The Reds Newsletter December 2018

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND PAGE 4

WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ALPHONSUS PAGE 6

THE NEW LOOK DUNDALK NEWSLETTER OF THE IRISH REDEMPTORISTS

Volume 8 Number 2 • December 2018

PAGE 8

THE REDEMPTORIST TEAM AT THE WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES

GREAT GRANADA

The Redemptorists had a large and youthful presence at the World Meeting of Families.

Read about these amazing four days in August inside.

Full story on page 2.

Youth groups involved with Redemptorists all over Europe met for their triennial congress in Granada, Spain in July. A great experience of faith and fun is reported on page 7.

WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES 2018

Celebrating Mass at Ballyfermot on Redemptorist Day

Claire Carmichael shares her experience of this wonderful event Dublin, Ireland was the location of the ninth World Meeting of Families. The Irish Redemptorists embraced this opportunity to place greater focus on marriage and family life in the months leading up to the main event, with various initiatives carried out at local community level.

During the main event itself which ran from August 22–26 the Redemptorists had a large visual presence at the congress promoting all aspects of the Redemptorist life and ministry. We gave particular focus to St Gerard Majella with a standalone prayer space. This provided an opportunity for many people to chat, pray, write petitions and receive a blessing with the relic of St Gerard.

One of the highlights of the week was being joined by ten Redemptorists from the Conference of Europe.

We extended an invitation to professed and newly ordained Redemptorists to join us for this world celebration of marriage and family life.

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Redemptorists joined us from Bratislava, Italy, Poland, England, Scotland, Spain and the Ukraine.

They joined a team of Irish Redemptorists, Redemptoristines, youth ministers and co-workers, a true gathering of the Redemptorist family. All brought a great energy and joyous presence to the event. The team were a true witnesses of a vibrant, loving and joyful Redeemer and we were truly blessed to be represented by them.

On Friday August 24, over 400 Redemptorists, co-workers and friends gathered in the Church of The Assumption, Ballyfermot, Dublin from the eight Redemptorist communities in Ireland for a celebration of Eucharist. The theme of the day was ‘Redemptorist Family: Family of Families’.

This was followed by refreshments and social time and was a wonderful occasion for all who attended. The World Meeting of Families was a wonderful opportunity to gather as a local, national and global Redemptorist family to share our joy, faith and solidarity with each other.

Fr Richard Delahunty CSsR leading the celebration at Ballyfermot

Sr Gabrielle Fox OSsR thinks she has walked onto the set of the TV programme Room to Improve with its host, Fr Michael Cusack CSsR

The Redemptorists sponsored the Laudato Si balloon

Youth volunteers at the Redemptorist Communications stand

Pope Francis asks that all pastors of the church should have ‘the smell of sheep’!

LIMERICK MAN RE-ELECTED The Redemptorist Provincial is selected before its Chapter in 2019 We extended warm wishes and congratulations to Fr Dan Baragry CSsR who has been re-elected as Provincial of the Irish Redemptorists. We hold Fr Dan in our prayers and assure him of our support over the next four years.

Fr Dan Baragry CSsR, Irish Provincial

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Emotions running high at the River Jordan

Bethlehem

Orin Hampson and Aby Martin at the Dead Sea

WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF JESUS In October, Redemptorist Communications hosted a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. One of the participants, Mairead D’Arcy, reports on this memorable trip.

Taking part in a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a truly unique and wonderful experience.

With our group of 54, we visited the many holy sites. Seeing those places opened our eyes to how Jesus walked and taught in what must have been rough mountainous terrain.

Our starting point was around the Sea of Galilee.

We visited Capernaum, where Jesus spent much of his time and

Escaping the heat of Jerusalem

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which was the centre of his ministry. By the seashore where he appeared to the apostles after his Resurrection is a very beautiful spot where we celebrated Mass. On the Mount of Beatitudes, we prayed for the peacemakers, remembering especially Frs Al Reid and Gerry Reynolds and John Hume. We ate St Peter’s fish in the Ein Gev kibbutz. Our boat-trip on the Sea of Galilee was a time of peace.

At Nazareth, we celebrated Mass in the Basilica of the Annunciation, and visited the recreated first-century village with synagogue, workshops and houses.

After celebrating Mass on Mount Tabor, we sped through the desert, with a visit to Jerusalem before going to Bethlehem.

Passing through the ‘security wall’ to our hotel was a stark reminder of the daily reality of the Palestinian Authority: it seemed familiar to the

If the cap fits...

Belfast members of our group. We celebrated our Mass in the cave in the Shepherds’ Field, then a visit to the Church of the Nativity to see the birthplace of Jesus.

How can one describe Jerusalem? The Mount of Olives and Gethsemane, Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre, doing the Way of the Cross in a crowed city reminded us of the difficult journey of Jesus.

It will remain impressed on our memories.

Fr Brendan McConvery with the parishioners from St Gerard’s Parish, Belfast

Chris and Mairead Gruhn, Margaret McCausland, and Ita McVeigh overlooking Jerusalem

m graffiti

The Holy Land group at the Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth

Michele, Tony and Carmel Fenton with the Dome of the Rock in the background

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCALA This year marks 30 years since the Redemptorist youth house first opened its doors.

Scala co-ordinator Brian Nolan CSsR describes some of the celebrations.

The Scala Community celebrated 30 years of ministry in Cork this year. On September 29, a Mass of thanksgiving was celebrated by Provincial, Dan Baragry CSsR. It was great to see old and new faces returning to mark 30 years of ministry to young people.

In 1988 a group of four Redemptorists moved to Cork at the invitation of the bishop. Stan Mellett CSsR was one of the four and was here to put the day and the celebration in context with a brief history of the beginnings of Scala. Their mission at the time was to care for young people. Today Scala deliver school retreats, Meitheal leadership training, development education workshops and other programmes to schools throughout Cork and beyond. Many thanks to everyone who has been involved in the Scala story so far.

The Scala community and staff with Fr Dan Baragry

Fr Tony Rice CSsR, Megan Sarl, Niamh Harrington, Emma Rose Sweeney, Jill Manning, Laura O’ Leary, and Fr Pat Sugrue CSsR

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bella Italia

A short account of the Redemptorist Aphonsian pilgrimage this summer.

By Kate Green

In May this year, I set out on my third pilgrimage to Italy, ‘in the footsteps of St Alphonsus and St Gerard’ with Redemptorists, coworkers and friends. As usual, the pilgrims were of all ages and from many parts, but we were united in our love for the Redemptorists and our devotion to Alphonsus and Gerard. Our companions along the pilgrim way were Fr Dan Baragry the Provincial, and Redemptorists from several Irish communities or home from missions abroad. We

were guided through the lives of our two saints and their history by Fr Seamus Enright.

Based in the Caravel hotel in Sorrento, we were recipients of the food, wine and warm hospitality and welcome for which Italians are noted. We set out early each morning to visit Naples where the young Alphonsus practised law and worked in the Hospital for the Incurables, or to breathtakingly beautiful Amalfi and Scala where he founded his Congregation and drew

The group in the Grotto of St Alphonsus

Fr Adrian Egan CSsR and members of his family

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spiritual sustenance from prayer in his ‘little grotto’. At Materdomini where Gerard is buried, the ‘room of the babies’ is a tribute from grateful parents to Gerard’s intercession which earned him the title ‘the Family Saint’. In Muro Locano, his hometown, we were in the heart of rural Italy. At Pagani where Alphonsus died, and Ciorani, the location of the first house of the Redemptorists, we visited his room, saw his vestments and wheelchair.

Warmly received wherever we went, we were treated

to a traditional Italian festive lunch in the monastery in Ciorani. We celebrated the Eucharist at each location, bound together in faith and the innate goodness and good humour of the group.

The craic was mighty!

The evenings found us tired, but with enough energy for a sing-song.

There was genuine sadness when we took our leave of one another at Dublin airport, but also a great and tangible gratitude for such a wonderfully human and spiritual experience. We were graced indeed!

Enjoying an Italian festive meal in Ciorani

The Redemptorists at the shrine of St Alphonsus in Pagani

The group at the shrine of St Gerard Majella

THE GATHERING AT GRANADA In the summer, I travelled to Spain for the ‘All Together’ Redemptorist Youth Mission which was held in the historic city of Granada between July 25-29. The mission welcomed young people involved in Redemptorist youth ministry from across Europe to celebrate life and faith together.

My experience was somewhat different to others, as I went to Granada ahead of the Irish delegation to be part of the preparation community with 60 other young people from Spain, Germany and Slovakia. This time involved training on leading catechism groups during the mission week and some practical tasks such as organising bedrooms and setting up event spaces.

On the first day of the mission, over 700 young people descended on the city, creating a buzz and excitement for the week ahead. Each day, all the young people gathered together in the chapel of the local Jeronimite nuns where we would hear the theme for the day. After this we would join our catechism groups and spend time in conversation, reflection and prayer. We had time in the afternoon to explore the stalls set up by various Redemptorist youth ministry teams throughout Europe or to enjoy the sights and sounds of the beautiful city of Granada. Each night we would gather again to celebrate our culture and identity through song and dance with each province given the opportunity to present the traditions of their country.

The theme of the mission, ‘All Together’. was an appropriate one to sum up the experience – a coming together of cultures, languages, music and dance. Above all, there was a profound sense of our unity in faith, expressed through prayer, catechesis and community. It was announced on the last day that the next European Redemptorist Youth Mission will be held in Slovakia in 2021 which I look forward to attending with other young people from Ireland.

By Aidan McGeough

Group at the Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Madrid

Procession through the streets of Granada The Irish delegation at prayer

At morning prayer

The Irish delegation prepare for the fiesta

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THE NEW DUNDALK The renovation works at St Joseph’s monastery and the building of the new administration wing are almost complete. The community along with the provincial administration and Redemptorist Communications should be well settled in by Christmas. We wish everyone every good wish and blessing as this new chapter of Redemptorist ministry begins in Dundalk.

NEWS FROM MOZAMBIQUE The Redemptorists in Mozambique are entering into their 18th year of missionary presence in the country with three communities in the south and one relatively new community in the north. The collaborative effort of bringing Redemptorists from Brazil, Argentina and Ireland to minister in parishes has opened up the possibility for Misean Cara and Fr Gerry O’ Connor CSsR to commit to well-drilling projects in the region of Inhambane, where the Redemptorists have forged strong links with rural communities. Such projects have provided an important lifeline to isolated communities where water is in short supply.

In recent times, a new house of formation for training Redemptorist students has opened and there is a strong financial commitment both from Ireland and Argentina to ensure that the students are supported in their education and in their process of discernment. The fruits of our labour are reflected in the fact that the first ever Mozambican student is currently in the Redemptorist novitiate programme in Harare, Zimbabwe, with eight students in the postulancy stage of formation in Maputo City.

Another partnership that has emerged over the passage of time is a strong friendship and support of the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM) in Lilongwe, Malawi, who have developed a mother and child clinic in one of the poorest areas of the city. They have their own laboratory for testing blood and saliva as well as providing medication if required. It’s quite a unique facility in Malawi and the community there have a strong connection with the MMM community in Drogheda, County Louth.

During the months of May and June, English classes for local people in the village of Furancungu proved to be popular, with some of the students developing thick Irish accents by the end of it!

By Fr Derek Ryan CSsR

Back l-r: Ramon (Provincial Argentina), Ernesto (Argentina), John (Ireland), Santiago (Argentina), Marcello (Argentina), Derek (Ireland); Front l-r: Allesandro (Argentina), Jorge (Argentina), Eridian (Brazil), and Jose Luiz (Argentina)

English classes

Published by Redemptorist Communications, St Joseph’s Monastery, St Alphonsus Road, Dundalk, Co Louth A91 F3FC. Telephone: 00353-1-4922488 www.redcoms.org © REDEMPTORIST COMMIUNICATIONS December 2018 (Printed on November 19, 2018)