws, divorce was commonly permitted, almost on the no-fault basis that now exists in some countries. Abortion was also very common.

The Christian community discerned that the acceptance of divorce and abortion were not compatible with a biblically based way of life. The dominant theological figure expressing this view was Saint Augustine (354 – 430 AD). Marriage for Christians, he taught, had three goods to protect:

fidelity, procreation, and the sacrament.

By sacrament, Augustine was referring back to the mysterious design of God for the unity of all nations and the desire for the unity of the Church under Christ. That language is abstract and disconnected from the hot-button debates of today. However, trying to grasp it is crucial to how we can explain marriage as a sacrament. The other goods of marriage – fidelity, procreation – should be found in all marriages. Calling it a sacrament is specifically Catholic, because Catholics see marriage as a potential way of collaborating in God’s plan for the unity of the world, and Christ’s desire for the unity of the church. The human reality of marriage can become a mystery (sacrament) of salvation for Christians. This means that Christian marriage can be celebrated as a sacrament when it is understood as part of the journey in a Christian life.

MORE HISTORY. POLITICS AND POWER In the early centuries, Christian marriage depended on the witness of particular married couples in a society that had a wideranging acceptance of divorce and abortion.

History brought another twist to the story after the collapse of the Roman Empire and the increasing importance of different legal cultures from northern Europe in the period that we generically call the middle ages. There was a lot of confusion about how to define a marriage, even in human terms, and how to legally explain when a marriage could be recognised as a marriage. The Church entered these public debates. Because of the social importance of the church at that time, what the church said had an increasing legal and moral weight for all of society. The church began to lay down the rules for the consent necessary for marriage, and the legal formalities needed to have that consent publicly recognised.

History is important when we can learn from it. Some of the confusion about explaining how marriage is a sacrament has come about because of language and ideas that have survived from a type of church and world which no longer exists.

WHAT IS THE CHURCH FOR? Talking about the church in an Irish context can be emotion-laden. Vatican politics, clerical scandals, control in education and healthcare are not items guaranteed to generate a tranquil exchange of views.

None of these issues should be avoided but, behind them, is a topic that merits calm pondering. What did Christ found the church to do? The church was founded to

The central mission of the church is to show us how to become holy as God is holy. The church is not primarily about moral teaching. In the normal way of celebrating sacraments, we are baptised for seven or eight years before we can even take moral decisions. Of course, we should be moral people as Catholics. Before that can even happen, we should begin to know and love Christ.

A critical pastoral issue for the church in the year before the World Meeting of Families in August 2018 will be our ability to explain how marriage can be a sacrament help us develop as disciples of Christ, to become holy people. Is that how the church is recognised in Ireland? Not immediately so, but then I may not be mixing in the right circles.

BACK TO BASICS, AGAIN I said that a critical pastoral issue for the church in the year before the World Meeting of Families in August 2018 will be our ability to explain how marriage can be a sacrament. Going back to how the early church dealt with that question appeals to me. To be married, as

a Christian, is a conscious continuation of what we accepted in baptism. Everyone does not have to agree with my decision, and I don’t have to impose my views on others.

Marriage for Catholics is a vocation, not a legal imposition.

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The best opportunity for priests to do this may be when we help people to fill out the Pre-Nuptial Enquiry, in preparation for marriage. The most recent form, issued by the Bishops in 2016, says: ‘The sacraments are mysteries requiring faith. The catholic party should express at least some seminal faith in the reality of Christ in this sacrament.

It would not be sufficient, for example, for the Catholic to say that Christian marriage has no meaning for him/her, but that he/ she is doing it for the sake of parents who are devoutly Catholic’.

The seed of faith is a minimum. I would be hoping for a bit more, given the erosion of the social acceptance of religion and Catholicism in Ireland. Faith, surely, is a gift and a very personal one. When we publicly celebrate a mystery of faith, like the sacrament of marriage, we are doing something very serious. The celebration of the sacrament of marriage involves proper legal and liturgical forms, certainly. The more delicate part is

nurturing the faith of the couple who wish to receive the sacrament. Having cured the woman suffering for twelve years from a haemorrhage, ‘Jesus turned around and saw her: and he said to her “courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health’.

(Matthew 8:22). Without the woman’s faith, the cure could have been taken as a bit of magic by Jesus. Magic does not work in the long-run for marriage, either, even if the wedding day is a usually a brilliant event.

What I am implying may mean fewer people opting for a church wedding. I hope not. But if I had to choose between a church wedding that was arranged to please granny and the photographers, or a couple postponing a church wedding until they were surer in their faith, I know which I would encourage.

Fr Raphael Gallagher taught moral theology in Ireland and at the Alphonsian Academy in Rome, a specialist institute for postgraduate study in moral theology. He is currently a member of the Mount St Alphonsus Community, Limerick

COM M E N T THE YOUNG VOICE DAVID O’DONOGHUE

RECLAIMING THE SAINTS

CAN THE SAINTS CONTINUE TO PLAY ANY ROLE IN THE LIFE OF YOUNG CATHOLICS? In my encounters with Christians coming from denominations that are not Catholicism, I’ve often found they seem curious, and even on occasion somewhat disapproving, of the prominent role that centuries of Saints play in the religion. Growing up surrounded by people of faith, an attachment to Saints almost seemed more visible than devotions to Christ or God. There appears to be something distinctly human and relatable, yet also aspirational and inspiring, in these tales of men and women who have led courageous lives of righteousness and faith, and whose life-stories have been passed down to us through the generations. While the esoteric nature of proofs for God’s existence or the intricacies of the lesser-known portions of scripture might often escape or frustrate even the most faithful Irish Catholics, our is a culture and a strand of faith which holds Saints in great regard. Even the most secular among us will turn to Saint Anthony in a pinch when we’ve misplaced the car keys or our mobile phones. A devotion to Saints seems to have an immediacy even to those people who have drifted from their faith.

Here you have a concrete human person, with a definite history and a cultural background who you can concentrate on in a rare moment of meditation in order to help you through difficult moments.

Saints, in that way, provide a kind of accessible and workable approach to faith that relies more on wellloved cultural traditions than immense scriptural understanding.

But although Saint Anthony proved a trusty friend when, as a child, I would lose a favourite toy or video game, in my own journey back to a deeper and more complex faith it took some time for the notion of Saints, and for devotion to some over others to stick. I can recall, in the rocky teenage years when I began to decide that perhaps the whole “religion thing” deserved a second look, reading that my favourite author Jack Kerouac had always held a particular love for St Therese of Liseaux, commonly referred to as the Little Flower, was a surprise.

I can only say I reeled back in shock.

Here was this man who I thought of as a countercultural, free-spirited, Buddha-quoting beatnik, and he seemed to have an almost childlike attachment to one of the cherubic saints whose portraits were likely to adorn the decidedly not-soBeatnik literature kept around by older members of my family. But it was Kerouac’s own committed yet heterodox Catholicsm ended up guiding me into a re-examination of my own dormant faith. It was with my first serious reading of the New Testament with adolescent

eyes that I would find a Saint who would stick in my heart in the same way that those like Padre Pio had in that of so many others.

This might sound a bit mad, but in my first serious reading of the New Testament I struggled with Christ and God. The figures fascinated me but, at times, seemed so impenetrable and remote, weighed down by centuries of devotion and depiction, carrying with them the baggage of interpretations from so many different cultures and personalities and attitudes. I was strongly drawn to them and yet also somehow intimidated by their immensity, as though the figures of Christ and God were particularly beautiful puzzle boxes. But, in the form of an itinerant preacher feeding on locusts and honey, I had my heart stolen. Here was the figure of John the Baptist, who also seemed minor and incidental to the CliffNotes version of biblical stories I had received in my childhood and yet who utterly captivated my imagination.

To this day John the Baptist remains a figure of particular devotion and scriptural attachment for me.

What has always marked him out most is quite probably his humility and asceticism. To a young man confronting a faith that seems so immense and powerful, and who feels in the face of it rather weak and uneducated, it was astonishing to see a venerated man who, in the face of the coming Christ, seemed to feel the same way. He was, in the face of the Lord that was to come, not even “worthy to untie his sandals”. When those around him tried to discern if he himself was the messiah John identified himself only as “the voice that cries in the desert, make straight the way for the Lord”. It was precisely in John’s smallness and meekness, but also the fiery surety of his faith, that I found a devotion that would last.

Here was someone who proved you could be at once magnified and humbled by faith and that our role as Christians meant we needn’t perform grandiose acts of heroism, but merely make a smoother path for Christ with little acts of love and devotion. At last through the figure of John the Baptist, humbled and emaciated and yet so sure of himself, I had found my small, meek and human path to faith.

David O'Donoghue is a freelance journalist from Co. Kerry. His work has appeared in The Irish Catholic, the Irish Independent, and The Kerryman. He is the former political editor of campus.ie and holds an abiding interest in all things literary, political and spiritual.

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In Tune with the Liturgy A series that highlights some of the features of the Church’s worship in the month ahead

FINDING THE VOICE TO GIVE

GOD PRAISE THE SONG OF THE PARISH COMMUNITY

ST AUGUSTINE SAID THAT THE PERSON WHO SINGS PRAYS TWICE! MUSIC CONNECTS US TO OUR EMOTIONS AND TO THE EMOTIONS OF THOSE AROUND US. IT IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE WHOSE NATURAL HOME IS THE WORSHIP OF GOD.

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BY SARAH ADAMS

Most

of us love a good singalong!

Even those, who believe that they cannot sing, will join in and enjoy the experience. Music can lift our spirits, enable us to be reflective, and can speak more about how we are feeling than words ever can. Music has enormous power, to heal, to help us relax, to soothe us in times of distress.

It does not depend on us being able to read music or anything technical. It is a universal language that connects people regardless of where they come from or what language they speak. It touches people in different ways. I can listen to a piece of music which moves me to tears yet leaves another feeling cold and indifferent. Given that each one of us is unique it is understandable that our souls feel sadness, nostalgia, bliss or excitement

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according to our own mood or state of being.

Music connects us to our emotions and to the emotions of those around us because it is such a universal language. It is a gift to be treasured.

UNITED BY SONG Music has a powerful capacity to bring people together. Gareth Malone understands the capacity of music to unite, sustain and provide a way of expressing deeply held emotions. One of the most significant times in his career was the formation of the Military Wives Choir, composed of women married to army personnel. When he met them for the first time, it was shortly after their husbands had left for Afghanistan. They were low and vulnerable. Getting them to sing was going

to be a tremendous challenge. Week by week, he coaxed them out of their shells and helped them to find their voice. As each week passed, he noticed how they began to open up and often tears would fall. He describes them as healthy tears. Through singing together, the women were sharing in one another’s pain of loss, fear, anxiety and many other emotions.

Being a part of the choir led them to support each other and to grow in confidence. Since then Gareth Malone has continued to form choirs throughout Britain, allowing hundreds more people to come to know the power of music.

Singing unites people in a powerful way, be it at a football match, a party, or any large or small event. Complete strangers can find themselves joined together as one voice. It

is the same when we celebrate the Eucharist.

Communal singing at Mass has a way of gathering the many individuals present and making them into a visible expression of what it means to be united, one body, with Christ.

It is a tangible sign of our faith, when through our singing we offer a single prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God.

Like the military wives, some of us prefer not to sing, believing that we do not have a voice.

The liturgy, however, has an expectation that all who participate in the liturgy should sing.

This expectation comes from the belief that the voice we have is a gift from God and God wants us to use the voice we have been given.

There are no auditions for prayer! When we all make that effort to sing, we can feel the power of the liturgy encircling the assembly. The more fully we participate the greater the experience, not only for us, but for those around us.

In most parishes, there are choirs or cantors to help us with our sung prayer. Their role is not to dominate, or take our parts away, but to support the singing of the whole community. A good choir can add harmonies to the congregational singing which can be very uplifting, and add to the quality of our prayer as a whole. What is important is that those leading do not become the focus of attention but remember that they are there to help draw the assembly more deeply into prayer.

Singing unites people in a powerful way, be it at a football match, a party, or any large or small event SINGING OUR THANKS Music plays a significant role in the celebration of our Sunday Eucharist. St. Augustine was probably responsible for claiming that the ‘One who sings prays twice.' If music is a form of prayer, we have to remember that it is not about entertainment, but has a role to play in enabling the whole community to come to God in prayer. If music is the language of the soul, it has the capacity to give an expression to our prayer that words alone cannot achieve. Many of the prayers we might say are actually songs of praise; for example the Gloria. It was never written to be spoken but to be sung. Equally, the ‘Alleluia’ is an expression of praise to the Lord who is present to us in the proclamation of the Gospel. Singing the ‘Alleluia’ is a joyful expression of our prayer at that moment.

Music is so important to our liturgical prayer that we are told in the ‘General Instruction on the Roman Missal’ that “every care must be taken that singing by the ministers and the people is not absent in celebrations that occur on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.”

RICH HERITAGE Within the Catholic Church we have a rich heritage of music to draw upon. Chant, polyphony, sacred music and hymns go back to the earliest times. Our repertoire has continued to grow since Vatican II and the introduction of the vernacular. Since then composers have continually been creating new music for worship.

FINDING THE RIGHT MUSIC Choosing the right music week in week out can be challenging. Those who have this role in their parish have a responsibility, like every minister, to take time to pray so that their ministry grows from a place of relationship with God. Reflecting on the readings for the Sunday and taking time to pray them before looking at what music might be chosen is all part of the ministry for musicians. Even if there are few musicians in a parish, the Church has a preference for singing those parts of the Mass that are more important.

These are the Gloria, the Gospel Acclamation, the Sanctus or Holy Holy, the Memorial Acclamation, the Great Amen and the Lamb of God (Agnes Dei). When choosing a Mass setting. it is important that everyone can sing it. If a new one is to be introduced, it needs to be done gradually. It is often better to sing the same Mass setting for a period of weeks, changing it to mirror the different

liturgical seasons. It helps people to feel that they really know something and can enter into the prayer more fully, as a result.

The choice of hymns can be more difficult, because it is here that musicians can be tempted to choose the hymns they like, rather than what flows out of the readings.

Generally speaking, there are three hymns, or four if there is no organist to play an organ voluntary as people leave Mass. These hymns accompany the Entrance procession, the preparation of the Gifts, the Communion procession and the final procession at the end of Mass. Hymns can have many verses and it will depend on the capacity of the congregation as to how many verses are sung. Although it is not recommended that verses be cut from hymns, if they must be, musicians have to look carefully at the words to ensure that the right verses are included.

Sometimes hymns tell a story, so even if it is a little long, parts of the story can’t be left out.

Remembering that, we are there to serve, will ensure that what we offer, and how we enable others, will have a profound impact on the prayer life of the community. As we gather to hear God’s Word, to eat the Bread of Life and drink from the cup of salvation, our prayer reflects the deep joy and depth of this profound mystery of faith. Music has the capacity to do that for us and embracing it will allow us to sing “psalms, hymns and spiritual songs,” as we wait for the coming in glory of the one whose death we proclaim.

Sarah Adams studied liturgical theology at Maynooth. She now lives on a farm in Devon, working for the Diocese of Plymouth as a Religious Education adviser. She enjoys hiking on Dartmoor and the surrounding countryside.

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SCHOOL CHAPLAINS ARE A COMPARATIVELY RECENT FEATURE IN 20 IRISH EDUCATION. USUALLY LAY WOMEN AND MEN, THEY FORM A UNIQUE BOND BETWEEN THE MATURING YOUNG PERSON, THE SCHOOL, FAMILY AND THE WIDER COMMUNITY BY ÁINE FEELEY

As

chaplain of Moate Community School, part of my role is to enhance and encourage the spiritual life of the school community – students, staff and parents. School life is a busy life; there is always something happening. Our school in Moate has almost 900 students in second level and almost eighty staff. Students come from quite a large catchment area and various different parishes. Moate itself is split between two dioceses. Every student and staff member has their own life story; they come from different backgrounds and have different life experiences. When all these come together, school life is never dull! The role of the chaplain involves getting to know each student and being able to recognise the needs that are there, so the work of the chaplain encompasses taking care of the spiritual and emotional needs of all.

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Every one of us is a spiritual being, but no two people are the same: because of this we relate to God in so many different ways. As chaplain, I try to provide many opportunities and experiences for our students to reflect, pray, and, hopefully, to find space for God in their lives.

One of the questions I often ask the students is: what is important to you? Generally, the answers include family, friends, and a place where they belong. Belonging is important to each one of us; belonging is about being somewhere we feel comfortable, a place where we feel valued, respected and also accepted. Very often teenagers turn to their friends and peers for this, and the challenge for a parish is that teenagers see it as a place where they belong and of which they are part.

A PLACE OF WELCOME By creating links between school and parish, we hope we can get our students to recognise that the parish is theirs, a place where they are welcomed and a place where they have something to offer. In Moate, we have worked to build a strong link between school and parish. We do not see our school as separate to the parish, but part of it.

Teenagers do not look at life in a ‘traditional’ way.

They have a different perspective on faith, God, and religious practice. Teenagers have a great sense of social justice and the importance of looking out for others, and a ready acceptance of people’s differences. One of the biggest challenges facing the church today is to try to bring together the traditional ways of religious practice with what young people want and need. Parish life is about each member offering their gifts and talents in a way that will enhance the life of the church we belong to.

Our school is very fortunate that the priests in Moate, Mgr Bernard Noonan and Fr Liam Farrell, are willing to work with the school, and support the different liturgical events that we organise.

The religion department and the priests meet regularly to look at ideas and projects and how best we can put them into practice.

One of the biggest challenges facing the church today is to try to bring together the traditional ways of religious practice with what young people want and need Every September, we start the year with school Masses. In the past, we gathered the whole school together, but now each year group attends Mass in the parish church, with students reading the scriptures and prayers of the faithful. Daily Mass goers are also in attendance, so students get to see that many people are there on a daily basis to build their relationship with God. Our first years have a special evening before mid-term break for a Mass of celebration and thanksgiving.

From many conversations I have had with people, I got the sense that if, as a parish, we can involve the children then we can also involve the parents. That is why we have introduced a Family Mass at various times throughout the year. We involve students from the primary schools, St Brigid’s and St Oliver Plunkett’s, and the secondary schools so they really are inclusive. The children participate in all parts of the mass. In September, we organise a special ‘Blessing of the Schoolbags.’ The primary school children bring their schoolbags with them, and receive a blessing for the year ahead. These occasions are opportunities for families to get to know one another, to chat and to belong. The secondary students often bake and provide refreshments after Mass in the school.

During the year we choose other occasions to celebrate: before Christmas, for example, we celebrate “Bambelino Sunday,” and each family brings their crib figure of Jesus to Mass for a blessing. In January, we celebrate Christian Unity Week by inviting members of the different churches – Catholic, Church of Ireland, Methodist etc – to the school for an ecumenical service with some of our students. We then have lunch together. It is a great opportunity for all to learn from one another and get to know one another.

Catholic Schools Week is another opportunity

for parishes and schools to work together. We have to constantly remind ourselves that working together is the real meaning of a Christian community. This year class groups did different activities: some attended mass or prayer services in the school oratory, while others worked on projects. On the Friday, we invited parishioners to the school for a social gathering after Mass.

Students baked and made tea and coffee. Our sixth year music students performed, and some of our first years made St Brigid’s crosses with the parishioners. It gave a real sense of what parish life is and the different role and jobs that people can do. Each person had time to chat and enjoy the time together, young and old.

EXPLORING FAITH TOGETHER One of the initiatives that we worked on this year was to assist second class children in their First Communion preparation. Once a month, forty little ones came over to spend time with transition year students who are undertaking the Pope John Paul II awards. Students and religion teachers worked with them on the themes for their ‘Do This in Memory’ programme; stories were read, role plays were performed, walks were undertaken, and artwork produced. We all learned from one another. The John Paul II awards are a wonderful opportunity for young people to get involved in their parish and each year the numbers of students who participate is growing.

Over the past year, we have decided to discontinue Religion as a Junior Certificate Examination subject, as we feel this way we can give students more opportunities to personalise their faith and find new ways of exploring what their beliefs are. We hope that as a result our students will become more involved and active

in parish life. In April, we decided to give our first years a taste of involvement in liturgy. We asked the priests of the parish to say a class Mass for each group. Each group had to choose their own theme, select the readings, compose prayers of the faithful, select gifts, decorate the oratory, pick and perform music, and provide refreshments afterwards. They all entered into the project with enthusiasm: they got to work together and got to know one another, and saw how parish can work.

As a church community, it is so important that we create a place and parish where everyone has a part to play. Parish welcomes everyone. The future of our parishes is to find different ways to involve young people and their families. In towns with growing populations, very often people do not know one another, and parish is about reaching out and being a welcoming place. Parishes and schools need to look at ways of working together.

Families have great talents and resources, and it is so important to involve all. Schools have an important role to play in helping develop the spiritual side of the students and opening up as many experiences of God and church as we can. If we can give our students a grounding in their relationship with God, then hopefully they will become active members of their parish community.

“It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.”

Prayer dedicated to Oscar Romero

Áine Feeley is chaplain of Moate Community School, County Westmeath.

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F E AT U R E

HOMELESS IN BELFAST, MANILA OR LAGOS? A YOUNG WOMAN, BORN IN THE PHILIPPINES AND NOW LIVING IN BELFAST, REFLECTS ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HOMELESS.

BY SUMMER LAMBATAN

H

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omelessness affects more people than we would like to imagine. It strips you of your humanity and crushes your soul. Being born in the Philippines, a third world country, from a young age I have been exposed to the reality of homelessness, and ever since then, it has been my passion to help those in need. Walking to school as a seven-year-old in Philippines is no different to walking around the city of Belfast as an 18-year-old. No matter where I looked, there was another person in sight, sitting on the cold ground, begging for someone to acknowledge their existence and remind them that they are human. Although the severity of homelessness is different in both countries, it became clear to me that homelessness was everywhere.

Growing up, there were children the same age as me who, instead of going to school and living a normal childhood, had to beg for money and food on the streets. They were everywhere and they were desperate for help.

Many would stand outside the restaurants in which I would be eating with my family, looking through the glass and wishing that I was older so I could help all of them: but my parents told me that I didn’t have to be older to help other people.

As a homeless person in Ireland, one of the biggest struggles is seeking comfort and

REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

warmth, especially in the winter time when temperatures would drop to negative figures.

This is made worse by the feeling of loneliness lingering, as families who have abandoned them sit comfortably in their homes while they sit outside either in the cold or hostels, without having a place to really call their own.

Conversely, in many third world countries their enemy is the extreme heat, which adds to the lack of support from the government, because they don’t even provide an option to go to a hostel.

that gives us the chance to give back to the community and the world.

Recently, I went with other students to collect money with the Daughters of Charity for the people of Burkino Faso in Africa. The Daughters of Charity have helped many poverty-stricken people from all over Africa, but what impressed me the most is their centre in Iwara Oka in Nigeria which provides support for women of all ages who have been abandoned by society. The amount of support and donations they received allowed them to build a home for children who have been separated from their families and some have even been reunited, like Louise who has reunited with her mother after being taken from her by another woman. The support that the Daughters of Charity receive also allows them to provide these children with the education that they deserve to have a better future. One young woman, Mary Vincent, was brought to Ozanam House after she was found wandering the streets of Lagos with other children searching for food. Without the help of the Daughters of Charity and the Society of St Vincent de Paul she would still be on the streets, or possibly dead. Now Mary is

I believe it is our duty as humans to help each other, so why are people so afraid to do something?

GIVING BACK Since coming to St Louise’s College, Belfast in first year I don’t think I’ve ever let an opportunity for volunteering pass me by.

The focus on service and helping those in need has always been one of my favourite things about the school. Being surrounded by young people who care as much as I do about helping those less privileged, from collecting money for third world countries to painting houses, I found St Louise’s to be a school

Summer Lambatan (centre) pictured with Emmanuel Pascual (left) and Ryan Santos (right)]

finishing school and preparing to study law in the future.

I also volunteered recently with the De Paul charity to collect money for homeless young people. Their intention is to make a huge difference in the lives of others and stop the growing number of homeless. After being given our buckets and location, I was surprised at the number people who made eye contact and took money out of their pockets but continued to ignore us. Although there were a few people who contributed, I grew angry at the thought of people passing by with change in their pockets which they might later throw away because it’s “only 2p”

without realising that even a small amount can make a difference. I believe it is our duty as humans to help each other, so why are people so afraid to do something? What do we really lose from it?

A few weeks ago I was on my way home and noticed a man sitting on the pavement, sobbing, with a cardboard sign asking for some help. I approached him and asked him if he needed a hug. We ended up talking and he explained to me how he was thrown out of his home because his parents wouldn’t accept him due to his sexuality. Before I left he thanked me, not because of the money I gave him, but because out of the many

people who walked past him that day I took time to acknowledge him and listen to his story. You don’t always have to give money; take a few minutes out of your day to talk to the people in the streets begging to be noticed, begging to meet someone who cares, begging to be treated like a human being. Not only will it impact their life; it will also impact yours.

Summer Lambatan came to Ireland from Manila, Philippines in 2005, with her parents. She is a post 16 student in St Louise's Comprehensive College, Falls Road, Belfast. She is pursuing Art, Media Studies, and Moving Images and Photography, and plans to go to Ulster University, Magee, Derry to study Cinematic Arts.

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R E FOR M AT I O N

POPE PAUL III T R E N T ’S U N L I K E LY R E F O R M E R

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WHEN WE THINK OF CHURCH REFORMERS, AND CHURCH COUNCILS SUCH AS VATICAN II, WE TEND TO IMAGINE FIGURES SUCH AS POPE JOHN XXIII, “GOOD POPE JOHN”. JOHN’S IDEAL OF AGGIORNAMENTO (OR “UPDATING”), AND THE CALLING OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL, WERE CONSIDERED A WELCOME DEVELOPMENT FROM A MAN WHO HAD THE INTERESTS OF THE CHURCH AT HEART. FEW WOULD CONSIDER JOHN XXIII’S PAPACY TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THE PROBLEM. RATHER, HIS SPIRITUALITY AND THE EXERCISE OF THE PAPACY WERE OF A PIECE WITH WHAT THE COUNCIL ATTEMPTED TO ACHIEVE. THIS OBSERVATION MAY APPEAR UNREMARKABLE, UNTIL ONE BEGINS TO EXAMINE OTHER INSTANCES IN WHICH THIS SYMMETRY OF PAPACY AND COUNCIL WAS NOT AS CLEAR-CUT.

BY SALVADOR RYAN REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

Until

the calling of th e S e co n d Vatican Council in 1962, the most influential church council for a thousand years had been the Council of Trent, which met intermittently between the years 1545 to 1563. It was Pope Paul III (1468-1549) who called the Council of Trent, which finally held its opening session on 13 December 1545. While generally considered the Catholic Church’s response to the Protestant Reformation, it was nevertheless a full twenty-eight years after Martin Luther’s indulgence controversy in Wittenberg before it first met. The Council of Trent not only responded to the critiques of Protestant reformers, but it also set about reforming a range of institutional and disciplinary abuses that had beset the Church during the Middle Ages. Among them were nepotism (appointing relatives to high ecclesiastical office) and pluralism (being bishop of a number of dioceses at once, for instance, collecting their revenues while perhaps residing in none of them). Trent established the seminary system to train candidates for the priesthood more professionally and where the requirement of celibacy would be more vigorously enforced. One might take it for granted that such ideals were well and truly embodied in the individual who called the Council, Pope Paul III. And yet the story is far more complex than that.

A RENAISSANCE POPE There is little in the background of Alessandro Farnese, Pope Paul III to suggest that his later career

Pope Paul III with two of his grandsons – Cardinal Alessandro Faranese and Rudolpho, Duke of Parma

would follow such a reformist trajectory. Born in 1468 into a wealthy family, Alessandro received an excellent humanist education. By 1492, at the age of twenty-four, he had been made a treasurer of the Roman Church

by Pope Alexander VI (one of the notorious Borgia family) and, the following year, a cardinal deacon.

What accounted for his rapid

beginnings, Farnese increasingly identified himself with a small reformist group within the curia.

Nominated Bishop of Parma in 1509, he began to take his clerical responsibilities seriously, holding a diocesan synod, and later putting the reform decrees of the Fifth Lateran Council (1512-17) into effect. By 1513 he had ended his relationship

offices within the Church while remaining in minor orders, and engaging in lifestyles which made onlookers blush the colour of their scarlet robes.

At the outset of the conclave of 1522, Farnese was strongly favoured, but a rival highlighted elements of his earlier life as unbecoming in a would-be pope.

By 1534, when he was eventually elected, he had achieved enough distance from that life to be considered papabile. Besides, he was widely regarded as an experienced figure with superb diplomatic skills at a time of great uncertainty. The election took two days, in contrast to the fifty days it took to elect his predecessor, Clement VII. Alessandro Farnese took the name Paul III. At the age of sixty-seven, he looked much older than his years, being bent almost double, and sporting a long, flowing white beard. The three objectives of his papacy were to achieve peace between the princes (most notably Emperor Charles V and Francis I of France), the organisation

Farnese himself had a Roman mistress, Vannozza Cattanei, who bore him three sons and a daughter – hardly the most promising start for a would-be reformist pope promotion would raise more than a few eyebrows today. It just so happened that Alessandro’s sister, Giulia, was Pope Alexander VI’s mistress, and she strategically championed his cause. Farnese himself had a Roman mistress, Vannozza Cattanei, who bore him three sons and a daughter – hardly the most promising start for a would-be reformist pope.

Despite such dubious

with his mistress, and proceeded to take the somewhat unusual step of seeking ordination to the priesthood. He was ordained in June 1519, at the age of fifty-one, and the following month made bishop, even though he had been appointed and functioning as one for some ten years. This was, in fact, quite common: a great number of his contemporaries were satisfied to hold lucrative

of a crusade to push back the Turks, and an ecumenical council to deal with the Church’s many problems.

REFORMING, BUT NOT TOO CLOSE TO HOME While he had been associated with the reform party for many years now, Paul III would continue to live with his own papal blind-spot. This consisted

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R E FOR M AT I O N

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in an unflagging sense of duty and solicitude for the Farnese family, and, more specifically, for the careers of his children and grandchildren. He continued the grand tradition of nepotism, nominating two young grandsons as cardinals at the ripe old age of fourteen and sixteen respectively, in 1534. Four years later, he made a twelve-year-old cousin a cardinal. Neither did he forget the families who had done him favours in the past.

In 1537 he appointed Pope Alexander VI’s thirteen-yearold great-great-grandson as cardinal in Spain; unfortunately, the boy died during the visit of the delegation who brought the news.

In many other respects, Pope Paul III remained a worldly figure: he was a great promoter of the Carnival, and hosted masked balls, sumptuous feasts, bullfights, horse-races and fireworks displays, not to mention reenactments of tales of classical mythology on floats that were drawn by teams of buffalo. He was an enthusiastic patron of the

Council of Trent in session

to what he was advised were the most auspicious arrangement of the stars. He had his grandson christened on the third anniversary of his papal coronation, with little apparent concern for the inherent incongruity.

Alongside all of this, Paul

who dialogued with Lutherans at Regensburg in 1541; Reginald Pole (1500-1558), cousin of Henry VIII who, at one stage, was one vote shy of becoming England’s second only pope; Marcello Cervini (1501-1555, later Pope Marcellus II); and Gian Matteo Giberti, who had

He was an enthusiastic patron of the arts, and enlisted the talents of artists like Michelangelo, whom he commissioned to complete the “Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel and to supervise work on the new St Peter’s Basilica arts, and enlisted the talents of artists like Michelangelo, whom he commissioned to complete the “Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel and to supervise work on the new St Peter’s Basilica. Like many rulers of his age, he believed in astrology, so his consistories, audiences and even the publication of papal bulls were arranged according REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

III showed a great interest in advancing the programme of reform in the Church. He made a succession of appointments to the cardinalate, whose influence later on would be hugely significant. These included Gasparo Contarini (1483-1542), a devout Venetian layman who sympathised with much of Luther’s desire for reform and

experienced a profound religious conversion after the Sack of Rome in 1527, which led him to become a model reforming bishop of Verona.

In the twelve consistories of his fifteen-year pontificate, Paul III appointed an unprecedented seventy-one new cardinals, four of whom eventually became popes themselves. One of these,

Giampetro Carafa, later Paul IV, was a trenchant warrior against heresy. He had succeeded in persuading Paul III to establish the Roman Inquisition in 1542, and once chillingly declared that if his own father were a heretic, he would willingly carry the wood himself for his execution pyre.

REFORM Pope Paul III’s concern for church reform can best be seen, in his decision as early as 1536 to set up a commission to examine the ills of the Church. The commission issued a report, entitled Consilium de Emendenda Ecclesia, in 1537, which included a long litany of abuses, and bluntly apportioned blame for the outbreak of the Protestant reformation squarely to the papacy, the cardinals and the church hierarchy in general.

According to the commission,

Tomb of Paul III in St Peter’s Basilica Rome

the buck firmly stopped at the foot of individual popes whose inflated sense of entitlement had led the Church down a very insalubrious path. Its second paragraph starkly pointed out that: “from this source [the will of the Pope] as from a Trojan horse, so many abuses and such grave diseases have rushed upon the Church of God that we now see her afflicted almost to the despair of salvation”.

Sobering words indeed! For the reform of religious life, it recommended that all but the most observant religious orders should be abolished. The report was so unsettling that the curia at first attempted to suppress it.

A leaked copy inevitably came into Martin Luther’s hands, who must have exclaimed “I told you

so!” before gleefully producing a German translation, complete with copious notes.

Further evidence of Pope Paul III’s commitment to reform can be seen in the new religious congregations such as the Theatines, the Barnabites and the Ursulines, that were nurtured and approved during his pontificate. Most famously, on 27 September 1540, he gave formal approval to the new Society of Jesus, which would become so closely associated with the Counter-Reformation.

When the Council of Trent opened in 1545, Paul appointed two Jesuits, Diego Laínez and Alfonso Salmerón as his theologians, a clear statement of confidence in this new religious society. Tellingly, however, in

that same year, he was still taking care of the interests of family members, bestowing the territories of Parma and Piacenza upon his dissolute son, Pierluigi, and making his third grandson, Ranuccio, a cardinal at the age of fifteen.

So what are we to make of this conflicted figure, Alessandro Farnese, who became the pope who called the Council of Trent, and what does his career say about the reformist agenda in the sixteenth century? It’s probably a sobering reminder to us that even great reforming councils such as that of Trent arise from the all-too human agency of flesh-and-blood individuals, figures who are often bundles of mixed and sometimes contradictory motivations. Paul III was not alone in this, and things wouldn’t completely change for some time yet. One of his successors, Julius III (15501555) would take the seemingly bizarre decision of appointing his teenage monkey-keeper, Innocenzo, a cardinal, and another, Pope Pius IV (1559-

1565), would perpetuate the practice of nepotism by appointing his nephew a cardinal in 1560. This nephew would be appointed archbishop of Milan in 1564, a year before Pope Pius IV’s death, and would become one of the greatest promoters of Tridentine reform within the later sixteenth-century church, and was canonised a saint by 1610. We know him as St Charles Borromeo. Such turns of events will be attributed by some to the vagaries of early modern ecclesiastical and dynastic politics; others, however, might more simply employ the old maxim of “Sometimes God writes straight with crooked lines”.

27 Salvador Ryan is Professor of Ecclesiastical History at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. He is editor (with Declan Marmion and Gesa E. Thiessen) of Remembering the Reformation: Martin Luther and Catholic Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2017).

St Charles Borromeo (by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1767-69), nephew of Pope Pius IV

prayer corner

In this series, Fr George Wadding invites us to take an imaginative look at some familiar Gospel stories, imagining how the characters might have told their story if they were alive today. Using the imagination can be a powerful way of entering into reflective contemplative prayer. Find a quiet corner, read the article slowly a few times, think about it and pray as the spirit leads you.

Could I have a drink?

A simple request leads to a most enlightening conversation. Here, we put ourselves in the shoes of the Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus at the well.Read this meditation and keep your Bible handy, open at John 4:5-42.

You

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probably never heard of a village called Sychar. I can’t blame you.

It is a small village in the centre of Samaria, itself a small country sandwiched between Judea and Galilee. But Sychar is important to me because that is where I was born and reared and where I live today. Just outside of our village is a well we are very proud of. It was presented by our ancestor Jacob to his son Joseph. To this very day it is known as Joseph’s well. Only God knows the number of times I have gone to that well, first with Savta and Imma (Granny and Mum – Ed.) and then on my own. Joseph’s well is literally my life. It was there that one day my life would be transformed beyond my wildest dreams.

How familiar are you with this part of the world? We Samaritans are surrounded by Jews, and, to put it mildly, there is no love lost between us. We are sandwiched between two Jewish provinces and the shortest route from one to the other is through Samaria. Many Jews prefer to take the long way round to avoid defiling themselves by contact with us. They consider that we, and everything we have, is impure and tainted.

REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

LIVING WATER One morning I was on my way to the well when I passed a small group of Jewish men on their way to the village. They ignored me.

Still wondering about them , I arrived at the well only to find another Jew sitting on the low wall surrounding it. He looked like a rabbi but he was pouring perspiration. I was nervous and cautious. As a Jewish rabbi, I knew he would not talk to me so I said nothing. As I lowered my bucket into the well he gave me the fright of my life: “Dear lady,” he said, “could I have a drink, please?” His voice was gentle.

“But,” I stammered, “you have neither bucket nor cup and you people are not allowed to drink from our utensils.”

He smiled and then, for a moment, it looked like he was transported into another world. Though his words were addressing me, it sounded like he was talking to himself in a kind of reverie: “Oh, if you only knew… if you only knew what God in his love is offering you… If you only knew who I am, who it is who is asking you for a drink – he looked directly at me – you’d ask me for a drink and I would give you living water.”

What on earth was he talking about! I said it to him: “Sir,” I said, “where do you plan to get this ‘living water’ from? And how is it better than the water in this well which our father Jacob gave us?

It was good enough for him and his family and cattle.” I passed him a cup of water from my bucket and waited. He put the water to his lips, then stopped again and continued as before talking to no one in particular as if in a reverie again: “Whoever drinks this water will get thirsty again; but anyone who drinks the water I shall give will never be thirsty again: the water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside her, welling up to eternal life.”

I couldn’t resist: “Rabbi, can I have some of that water? Imagine, never being thirsty again, no traipsing out here every morning to drag heavy buckets of water back home with me!” He thanked me for the water, and invited me to sit near him on the wall. We chatted for a while about various things.

There was something different, something magnetic about him.

I confess, I was no angel in those days and I couldn’t help feeling he saw right through me. He seemed to know so much about me, yet he did not lecture me.

At one stage he asked if I’d fetch my husband and bring him back to the well. I lied to him: “I have no husband,” I said. “Ah yes,” he said, “how true that is. You’ve already had five husbands, so you’re right, the man you now call your husband is not your husband at all.” His prophetic revelation had found me out.

At that moment I knew what he meant by the ‘living water’. A text from the prophet Jeremiah came flooding back into my memory: “My people have committed two sins: they have forsaken me the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13) I had turned away from the Living Water, from the Living God. The rabbi was offering me salvation.

COME AND SEE The conversation was too close to the bone, so I tried to change the subject and start an argument. “Where should you worship – in Jerusalem, as you Jews say, or on Mount Gerizzim, as we Samaritans have done for centuries?” The holy man wasn’t easily diverted from his spiritual train of thought into a political

argument. “If you really want the truth,” he said, “true worship takes place in the human heart – anywhere. That’s the worship that God wants, nothing less.”

I saw that the group of men I had passed earlier in the day were on their way back. They were the rabbi’s disciples. I heard them arguing with the rabbi: what was he at, sitting alone with a Samaritan woman for all to see; this was doing his reputation no good! I lingered at the edge for a minute or two and I was glad I did. They offered him fresh food they had bought in the village.

He was too elated to eat. I heard him say: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me.” This truly was a holy man of God. While the men were finishing their meal, I hurried back to the village and told them all about this Jewish rabbi. “Come and see,” I blurted, “he told me all I have ever done.” A crowd of them dropped everything and followed me back to the well. For a long time, the rabbi talked to them, and answered their questions. They were overwhelmed. The elders invited him and his disciples to stay with us for a few days and talk more.

Though his presence with us broke a bucket-full of Jewish political, social and moral rules, Jesus (I discovered that was his name) was totally at ease among us. People were eager to hear his good news message. But he still had time to chat with everyone about their farms and the weather: they shared stories and jokes; he played with the children who took to him in a big way; and he offered professional advice on damaged ploughs and homesteads. His poor disciples,

on the other hand, were nervous and awkward like fish out of water. Many more in the village came to believe in him over these few days.

As they were leaving Sychar, one of our Elders said to me: “Now we no longer believe because of what you told us; we have heard him ourselves and we know that he really is the saviour of the world.” We were forlorn to see them leave.

I never saw Jesus again in the flesh. But I did meet him. He was executed by the Romans a year or two after his visit to Sychar. Then a persecution broke out which drove many of his followers into Samaria. With them came a man called Philip – I can’t remember if he was one of those who had come to Sychar with Jesus or not. Anyhow, he preached to a receptive audience; we were fruit, ripe for picking. Philip was followed by two leaders of the Christian community (as they came to be called), Peter and John, who were certainly with us those precious days in Sychar.

We were baptised and received the Holy Spirit in great power.

When I first met Jesus at Joseph’s well he said to me: “If you only knew who I am, who it is who is asking you for a drink…!” I know for sure now, for Jesus is living in me; he himself is the living water. I drank then like a parched woman and I know I will never be thirsty again.

Father George Wadding is a member of the new Redemptorist Community, Dun Mhuire, Griffith Avenue, Dublin D09 P9H9

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COM M E N T FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS CARMEL WYNNE

WHAT IS FAMILY?

AS ANY TEACHER WILL TELL YOU, THE TYPE OF FAMILY REPRESENTED IN THE AVERAGE CLASSROOM IS MORE VARIED THAT EVER BEFORE – TRADITIONAL MARRIED TWO PARENTS, SINGLE PARENTS, REMARRIED WITH CHILDREN FROM FORMER RELATIONSHIPS AS WELL AS WIDOWED AND UNMARRIED. Everybody knows that family is important. Each of us comes from a family and every member of every family has a unique relationship with every other family member. It’s interesting to reflect on the question, who comes to mind when you think of family?

The traditional family with two married parents and children is just one kind of family. An increasing number of children today are being brought up in many different non-traditional styles of family. The number of single parent families is rising.

Some single parents never married. Some were married but separated or divorced and others are single because a partner is deceased.

There is no one definition of ‘family’. Gay couples, with or without children, are a family.

Beliefs about who belongs will have a big effect on how affectionately you relate. Imagine the difficulty for grandparents who see a grandchild with a mother and stepfather in one house, a father and stepmother living in another and a half-sister who lives with a different set of grandparents.

One thing we can be sure of when people feel they belong; family is the place where they feel love, acceptance, nurturing and safety. There are no perfect families. There are no perfect children. There are no perfect

relationships but there is a strong link between children’s experience in the family and the kind of adults they become.

It’s said that love multiples by division. Children of a separated couple who have visitation rights or foster children who are in contact with their parents have the experience of belonging to two or more families.

D i v o rc e d p a re n t s m ay bring challenges for in-laws, grandparents and other relatives in the extended family, who continue to love and deeply care for children. It’s heartbreaking to experience exclusion when the communication is, you don’t belong in the new family.

A child benefits when all the adults he or she loves can communicate honestly with each other. Pioneer in Family Therapy, Virginia Satir said “Communication is the largest single factor determining what kinds of relationships we make with others and what happens to each of us”.

Everyone has expectations about how they want to be loved and we have beliefs about how loved ones should treat us. Even very young children have criteria.

My son-in-law was playing with my young grandchild. He was lifting her up high and turning her upside down. She politely chided, “That’s not the way to mind a child".

Part of the human condition is we have a need to feel loved and accepted for who we are. Few of us have this need fully met, even in the most connected and loving family. There is a world of difference between being told we are loved and experiencing the unconditional, loving acceptance and nurturing that leaves us free to do things our way.

Deborah Tannen, professor of linguistics at Georgetown U n i v e r s i t y, h a s w r i t t e n extensively about how our family relationships are a source of great comfort but also of great pain.

The desire for connection and control are present in all our family relationships because everything we say to each other echoes with meaning.

Tannen writes about Kathryn whose mother asked, “Are you going to quarter those tomatoes?” “I was,” Kathryn said.

Hearing the tone of her mother’s voice and seeing the look on her face, her pulse quickened and she stiffened. “Is that wrong?”

Kathryn asked. “No, but personally I would slice them,” her mother replied. Kathryn’s response was terse. “Fine,” but as she sliced the tomatoes she was thinking “Can’t I do anything without my mother letting me know she expects me to do it her way?”

Nowhere are words more powerful or more troublesome

than with our nearest and dearest. It would take patience, openness and an understanding of what happens when you talk, for Kathryn to learn that her mother was just seeking connection through making conversation. Having no idea that her facial expression and tone of voice communicated disapproval the mother didn’t know her daughter thought her critical and controlling. She felt sad about the friction between them and wished they had a better relationship.

The desire for connection and control are always hovering in the background when we interact and relate to the people we want to love us. In an ideal world children would be raised in loving families, by adults who love them unconditionally whether they are their biological parents or not.

One definition of family may be, people related by blood or legally or both. Family could also be, loving people who give you a sense of belonging. One old saying is, “You can choose your friends but you’re stuck with your family”. Another which I prefer is, “Friends are God’s apology for relations”.

Carmel Wynne is a life and work skills coach and lives in Dublin. For more information, visit www.carmelwynne.org

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FROM THE ARCHIVES February 1971

WHERE HAVE ALL THE HUSBANDS GONE? In

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the late 1960s/early 70s, Fr Michael O’Connor appointed non-Redemptorist ‘associate editors’ to Reality. Two of them, John Horgan and Kevin O’Kelly, were religious journalists, who had become household names from their coverage of the Second Vatican Council and from frequent appearances on the still relatively new Teilifís Éireann.

Another two were women. Máire Mullarney was the mother of 11 children, who were all home-schooled: later, she would be a founder member of the Green Party. The second was a young teacher turned journalist from County Limerick called Maeve Binchy, who would later become known as a popular novelist and broadcaster. Although their role was essentially an advisory one, intended to improve the standard of the magazine’s journalism, they contributed occasional articles.

This month’s jewel from the archives, ‘Where have all the husbands gone?’ by Maeve Binchy appeared in February 1971. Meeting a suitable partner was not always easy in Ireland back then. Many young women had left rural Ireland to work in Dublin.

Elderly parents held on to small farms until the heir was on the verge of middle age. As Maeve says in her article, “The sad fact is that so many girls leave the country where bachelors abound and come to the cities, most noticeably Dublin.” The most common meeting places were dance halls. It was the golden age of the Irish show-bands, but not everyone liked the atmosphere of dance halls. Maeve suggested broadening their social world, or even plucking up the courage to approach a marriage bureau. Reality promoted a social club for young adults in Dublin called the ABC Club. It had been founded in 1970

by Fr Gerard Reynolds CSsR, uncle of the younger Fr Gerry who worked with Reality at the time. The Knock Marriage Bureau had been founded a few years earlier in 1968 especially to provide introductions for people living in rural Ireland, keen to meet someone with an eye to marriage.

Brendan McConvery CSsR

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F R O M T H E A R C H IVE S

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F E AT U R E

COPING PASTORALLY WITH THE DECLINE IN RURAL

THE ISSUE OF RURAL DEPOPULATION AND INCREASING ISOLATION IS A CYCLICAL PROBLEM FOR MANY COUNTRY AREAS IN IRELAND AND HAS BEEN FOR QUITE SOME TIME. IT IS AN UNFORTUNATE REALITY FOR MANY YOUNG PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE TO LEAVE IRELAND IN ORDER TO GET A JOB, MAINTAIN A LIVELIHOOD 36 OF SUFFICIENT QUALITY AND BE ABLE TO RAISE A FAMILY TO A REASONABLE STANDARD.

BY BISHOP FINTAN MONAHAN

When

I went to secondary school in Connemara in the 1980s, there was always a strong link with England and America as so many people had to emigrate from a very young age. The concept of the “American wake,” agus ag dul ar imirce nó ag dul ar an mbád bán, was very much part of life.

Brian Friel in Philadelphia Here I Come records in dramatic form a snapshot of this, and the effect it had on the psyche of those thinking of going and the sadness it left behind. Many had the option of returning after a number of years with young family after earning some money and an improving local economy. For some, the home coming was permanent, but for a significant number, the return was not sustainable with a further decline in the economy and the difficulty of getting worthwhile jobs at home.

REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

SAFE HOUSES ACROSS THE WATER – A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY AND FRESH BEGINNING Fortunately, the safety valve of travel to the US, England and Australia gave a lifeline for countless people. For so many the sonnet of Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus, on the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York was almost Messianic: Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

I recall being on a bicentenary school tour with the staff and students of Sr. Jarlath’s College, Tuam in 2000, the year before 9/11 when the Twin Towers were hit and so many people tragically perished.

Even the young students were moved almost to

tears with the nostalgia and sadness of the legacy of the generations of ancestors, who would have passed through the gates and doors of Ellis Island, intent on survival and the adventure of making a new way of life.

A LESS FAVOURABLE CLIMATE EMERGING TOWARDS THE MIGRANT A certain amount of apprehension and fear, hopefully unfounded has emerged that this ongoing welcome might not continue under the current political regime in the US with a threatened policy of exclusion and resistance to the emigrant and refugee looking to make a new life in a land of opportunity that was traditionally so welcoming to the stranger and emigrant. The escalating threat of terrorism or the uncertainties of Brexit do not make the option of heading to England much more palatable. Who could not have been deeply moved by the harrowing scenes of loss of life, mass migration and movement of refugees in the Mediterranean and environs in recent times? The movement of peoples and accompanying upheaval are a reality as old as the human race.

One of the key themes of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures and the Gospel of Jesus Christ is care for the stranger, the traveller, the homeless, the wanderer, the dispossessed. From Abraham to Amos, from Exodus to New Covenant, from Christ-like Benedictine hospitality for the stranger to the welcome for the medieval pilgrims, from the mendicant friars love of the poor to the “Option for the Poor” in recent Liberation Theology and

IRELAND

the renewed emphasis on Franciscan ideals by the current pope - concern for individuals who are in transit has been a dominant theme of our Christian faith.

THE REALITY IN THE RURAL IRELAND Since being ordained for the predominantly rural Archdiocese of Tuam in the west of Ireland over 26 years ago, I have witnessed a steady decline in the rural population, and migration towards urban areas within Ireland, and a return to the days of emigration. Some of this has been due to the downturn in the economy as a result of the departure of the Celtic Tiger, but even with the improvement of the finances, country areas are still declining in numbers.

One of the ministries I enjoyed most was being on the pastoral ‘rota’ for Island ministry, mainly the English speaking islands off Galway and Mayo, but occasionally the Irish speaking also. There is a relaxed and friendly quality of life and living there that would be hard to find anywhere in the world.

In the 20th century the population of many of these islands has literally decimated. The beautiful island of Inishturk, for example, is reduced to fewer than 50 inhabitants, with a mere two students in the local school!

THE KILLALOE SITUATION Over the past year since I came to minister in Kiallaloe many people, in various areas of the diocese, have expressed great concern about the struggle of communities in their attempts to

thrive. In the few weeks before Christmas as I made my way around the diocese meeting people in almost every rural church area, day centres and nursing homes for the elderly this was, sadly, a constant refrain.

In one beautiful small coastal village in West Clare, I was shown the sad reality of over 12 empty houses on its main street. Another village in East Clare boasted of a population of over 8,000 people some years ago: it is now doing well to maintain 1,000. In the last month one of the parishes of the diocese in North Tipperary saw the sad event of the ritual and ceremony of the closing of its local national school, due to declining numbers. This, and the events that led to it, have had a profound effect on local morale.

A number of local GAA clubs have had to amalgamate teams in order to survive, especially at U-21 and senior level. Concern, sadness and disappointment has been expressed at the closure of garda stations, post offices, local shops, pubs, GP practices and even local rural presbyteries, where the priest was very much at the heart of the community. At a meeting of Care for Carers in one of the county towns, the group gave voice to the sad reality of isolation and loneliness in many country areas.

WHAT IS BEING DONE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM? We must say “Well done” to the many public representatives who are working in this area to bring about an important initiative which will help overcome rural isolation and hardship. With the recently announced Government Action Plan for Rural Ireland, the bulk of the €60m ‘Action Plan for Rural Ireland,’ it is aimed to create 135,000 jobs across rural Ireland, notably along the Atlantic Economic Corridor. Key to it is revitalising town and village centres, including restoring derelict buildings, as well as reducing one-off housing by building small housing schemes. Sustainable communities are part of the scheme, as are apprenticeships, enhanced broadband, and other elements of the infrastructure. It is heartening to hear of this scheme.

At local level in Limerick, university seminars and “think tanks” have been held to address the issue.

In Clare, the County Council have been working hard to link in with the above initiative. In April of this year the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional,

Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD, addressed the Clare Rural Development Forum on the opportunities for rural communities in Clare through the Government's Action Plan for Rural Development. Staff at local level have worked hard to produce a plan, the details of which can be found on www.clareruraldevelopment.ie. The Action Plan for Rural Development, Realising our Rural Potential, includes a number of key targets, including creating 135,000 jobs outside Dublin by 2020 and boosting rural tourism by 12%.

THE LOCAL CHURCH From the Church point of view – this is an area that has come under severe pressure in recent times, with the decline in vocations to priesthood and religious life. In Killaloe diocese, one third of the population of the diocese is concentrated around a very few urban centres. Eight parishes currently have no resident priest at all, and a further twelve would have none if it weren’t for the generosity of pastors working far beyond retirement age. One might be tempted to concentrate all the services around the urban hub areas, but a basic service and presence is kept in as many rural venues as far as that is possible. The Church will continue to the best of her ability to be proactive in this area to ensure services are maintained, as far as resources will allow, but it is going to be a major challenge!

Fr. Harry Bohan, a priest of the diocese, has been a pioneer and leader on this issue nationally for many years, and he continues to come up with many ideas to address the growing crises. Groups like Church Services are innovative and work hard to reduce isolation by trying to introduce Parish TV, and already many parishes and Garda services have been linking into the world wide web in order to link local communities.

Overall, coming up with strategies to help is an important issue for rural and urban Ireland, essential in order to maintain the values that rural living contributes and for the quality of life for those resident there. It is one that Church and State can profitably address together to continue to work for the common good of the many people involved and to be faithful to the Gospel value of care for the marginalised, the lonely and vulnerable.

Bishop Fintan Monahan was born in Tullamore and ordained priest for service in the Archdiocese of Tuam. He was appointed Bishop of Killaloe in 2016.

37

YO U T H

NURTURING A

YOUNG CHURCH AMONG THE MILLENNIALS CHALLENGES IN IRISH YOUTH MINISTRY

38

BY GERARD GALLAGHER

Pope

Francisrecentlyannouncedthat the next Synod of Bishops in 2018 will focus on young people. Reflecting on the topic, ‘Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment,’ it is timely now to pause and take stock of the Young Church.

At World Youth Day in Krakow in 2016, Pope Francis asked the young pilgrims during the opening ceremony: “Can we change things?” They all shouted “Yes!” Clearly he has thoughts on the role of young people in the life of the church. In a letter to young people, he proposed that the “church also wishes to listen to your voice”.

REALITY OF YOUTH CULTURE TODAY It is not easy to be a young person in Ireland today.

So where exactly can you “listen” to the voices of young people today? There are many challenges and obstacles in the path for young people to lead fulfilling lives.

There are still active groups of young people who gather within the church to explore and deepen their faith. Many of these young people realise they are a minority. The majority of young people in Ireland today no longer practice faith in numbers comparable to previous generations. Others live

REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

lives with little or no contact with church. According to the 2016 Census, an increasing number of youth in the eastern part of Ireland identify themselves as having no religion. One in three in the Greater Dublin area now identifies as non-Catholic. There is a perception around that faith is something for older people. It can be difficult to nurture a young church when we only experience an ageing one.

Ireland is becoming a country with older and fewer religious people.

No wonder this generation of emerging Millennials (those coming of age post-Millennium) are referred to as a Mosaic generation. This is a generation that approaches sacraments and rites of passage in new ways. Some want to be Catholic, yet don’t want to practice their faith. They have nostalgia for elements of faith.

Against this reality, youth ministers and those engaged with peer ministry have the responsibility of reaching out to this current generation of young people and encountering them where they are at.

BENEFITS OF YOUTH MINISTRY I love being part of youth ministry, even though I haven’t been a young person for many years!

Gatherings attended by young people are always

Pope Francis surrounded by young people at the closing mass of World Youth Day 2016

spaces where positive energy exists in abundance.

When I am directly working with young people, I can honestly say that I enjoy the chaos that is natural and normal at these events. Youth ministry can be exhausting and demanding. However the rewards are equally beneficial. Anyone who has ever worked in youth ministry needs to have creative energy and an enthusiastic faith.

Youth ministry in Ireland has been in decline for many years. There exists, however, a very committed and dedicated team of youth leaders around the country who continually endeavour to reimagine youth ministry in local settings. I can

recall a time when youth ministry in Ireland was one of the most exciting ministries to be involved in. In 2017 many involved in pastoral ministry avoid youth ministry!

Arguably, and on paper, everyone encourages youth ministry. In reality, most want nothing at all to do with it. This would sum up the difficulties some youth ministers experience today.

There is a ‘leave it to others’ attitude. There is a divestment of responsibility twinned with a lack of co-responsibility in supporting and assisting those in youth ministry. Many parishes lament the absence of young people: most however are comfortable and don’t want to be disturbed or made uncomfortable or messy!

SIGNS OF HOPE There is an urban myth in church circles that young people are not interested in being part of their local parish. This may be because some parishes struggle to reach out to young people or have inconsistent youth ministry programmes. I don’t think that young people have abandoned their faith or church.

I do think that many parishes became preoccupied with maintaining pastoral programmes that did not include young people. As a result, young people found other ways of using their time.

I am a realist however. It is not easy to work with young people in a faith context. It requires youth leaders who are not just committed to their faith, but who are also strong enough to be part of a youth culture that is increasingly hostile for faith workers.

St Paul’s Church in Arran Quay, Dublin is now home to a number of new youth ministry initiatives.

A church that seemed tired and old has been reimagined with a new purpose. It is now a church where young people are welcome to attend an expanding programme of events. These initiatives allow for space for young people to encounter other young people in a faith context, to explore, and expand their experience of faith.

Young people will be part of a church where they feel welcomed Recently, St Paul’s Church hosted Fortify, a conference reflecting on youth ministry in Ireland today. Over 400 young adults, many in positions

of voluntary leadership, were reflecting on the role of young people within the church. It really was a tonic to hear about all the various initiatives that are taking place in ‘the young church’ throughout the country. Even though there is no clear plan nor any clearly identified leader of the young church, there are many great localised initiatives reaching out to young people.

St Paul’s Church is now becoming a centre for pioneering new youth outreaches. With an intentional focus on young people, it now hosts regular prayer events by various youth movements.

College chaplains regularly host working meetings in it. Recently Young Christian Workers (YCW) has opened an office in St Paul’s. It is hoped that an expanding menu of opportunities for young people will allow this space to serve as a place where young people can be inspired and also bring this inspiration back to their parishes. Here are some of the initiatives that currently work with young people. Encounter is a monthly prayer initiative combining contemporary music, prayer and reflection for young adults. It is wonderful to see a growing number of young adults finding a new spiritual home in St Paul’s Church, Dublin. Other initiatives include a regular book club, called Life to the Full. Each week a group meets to review and reflect on a particular chosen book.  New leadership programmes include Foundation Leadership Programme for young adults which takes place once a month in St Paul’s. Another new initiative is ANCHOR, a parish-based weekend course for young people who wish to begin to lead parish-based initiatives for young people. Music plays a significant role in the life of young people. There are many parishes where young people are emerging from family mass groups to begin new teenage choirs. Other parishes have Gospel choirs. Parishes such as Our Lady of Victories in Ballymun and Gardiner Street have Gospel choirs, and also have faithbased initiatives which non-musical young people can be part of. FaithFest is a bi-annual event for teenagers held in Clonliffe College where teenagers from various parishes can attend inspirational workshops. Pilgrimages still attract young people on an

annual basis. Each summer young people are invited by their leaders to go to Lourdes as volunteers, maybe attend World Youth Day, or closer to home climb Croagh Patrick or visit Lough Derg.

The common denominator in all the initiatives that youth and young adults get involved in is the local leader, the youth leader who invites or inspires a group to do something very different to their peers. These leaders are a key group of people and require greater support and encouragement for their challenging work.

CREATING A SPACE FOR YOUTH MINISTRY Young people will be part of a church where they feel welcomed. It is the youth leaders and emerging leaders that will inspire a new generation to be part of the church.

Pope Francis asked the question to the bishops gathered in Brazil, “Are we as a church still capable of warming hearts?” If we approach youth ministry as one of failure or dejection, it will contaminate our efforts. In Evangelli Gaudium, he notes that we all need to reach out to the “peripheries” and find ways of bringing the Gospel to all human situations.

He has also said that we need to go out and meet young people on their search, where they are at, not where we are at.

Young people want to contribute and to make a difference. They care about the world, the environment, justice and the poor. Pope Francis has said that, “young people are the windows through which the future enters the world”. This means that we have to create the material and spiritual conditions for their full development.

Young people need to have a space within the church in order to develop, nurture and explore their faith. For a long time now, I have spoken about a real lack of youth-friendly spaces within church that can assist young people to mature and grow into faith and to be challenged to be active in that choice. As we ‘listen’ to young people, hopefully we can all make space for young people to be more fully part of the church.

Gerard Gallagher is a pastoral co-ordinator in the Archdiocese of Dublin and has worked with young people for over two decades. He is author of Are We Losing the Young Church? and Your Child’s Confirmation.

39

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Prayer and reflections for moments of the day & moments in life!

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FUNDING APPEAL:

Emergency C-Section Kits in the Dominican Republic of Congo

Over her lifetime, a Congolese women faces a one in 30 chance of dying from complications arising from pregnancy and childbirth, with poverty cited as the main trigger of maternal deaths.

The Redemptorists in the Democratic Republic of Congo are actively working to reduce the rate of maternal deaths and infant mortality rates in the Kimpese Health Zone.

The Redemptorists are seeking help to purchase Emergency 200 C-Section Kits at a cost of €46/ $51 each in 2017 and to be able to pay the operation costs for 100 women at a costs of €59/$66 per operation.

Could you help? Could your community help? Could your parish help? Do you know anyone who could help? Could you share this appeal within your network?

If you can help...

Email: gerry@africaredemptorists.com Visit: www.africaredemptorists.com Donate by post: Solidarity Office for Africa and Madagascar, Scala, Castle Road, Blackrock, Cork

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE BOOKS REVIEWED BY KATE GREEN ADVICE TO PRIESTS FROM POPE FRANCIS With a foreward by Bishop Robert Barron, With The Smell of Sheep should be required reading for anyone in ministry or preparing for ministry.

Here we meet Pope Francis, read his words, see into his mind, heart and soul, and begin to understand his vision for a new evangelisation and a renewed Church. We learn what makes him the pastor he is, and the model of priesthood he propagates. He speaks in a manner all can understand. He speaks as a priest, revealing the open secret of the joy he radiates.

He challenges and questions all, including himself, as to the motive of their priestly ministry. There is plenty of "tough love" in these pages. On the sacrament of reconciliation -"How do I confess? Do I allow myself to be embraced by God? Only then can a priest be merciful to people."

On the importance of frequent priestly confession: "you cannot limp on both legs!" Mercy must be the hallmark of the confessor: "the Church is a field-hospital. So many wounds! People who are wounded want a caress." The priest must incarnate a mercy that "covers sin with its cloak so as not to wound people's dignity." He warns: "If you do not feel you are a father, do not enter the confessional. So much harm can be done to a soul that is not welcomed with a father's heart, with the heart of Mother Church."

Speaking to the Diplomatic Corps, he pulls no punches."Careerism is a form of leprosy," he tells them, so "be holy, or return to your diocese as a parish priest." In Philadelphia, he tells victims of sexual abuse by priests: "I hear you and believe you," and that "clergy and bishops will be held responsible."

There are strong words too for the Curia. He warns against becoming a mere "functionary or bureaucrat" and lists the "Curial diseases" so as to help them prepare better for preChristmas confession. The themes of joy, closeness to Christ, walking with people on their journey, mercy, and compassion pepper these pages.

On priestly formation, he warns against accepting those who are unsuitable. The onus is on bishops to develop formation programmes that will produce priests who will "warm people's hearts, walk with them in the night, dialogue with their hopes and disappointments and mend their brokenness, and they cannot delegate this.

The addresses abound in such straight-talking, but there is also tenderness and great humour. In reading these pages, lay-people will also find a blue-print for the Christian life and an energy that surely comes from the Holy Spirit for the spiritual benefit of all within the Church.

Pope Francis: With the Smell of the Sheep Giuseppe Merola (ed.) Orbis.

Pbk - 297 pages ISBN: 9781626982246 Price: €18.35

THE STRUGGLE TO FIND YOURSELF Journeying with Jonah could be subtitled ‘A life interrupted.’ All our lives are interrupted at some point, by sickness, bereavement, the birth of a child, new employment, retirement, or the belief one is being called by God .This was Jonah's experience: he was not only called but commanded by God to go to Nineveh, and preach

total destruction and annihilation, if the people did not repent of their evil ways. When the usual tenor of our lives is interrupted, there is usually conflict. Denis McBride says there would be no interesting story without conflict and Jonah certainly experiences conflict in a deep way. Pope Francis exhorted us all, in the Year of Mercy, to read this short story because it is a stunningly modern story. Jonah is a mirror-image of many of us in the post-Christian 21st century: floundering; unwilling; confused about God, the world and our place in it; looking for an exit door from our Christian vocation when we find its demands too hard, too crazy, too counter-cultural.

Fr McBride presents us with three things Jonah and we need to resolve if we are to live integrated and consistent lives: Who am I? Where am I going? What outlook, shape or standards will govern my life?

Will we be like Jonah, placing ourselves at the centre of our world, instead of God? Will we crave mock ‘celebrity status’ for ourselves, ‘because we're worth it’?

Will it be my way instead of God's way? Denis Mc Bride, with humour and a lightness of touch, explores every aspect of Jonah's response, revealing a Jonah who is eminently human, flawed, weak, stubborn, yet ultimately endearing, because in him we recognise aspects of our own struggle to better reflect the God in whose image we all were made.

Nineveh was the richest, most sophisticated, powerful, pagan and brutal kingdom of the ancient world.

Jonah, the country bumpkin, is to preach repentance or destruction.

We can well understand his attempt to break free, and head for Tarshish,

on the modern Spanish Costas!

But the real reason for Jonah's reluctance is that he doesn’t want these “favourite enemies” of his nation to repent – but they do, spectacularly. He doesn’t want God to be merciful to them – but He is, unconditionally and tenderly.

He upbraids Jonah for his lack of mercy for these people “who don't know their right hand from their left”. At the story’s end, we don't know what Jonah does next. The author says that is because we are to put ourselves into Jonah’s space, and answer the three questions.

And now we understand why Pope Francis urged us to read the Book of Jonah – to learn that mercy is the essence of God, and that this story pre-figures the Gospel message of Jesus.

The book itself is short and beautifully illustrated. Jonathan Thompson’s modern monotype prints introduce each of the five parts of the book and provide the cover illustration as well, firmly lending a modern ambience to this ancient parable. A delight to read, a challenge to each of us in our attempts to live as followers of Christ, I heartily recommend this book.

Journeying with Jonah Denis McBride CSsR RP, Chawton, 2015 Pbk - 152 pages.

ISBN: 10:0852314388 Available from Redemptorist Communications, Dublin Price: €12.95 p+p

Kate Green is a former teacher of English and Religious Education in Belfast. She works closely with the Redemptorist Congregation, mainly in Clonard Monastery. Now retired, and recently widowed, she enjoys many interests, chief of which is honing her skills of Christian grandparenting with Oran and Fiachra.

41

D E V E LO P M E N T I N ACTION

COMMUNITIES IN ETHIOPIA FACE A TOTAL LOSS OF THEIR LIVELIHOODS

A REPORT FROM TRÓCAIRE’S OFFICE IN ETHIOPIA DESCRIBES A VISIT TO BORANA IN THE OROMIA REGION IN THE SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY WHERE THE WAY OF LIFE HAS BEEN DEVASTATED BY 42 CONTINUING DROUGHT.

BY SAMSON HAILEYESUS

The

atmosphere is sombre at the office of the Dembi Peasants’ Association in Borana in Ethiopia close to the border with Kenya. The village elders have gathered to discuss how to get by after three droughts in three consecutive years. The continuous droughts have baffled the elders. There is no memory of such a calamity among the community of just under 1000 households.

“We rely on livestock herding and some crops to survive but we have lost it all. It will take us a long time to recover, even if this dry spell ends soon,” says Gadana Roba. “In the past, out of an eight year cycle, there would be a drought in the sixth year. Now we are having three years of consecutive drought - this is truly a first in my lifetime,” said Tarik Waqa. The other elders nod in agreement.

THREE YEARS WITHOUT RAIN All thirteen districts in the Borana area have been severely affected. By late April 2017, almost half the livestock had died due to lack of pasture and water.

In Ethiopia alone, 7.8 million people are in

REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

need of humanitarian assistance. Neighbouring countries Kenya, South Sudan and Somalia are also experiencing the terrible impact of prolonged and recurrent drought. Twenty-five million people are experiencing extreme food shortages throughout the region.

The situation has forced men to leave their villages in search of pasture and water, leaving behind

women, children and the elderly. The splitting up of families is just another of the consequences of this terrible drought.

“We have all lost cattle and what little remained from our stock we have sent across the border into Kenya. We are now a village of only children, women and the elderly. Our boys and men have all left the villages herding the cattle to places where there is Mother of five Agudo Gelgelo from Dembi village in Ethiopia says her family faces a very uncertain future. Photo: Samson Haileyesus

at least some hope for water and pasture,” said Roh Gotelo, head of the local office of the Dembi Peasants’ Association.

A MOTHER’S STORY Agudo Gelgelo is a 42-year-old mother of five children, four boys and a girl. She is among the many in Dembi village barely surviving the devastating drought in Borana. She is receiving some support from the government, and supplements her family’s income by selling firewood. A single parent, Agudo is at her wit’s end as to how the family will get by.

Previously her extended family supported her, but three droughts in a row means they are not able to help any longer.

“Everyone has been affected by the drought, but single mothers like me are the most affected, as we have to provide everything for the family. My husband passed away many years ago and the family relies solely on me. Before the drought I relied on others within my wider family circle to help me but now they are finding it difficult to support even themselves,” said Agudo.

REDEMPTORIST

PARISH MISSIONS

The situation is the same in Bee Dee, 10km to the east of Dembi.

“We usually have a three month rainy season but not this year,” said Alekeno Golicha. “What we desperately need now is grass. The grass that is left cannot support our cattle as the rains were not sufficient enough to allow it to recover,” Alekeno said, pointing to barren patches of red soil amidst scantily distributed greenery.

“As pastoralists we rely on our animals. We do not look for money, we live on milk and meat. Initially we balked at the idea of selling our cattle, but now we have no choice. The value of our cattle has plummeted significantly and that still depends on them making the journey to the market without collapsing. Now it is either sell or see their spines twist and die,” said Bilalo Bunaya another resident of Bee Dee. “Milk is usually reserved for children, the elderly and the sick. Without milk we have nothing to offer them as a form of nourishment. It is in God’s hands now. All we can do is simply pray and hope that things turn for the better,” said Tarik from Dembi.

Trócaire and its partner, Community Initiatives Facilitations and Assistance (CIFA), provided 5,483 households with veterinary care support providing lifesaving drugs for livestock in the first three months of this year.

“The medicines for our cattle came at a critical time. The drugs helped our cattle, but nature has become our most potent adversary. If the rains don’t come we can only expect ticks and more drought,” said Tarik.

Ten thousand people have been supported by water projects in Ethiopia, and 25,200 people are receiving monthly food rations, all funded

by Trócaire. Despite these efforts, humanitarian needs continue to escalate. Trócaire, with the support of the Irish people, will continue to help the pastoralists of Borana and others affected by the drought in the region and hopes to ramp up the emergency response in the coming months.

You can support this work by donating to Trócaire’s East Africa Hunger Crisis Appeal at www.trocaire.org or by calling 1850 408 408 (ROI) or 0800 912 1200 (NI).

Breaking the Word in September 2017

Please pray for the Redemptorist Teams who will preach the Word and for God’s People who will hear the Word proclaimed this month in:

(9th – 10th September 2017)

Holy Cross, Co. Tipperary

Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal (11th – 19th September 2017)

Novena preached by Kevin Brown CSsR and Seamus Enright CSsR

Novena preached by Johnny Doherty CSsR and Peter Burns CSsR

Derrigonnolly, Co. Fermanagh (9th – 15th September 2017)

Ardagh, Co. Mayo (23rd – 30th September 2017) Mission preached by Denis Luddy CSsR and Helena Connolly

Mission preached by Laurence Gallagher CSsR Derek Meskell CSsR and Margie Kennedy

Valentia Island (23rd – 29th September 2017) Mission preached by Laurence Gallagher CSsR Derek Meskell CSsR and Margie Kennedy

Dromahair, Co. Leitrim (9th – 17th September 2017) Mission preached by John Hanna CSsR and Noel Kehoe CSsR

The details above are accurate at the time of printing. If you have any views, comments or even criticisms about Redemptorist preaching, we would love to hear from you. If you are interested in a mission or novena in your parish, please contact us for further information. And please keep all Redemptorist preachers in your prayers.

Fr Johnny Doherty CSsR, Email: dohertyjohnny@gmail.com Tel: +44 28 90445950

Fr Laurence Gallagher CSsR, Email: missions.novenas@redemptorists.ie Tel: +353 61 315099

CO M M E N T REALITY CHECK PETER McVERRY SJ

HOMES: WHERE – AND WHEN – CAN WE FIND THEM?

ADAPTING AND UPGRADING EMPTY BUILDINGS MAY BE THE QUICKEST AND CHEAPEST SOLUTION TO THE NATIONAL PROBLEM OF HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS. HOW A GROUP OF STUDENTS SHOW THE WAY.

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One group of people who have pursued an idea that can change the lives of 500,000 people in Ireland are the students in the School of Architecture in UCD. They identified five empty, dilapidated commercial buildings in Dublin and drew up plans for their conversion into high quality residential homes for people and families. They called it the “Risinghome” project. They produced stunning designs in buildings that seemed impossible to convert to homes.

In May 2017, there were officially 7,699 people using homeless accommodation, including 2,777 children. However, the true number of homeless people is much higher. This number does not include those sleeping rough, or sleeping in cars or tents; it does not include those who are ‘sofasurfing’, staying on friends’ floors until their welcome runs out, as they do not feel safe in emergency homeless accommodation; it does not include those families who flee domestic violence and find temporary accommodation in domestic refuges; it does not include a much larger number of families who seek accommodation in domestic refuges but are turned away because they are full, most of whom, presumably, had no choice but to return to the home from which they had fled - one refuge, which has accommodation for only four families, turned away 250 women with 350 children last year. It does not include four hundred refugees who have been REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

in Ireland). The Government tell us that the housing problem is a problem of supply. But there is no supply problem. Adapting and upgrading existing empty buildings is the quickest and cheapest solution to the housing “supply problem.”

Any 12-year old can immediately recognise the absurdity of having people without homes alongside buildings without people. Now we just have to convince the politicians!

given leave to stay in Ireland but are stuck in the direct provision service because they cannot find accommodation.

Then there are thousands of people living in appalling conditions in the private rented sector, sometimes accommodation unfit for human habitation, but who cannot complain for fear of being evicted into homelessness. There are thousands of people living in the private rented sector who are spending more than 50% of their income on rent, going without basic needs such as adequate food or medicines, and who constantly worry about when the landlord is going to increase the rent even further and they will be unable to pay. Then there are tens of thousands of people, including thousands of children, who are living in overcrowded accommodation – sometimes three or four generations of one

family living in a three bedroom house - because they have nowhere else to go and who do not want to register as homeless.

There are thousands of 20, 30 and even 40-year olds who are still living with their parents because they cannot afford to pay the rents being demanded in the private rented sector and are ineligible for a mortgage.

Overall, I would guestimate that there are about 500,000 people – more than one in ten of the population – who do not have a home to live in, or who are living in appalling conditions, or who are stressed out because of their living situation.

The Risinghome project shows how the living situation of those 500,000 people could be transformed. There are thousands of empty commercial buildings in Ireland. There are also 198,000 permanently empty, boarded up, houses and apartments according to Census 2016 (10% of all homes

Any government’s primary responsibility is to ensure that everyone has their basic human rights met. There are five basic human rights: the right to adequate food, the right to healthcare, the right to education, the right to work and the right to a home. But the right to a home is the most basic, because if you do not have a home, you may not be able to eat properly, your health may deteriorate and you will find it very difficult or impossible to access education or employment.

Therefore the first and most important responsibility for Government is to ensure that everyone has a home. This cannot be postponed on the grounds that we first have to create the wealth, the catchphrase of conservative governments everywhere. Even if we believe that ideology, Ireland is today the 14th wealthiest country in the world, so the question I would ask of our politicians is ‘how long more do people have to wait?”

GOD’S WORD THIS MONTH LOOSING IN ORDER TO FIND Today’s Gospel opens with the first of three passion predictions. It is a minipassion Gospel, telling the story from arrival in 22ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Jerusalem to resurrection.

Immediately before this, Peter had confessed Jesus as the Son of the Living God (last week’s Gospel): now he draws him aside from the disciples to rebuke him. This is the same strong verb Jesus used to check the storm on the lake or the crowds enthusiastic to publicise his miracles (cf. Matt 8:26; 12:16). It is met with a rebuff Peter could hardly have anticipated: just before he had been named the foundation rock of the Church, now he is a different kind

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of rock - a ‘stone of stumbling.’ Our word ‘scandal’ comes from a Greek word for the ambush blocking the path of an enemy or for a stick holding a trap open, which, struck by the animal, caused the trap to spring shut.

Peter’s misunderstanding of Jesus’ destiny and mission provides an occasion for a teaching on the true meaning of discipleship.

Turning to the group of disciples, Jesus tells them what following him requires. This is nothing less than total renunciation of self.

Human beings naturally long for a long life without pain, and for a decent share in the world’s goods. Carrying the cross means a lot more than simply putting up with the small irritations of life. The cross was proverbial for horror and shame in the first century world. The Roman orator Cicero, defending

a client, said: ‘let the very mention of the cross be far removed not only from a Roman citizen’s body, but from his mind, his eyes, his ears.’ To make cross-bearing a condition of discipleship was to embark on a path that ran counter to the culture of the day. Matthew is always careful to balance pain with reward when he describes the difficulties of Jesus’ way. The faithful disciple will see the triumphant Crucified One returning in glory, bearing a reward for all who have striven to follow him.

Today’s Readings Jer 20:7-9: Ps 63: Rom 12:1-2: Matthew 16:21-27

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God’s Word continues on page 46

GOD’S WORD THIS MONTH LIVING IN THE CHURCH Matthew 18 is often described by scripture scholars as the ‘church rule’. Three brief sections 23RD SUNDAY IN form our Gospel for today.

ORDINARY TIME The first and longest is an instruction on how to deal with disagreements and disputes within the community. The members of the earliest Christian communities were socially very close to one another. They probably also lived physically fairly close to one another. They shared their property when required, and kept an open house for travelling Christians.

The Eucharist was not the symbolic meal of bread and wine we have today. It included a substantial meal provided by whoever hosted the celebration. In such close-knit communities, disagreements between individuals were bound to flare up from 46 time to time, and had the potential for

poisoning the atmosphere, even for those not directly involved. Jesus proposes a three step process for resolving tensions like this.

In the first step, the parties in disagreement were expected to meet in an atmosphere of trust to try and clear the air. If that did not work, then the disputants should invite another member or two to act as honest brokers. If this also failed, last option was to submit the matter to meeting of whole community in the hope of finding a solution.

If one of the parties refused to accept this, then they were to be excluded. and ‘treated like a Pharisee or a publican.’ A drastic step, to be sure, but it is one which recognizes that simmering resentment has the potential to destroy a closely knit community.

Two solemn sayings follow, each introduced by ‘amen I say to you’ (or depending on translation, ‘truly I say to you’). Jesus had already given Peter the power of binding and loosing (Matthew 16: 9, 21st Sunday). This

new saying assures the community that its solemn decisions will have the same kind of binding force. The second saying is about prayer. If as few as two people pray for the same thing, that prayer will have special efficacy in God’s sight. Jewish tradition taught that God was present when Jews studied the scriptures together: “If two sit together and occupy themselves with the words of the Torah, the divine presence abides in their midst” (Sayings of the Fathers 2:6). Jesus assures his followers that, when they pray, he will be with them. It anticipates the closing promise of the Gospel that he will be with them to end of the world (Matthew 28:19).

SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN Matthew’s instruction on life in the Christian community concludes with a great teaching 24TH SUNDAY IN on forgiveness. In the ORDINARY TIME name of the others, Peter asks Jesus how often one must forgive. He probably thought that to forgive seven times was generous: seven is a biblical number that symbolises completeness. To his surprise, Jesus replies, ‘not seven, but seventy times seven,’ and then spells out the meaning of such generosity in a parable.

To understand the import of the parable, it is necessary to note a number of its key terms. ‘Servants of a king’ does not imply people who performed menial tasks. A character in the Book of Jeremiah is called Ebedmelech, (Hebrew for ‘the King’s servant’).

But Ebedmelech is a person of considerable power and influence in the court, which he uses to protect Jeremiah (cf. Jeremiah ch

38). If we substitute for it the older English word, ‘minister’, that has precisely the same meaning, we might get a better sense of what this parable is about. The servants are not simply lowly members of the palace staff; they are the king’s trusted advisors, his ministers of state. We also need some sense of the value of the money involved. While it is not easy to translate ‘talent’ directly into current values, it has been estimated that a talent would be the equivalent of about $20,000: so ten thousand talents would be about 200 million dollars! A denarius was a coin current in the Roman Empire, normally calculated as being the wages of a labourer. A hundred denarii would then be the equivalent of three month’s wages. Using today’s standards, it would work around €4,000. While it is not exactly a trivial sum, it is a drop in the ocean compared with 200 million dollars.

The first servant is able to play the system to his advantage. When he is discovered, he throws himself on the king’s mercy and to ask for time to get his affairs straightened out.

Probably to his surprise, the king does not just give him time, but he cancels the entire debt. Here, the parable takes a new twist. Just released from his enormous debt, he meets another member of the royal household who owes him one hundred denarii. Just as he had pleaded for time, the fellow servant now asks for time but is refused. This is too much for his fellow members of the royal administration. They report the matter to the king who now demands full payment.

The point of the parable is clear: forgiveness is a two-way process. This is a point Matthew has pressed home from the beginning of the Gospel. It is a powerful illustration of the prayer ‘forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who are indebted to us’ Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:12).

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REALITY SEPTEMBER 2017

Today’s Readings Ezek 33:7-9: Ps 94: Rom 13: 8-16: Matthew 18-15-20

Today’s Readings Eccles 27:30-28:7: Ps 102: Rom 14: 7-9: Matthew 18: 21-35

THE REALITY CROSSWORD NUMBER 7, SEPTEMBER 2017

UNEXPECTED GENEROSITY This is the first of three ‘vineyard parables’ we will meet in the Gospel over the next few Sundays. Vine and figs were the most cultivated fruit in the Holy Land. Vineyards stood on the slopes of hillsides, and 25TH SUNDAY IN were carefully terraced to use the land to the best ORDINARY TIME advantage. Today’s parable has two parts. The first part tells how the landowner goes out five times in the course of the day to hire workers for his vineyard. The second part describes paying the workers at the close of the day.

Extra labour was needed to get the grape harvest in around September when the grapes were ripe. The parable also reflects the fragile economic world of Jesus. Small family farms had often given way to larger holdings, forcing landless workers to hire themselves out for the day when they could find work. They probably congregated in village square before dawn hoping to be picked up by a landowner or his steward. A day’s work meant that a family could be fed: a day without work would be a day without food. The landowner in the parable goes out to hire five times in the course of the day – at daybreak, the usual time for starting work, mid-morning (‘third hour’), noon (‘sixth hour’), mid-afternoon (‘ninth hour’) and finally just an hour before sunset (‘the eleventh hour’), the end of the working day.

The only conversation recorded is with the first and the last groups.

To the first, he promises a ‘fair wage’ (a denarius – see last Sunday’s Gospel). While the conversation with the last group is longer, no particular wage is agreed.

The second part of the parable hints that a surprise is in store. It would have been normal to have begun paying the wages with those who were hired first. Instead, the landowner tells the foreman to begin from the end. Probably to their immense surprise, the men hired last are given an entire day’s wage (a denarius). As word of the boss’s generosity was passed back along the line, those who had been there since dawn were probably expecting to something more. To their disappointment, they get the denarius they had agreed, even though they, as they argued, had been slaving all day in the heat. The landowner reminds them of their bargain: a denarius for a day’s work.

He is not being unjust but why, he asks, should they be jealous if he has chosen to be generous?

It is hard not to agree with the first group of workers that they had been hard done by! It is ‘good news’ story, however as that tells us that, in the end, our lives will be judged by grace rather than strict justice. God’s justice is not measured by strict justice so much as it is by generosity and compassion.

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SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD No. 5 ACROSS: Across: 1. Hubbub, 5. Exodus, 10. Turmoil, 11. Tonsure, 12. Lair, 13. Yemen, 15. Pure, 17.

Fir, 19. Shekel, 21. Bunyan, 22. Paladin, 23. Earwig, 25. Dazzle, 28. Lei, 30. Test, 31. Vista, 32. Prop, 35. Tombola, 36. Hot dogs, 37. Adored, 38. Debase DOWN: 2. Ukraine, 3. Boot, 4. Belief, 5. Esther, 6. Oink, 7. Uruguay, 8. Atolls, 9. Aegean, 14.

Mirages, 16. Sepia, 18. Lunar, 20. Lag, 21. Bid, 23. Entity, 24. Resumed, 26. Zircons, 27. Expose, 28.

Lizard, 29. Itched, 33. Boor, 34. Stub.

Winner of Crossword No. 5 Clíodhna MacMahon, Dublin 4

ACROSS 1. Traditional resting place of Noah's Ark. (6) 5. Former name of Ho Chi Minh City. (6) 10. The site of the Crucifixion. (7) 11. Return to a normal state of health. (7) 12. Shakespeare's mad ruler. (4) 13. Happen as a result. (5) 15. Elaborate operatic for a dingle voice in an opera. (4) 17. The creator and ruler of the universe. (3) 19. Edible plants and natives of Stockholm. (6) 21. Basic monetary units of India and Pakistan. (6) 22. Someday you'll find a large breed of hunting dog. (7) 23. A temporary problem or setback. (6) 25. Home of Kubla Khan according to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, (6) 28. Gigantic mythical bird of the Arabian Nights. (3) 30. The primary water source of Egypt. (4) 31. Boring, ordinary, and not original. (5) 32. Dish of meat and vegetables cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid. (4) 35. Bright green precious stone. (7) 36. A vacuum flask. (7) 37. Unit of length relating to the depth of water. (6) 38. An Indian fried turnover. (6)

DOWN 2. Set free. (7) 3. Travel aimlessly. (4) 4. Making an attempt to do something. (6) 5. Length of cloth made famous in Turin. (6) 6. Move slowly to a part of a foot. (4) 7. The side of a coin bearing the principal design. (7) 8. Rebukes someone angrily. (6) 9. Members of the mendicant orders. (6) 14. Wise king of ancient Israel. (7) 16. The central figure of the Christian religion. (5) 18. The betraying disciple. (5) 20. Drain energy from plant fluid. (3) 21. A Latin king. (3) 23. Composer of 'Messiah'. (6) 24. A large volcanic crater. (7) 26. Greek deity of the hunt. (7) 27. Not sensible, foolish. (6) 28. Action that occurs without order or reason. (6) 29. Succulent plant of the desert. (6) 33. A solemn promise invoking a divine witness. (4) 34. A wheel for steering a ship. (4)

Entry Form for Crossword No.7, September 2017 Name:

Today’s Readings

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Isa 55:6-9: Ps 144: Phil 1:20-24,27: Matthew 20:1-16 All entries must reach us by September 30, 2017 One €35 prize is offered for the first correct solutions opened. The Editor’s decision on all matters concerning this competition will be final. Do not include correspondence on any other subject with your entry which should be addressed to: Reality Crossword No. 7, Redemptorist Communications, Unit A6, Santry Business Park, Swords Road, Dublin 09 X651

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