NEW OBLATES ARE HONOURED PAGE 3
WALKING THE CAMINO PAGE 4
WHY LIMERICK’S NOVENA ROCKED! NEWSLETTER OF THE IRISH REDEMPTORISTS
Volume 4 Number 3 • December 2014
PAGE 6
CONGRATULATIONS SR MARIA!
The Slovakian Sister makes her Final Profession
On Saturday 5 July, Sr Maria Sidorova made her Final Profession as a Redemptoristine in the Sisters’ Chapel in Drumcondra. It was a joyful celebration which marked the end of a long journey for Maria. Born in a small village in Eastern Slovakia, she first met the Redemptoristine Sisters at the age of 17 when she paid a brief visit to their convent in Poland. Nearly five years later, after a 12-month stay at the Slovakian Redemptoristine Monastery, she moved to England and found work Sr Maria Sidorova on her Profession Day
TOP MARKS FOR NEW HAITI SCHOOL It’s a fresh start for Port-au-Prince students Pupils from St Gerard’s primary school, Portau-Prince, which was destroyed in the 2010 Haiti earthquake, were thrilled to witness the official opening of their brand new building on 17 September – and it was all thanks to a fourway partnership between local Redemptorists, SERVE and two Spanish aid
groups. It’s nearly five years since the school, situated in the capital’s Redemptorist parish, was razed to the ground killing 292 children and six teachers. In the immediate aftermath, Frs Gerry O’Connor and Sean Duggan helped implement an emergency response, providing food, medical
continued on page 2
One of the many happy pupils attending St Gerard’s Primary School
continued on page 2
CONGRATULATIONS SR MARIA!
continued from page 1
in an Italian restaurant. Maria still longed for the Redemptoristine way of life and eventually made contact with the Sisters in Dublin, entering the community there in 2009. As she prepared to profess her final vows,
Sr Maria said: “I have huge reverence for this life. I don’t feel worthy of it. The responsibility is immense. But I feel the weight of it and I go in trust and freedom with God.” Congratulations Sr Maria!
Discover more about the Redemptoristines at www.rednuns.com
Sr Maria taking her final vows
TOP MARKS FOR NEW SCHOOL continued from page 1
supplies and shelter. They have also assisted with the long-term project of rebuilding the school, enlisting the invaluable support of SERVE volunteer Stephen Stranney as a consultant engineer. The finished €780,000 premises is stunning and has the capacity to offer educational opportunities for 1,200 children daily, on a two-cycle basis. At the official opening, the building was signed over in favour of the 2
Haiti Redemptorists and renamed Redemptorist Missionaries School. We are now committed to helping the Redemptorists in Haiti to build an Early
2010
Education Unit and to help strengthen the curriculum and the skills base of teachers working in the seven primary schools on Redemptorist missions across Haiti. We’re
2014
also committed to a student scholarship fund covering annual fees that amount to just over €50 per year. Many thanks to all concerned on a job well done.
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN!
Our new Oblates are honoured in Dundalk
Pat Gray receiving his certificate
The new Oblates
Seven new Oblates have been honoured in the Redemptorist Community in Dundalk in recognition of their years of service to the ministries of St Joseph’s Church and Parish.
Certificates were awarded to Marie Begley, Sr Brenda McCaul, Pat and Kathleen McCabe, Sean McEneaney RIP, Pat Gray and Seán Kelly by Provincial Vicar Fr Brendan O’Rourke, who was assisted by the Rector
of St Joseph’s, Fr Michael Cusack. Fr Michael commented: “When we honour these seven new Oblates of our Congregation, we are honouring and appreciating all those
who minister in and from this Church... Let us give thanks for the great generosity and extraordinary faithfulness of so many in supporting the mission of the Church.”
“THANKS FOR SUCH AN UPLIFTING DAY” The Redemptorist Associates Day was a huge success
REDEMPTORIST ASSOCIATES
Fr George Wadding
Over 60 people gathered in Marianella on 20 September for the annual Redemptorist Associates Day. The theme was Evangelii Gaudium – The Joy of the Gospel – and Fr George Wadding, C.Ss.R., was there to welcome all. Dr Fáinche Ryan from Trinity College, gave an excellent
presentation focusing on the challenges that Pope Francis faced prior to his election and the impact he has made since. The guests enjoyed the Novena Mass at noon and partook in some stimulating small group discussions which continued over lunch.
It was a wonderful opportunity to share experiences. A sincere thanks to our hosts Fr Con Casey, C.Ss.R. and the Marianella community, and to Fáinche for such an informative and uplifting day.
NEW HOMES IN BRAZIL In October, students from St Clement’s College, Limerick, travelled to Brazil on the SERVE School Immersion Programme to work alongside SERVE partners in Parnaiba, helping to build houses for the community. Well done lads. 3
S PILGRIMS’ PROtoriGstES Missionary Vocations, pilgrims To mark the Year of The Redemp for the boost of vocations to from across the world have met to pray h stories the Congregation and to share their fait
BUEN CAMINO! Eileen Salmon reflects on her first ever pilgrimage The blessing of shoes
A first-time pilgrim Walking The Way of St James (Camino de Santiago), I set off uphill in the cool mist with my 19 companions to the Magdelena monastery in Sarria for morning prayer. With the intention of writing a journal I found myself making mental notes of potential entries. But it detracted from my sense of just ‘being’... being on the Camino, being with my thoughts
The camino group
4
Eileen Salmon
and being with others. So I abandoned any ideas of writing and decided to trust simply in ‘being’ in the moment. The landscape that I encountered was very beautiful, but it was the man-made elements that were intriguing – stones that pilgrims had carried and then placed down for personal reasons; shoes left lying by the wayside; a fence displaying crosses fashioned by pilgrims out of sticks (and socks!) As we walked long stretches in pilgrims’ footsteps, handmade signs invited us to rest and help ourselves to food and water provided by invisible hands.
Redemptorists on pilgrimage
Camino sounds ranged from the usual country animals and people talking in different languages, to music emanating from cafes and a man who’d walked from Switzerland playing the didgeridoo. But three key sounds stood out. The first was the familiar pilgrim greeting: ‘Buen Camino’. The second was prayer – our entire group prayed at the side of the way for an unknown Irish pilgrim, reminding us of our own mortality. And the third key sound? Silence. Just ‘being’. On our final day, we arrived in Santiago de Compostela for The
Pilgrims’ Mass and were ushered into seats directly in front of the impressive high altar. As I struggled with my emotions I was distracted by the sight of arms appearing around the golden bust of St James before us. Eventually I realized there was a constant line of pilgrims embracing it! Our journey home was marked by Mass in one of the cathedral’s side chapels, Our Lady of Sorrows. It was an emotional experience and I could have sat there for hours – just ‘being’. I’m grateful to the generosity of the Redemptorists for this wonderful experience, made all the more memorable by my fabulous fellow pilgrims.
FUN AND FAITH IN THE SUN Experiencing the trip of a lifetime
Redemptorists visiting their birthplace
“What a week! What an adventure! Thank you for a faith-filled, inspirational pilgrimage” – fine praise indeed from a participant on this year’s Redemptorist Associates pilgrimage to the shrines of St Alphonsus and St Gerard in Southern Italy. Our party of 44 consisted of representatives from communities in Cork,
Limerick, Belfast, Dublin and Esker in Co. Galway, and highlights of the trip included the journey around the beautiful Amalfi coast, the walking tour of Naples, Mass at Materdomini (the shrine of St Gerard) and at Marianella (the birthplace of St Alphonsus), plus a visit to St Gerard’s birthplace at Muro Lucano.
A free day, mid-week, offered opportunities to visit the Island of Capri, the excavations at Pompeii, or to simply enjoy the sights of Sorrento where we were based. These reflections from fellow pilgrims capture the experience so very well: “To think it all began here with a man called Alphonsus. What a journey from 1732 to the present day and may it continue...” “I came here with little expectation and go home after having an
experience of a lifetime.” “The balance between fun and prayer, being together and having time on our own was perfect.” “A beautiful experience of prayer, beauty and sunshine. What more could be asked for?”
The tomb of St Alphonsus
“THE TRIP HAS INSPIRED OUR VOCATION” Student Mark McMullan on his Italian pilgrimage In August, students Mark McMullan and Ryan Holovlasky, along with their Formator Fr Tony Rice, joined over 60 others from across Europe in a pilgrimage to the Alphonsian shrines in Italy. The week-long trip was a special time for both students and Formators, enabling them to explore the roots of the Congregation and reflect on their shared Redemptorist vocation. It was also an ideal chance to socialise with the other communities and hear their stories of formation life. A highlight of the trip was the renewal of vows by students from Ukraine and Spain during a special Byzantine rite Eucharist. Mark commented: “It was a time of deep reflection, thanksgiving and prayer as we united as a congregation in faith, praying to the saints that continue to inspire us in our vocations and praying for those who’ve asked for our help. This pilgrimage was an amazing experience which has transformed our outlook and inspired us to continue in our Redemptorist vocation to serve God’s people and preach the Gospel.”
Redemptorist students and formators
A GROWING COMMUNITY The Redemptorist Formation Programme has welcomed two new candidates: RE teacher Declan Byrne from Dromintee, South Armagh, a member of Clonard Youth Ministry Team, and Matthew Cregan from Belfast, a former Technical Director at the Gaiety Theatre. They join Ryan Holovlasky and Mark McMullan at the Community in St Joseph’s Dundalk, along with their Formators, Frs Dan Baragry and Tony Rice. 5
A WELCOME RETURN TO THE LIMERICK FOLD Alan Jacques reveals how the city’s annual Novena rekindled his faltering trust in the Church “You look like a crowd that Tweets,” Fr Adrian Egan told the congregation on the opening day of Limerick’s Solemn Novena at the city’s Redemptorist Church. “We’re on Twitter and Facebook and we’re live on the internet, broadcasting 24-hours a day,” he declared, heralding the beginning of the festival of community prayer. Not quite up there with the bombast of U2’s Zoo TV
business has begun to boom once more and it’s his uncomplicated yet powerful message that was the theme of this year’s Novena in Limerick. I hadn’t “done the Novena” since I was a pup, but I was glad to be welcomed back into the fold and very moved by this ideal of building “a poor church for the poor”. While I’ve always had a strong faith, in recent years I’ve mostly only attended
The famous novena ‘selfie’
Tour, but the Fathers have certainly moved with the times to spread the Good News! While the technology was hi-tech and modern, the message was timeworn, but inspiring – and totally relevant to 2014. Scandals continue to rock the Catholic Church but Pope Francis has helped steer its course back to its origins, concentrating on the poor and the marginalised. By refusing the trappings of his Papal office and by showing his solidarity for the downtrodden, 6
church for weddings, funerals and baptisms. During the height of the Church scandals it was the messages from sanctimonious priests, who themselves carried more baggage than the carousel at Shannon Airport, that turned me off the institution. However, I’ve always believed that faith is something you live and not preach and this was the message being heralded at the Novena. Over nine days, thousands united to pray and give thanks, and you couldn’t
help but be touched by some of the personal petitions being read out during the services. Those to Our Lady of Perpetual Help ranged from one frightened man’s prayers for positive test results after a cancer scare, to a distraught family praying for their ill teenage daughter. A concerned mother prayed that her depressed son would find employment, while another woman simply
the poor and the hurting, with their simple and impassioned retelling of the Gospel’s teachings. I brought my seven-yearold to one of the services and afterwards he opined, “Daddy, the priest was really excited”. Animated he certainly was, and it was refreshing to be a part of it, whether you were seven or 77. At a special Novena for Holy First Communion classes, hundreds of seven-
The special novena celebration for those who made First Holy Communion
prayed for sunshine during the Special Olympics. Rather than a robotic and jaded cycle of standing, sitting and kneeling, accompanied by hackneyed sermons, Limerick’s Solemn Novena was presented in full glorious technicolor. The services continually put the focus, not on our failings, but on God’s “mad crazy love” for each and every one of us. The Redemptorists radiated hope and expressed a strong desire for a commitment to
year-olds were asked to approach the altar and find Jesus. After a quick rummage around the communion table, the perplexed youngsters were then gleefully informed that he lives in all of us. For me, the Novena gave a wonderful opportunity to rekindle some of my own faltering trust in the Church and to experience, once again, that magical childlike sense of wonderment that I too felt at seven-years-old.
This is an abridged version of a story by Alan Jacques that appeared in the Limerick Post, 19 June 2014.
REDEMPTORISTS GONE TO GOD
This year saw the passing of five highly regarded and much loved Redemptorists who will be greatly missed by many Fr Ivan Hurley 1926-2014 Limerick-born Fr Ivan Hurley joined the Redemptorists in 1946 and was ordained in Galway in 1954. He spent his long missionary life in the Philippines where he built the Scala Retreat House in Bacolod, became Novice Master and later Director of St Clement’s College in Iloilo, and was a good friend and spiritual director to many. In his final years he ministered in the Iloilo Community Church and Parish where it was said “he lived as a true missioner till the end.” Fr Ivan died in Iloilo, on 28 May.
Fr Edward ‘Ned’ Rocks 1925-2014 Dundalk native, Fr Edward ‘Ned’ Rocks joined us in 1945 and was ordained in Galway in 1953. Ned spent over 40 years ministering in the Philippines, mainly on the island of Mindanao, later becoming chaplain to Cebu leprosarium. An active fundraiser, he devoted his life to helping those in need, especially prisoners and lepers. Returning to Ireland in 2007, he kept in contact with overseas friends via the internet and spent his final 18 months in the Blackrock Nursing Home, Dundalk. He died in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, on 20 July.
Bro Tommy Walsh 1945-2014 Born in Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, Bro Tommy Walsh joined the Redemptorists aged 16 and was professed in Dundalk in 1964. Employed in various communities across the Province, including Mount St Alphonsus, Limerick and St Joseph’s, Dundalk, he spent 30 years at Belfast’s Clonard Monastery, serving as sacristan and later as house and reception manager. In reflection, Tommy wrote: “My chosen way of life may seem outdated and archaic to today’s youth, but it is fulfilling.” He died in Belfast City Hospital on 15 May, surrounded by family and friends.
Fr. Stephen McCabe 1951-2014 Born in Dublin in 1951, Stephen McCabe was educated by the Christian Brothers before joining the Redemptorists. Professed in 1970 and ordained in 1978 Stephen spent his whole priestly life in Brazil working mainly in parish and formation ministry. He was a gentle man who enjoyed the simple things in life, especially music. A confrere wrote of him, “Stephen was a man of profound faith and an intense spiritual life among which traits were noted: his spirit of prayer, his fervent priestly ministry, his beautiful witness of an austere life, his total understanding of the evangelical message, his great dedication to his religious confreres, his sincere welcome and respect for the poor, his constant smile and jovial manner, his serenity, peacefullness and friendly manner of being as well as his dedication to study and work”. He faced his final illnes with great patience and courage. Stephen died in Fortaleza, Brazil, on 27 October and was buried there the following day. He is greatly missed by his family and confreres in Brazil and Ireland.
Fr. Peter Ward 1924-2014 Peter Ward was born in Belfast in 1924. He joined the Redemptorists 20 years later and was professed in 1945 then ordained in 1953. Appointed to India, Peter spent many years travelling that vast country, conducting parish missions and retreats. A valued member of the mission there, he served a term as Vice-Provincial of the Redemptorist Indian region before returning to Ireland in the 70’s. At home he continued to give missions and retreats while also serving as Rector in Marianella, Dublin, before being appointed to Clonard Monastery in Belfast. For the past 20 years and more, Peter has ministered in Clonard and was a well known and beloved figure there. His gentle and welcoming manner was much appreciated and he was regarded as a genuinely spiritual man. Indeed in his later years he wrote a number of books on prayer and spirituality. He died in Our Lady’s Nursing Home in Belfast on 1 November in his 90th year, following 70 years of faithful service as a Redemptorist.
7
A LETTER FROM THE PROVINCIAL In these weeks after the death of my father, I’m full of feelings; maybe the strongest of all of them is gratitude. I’m particularly grateful for my father’s commitment to fidelity, to faithfulness. He stuck with my mother through thick and thin; he was a dutiful father and employee; he did not shirk responsibility as a family man and friend; he went to Mass, was a Redemptorist co-worker and was of service to his neighbours. My sister and I thank God for him and we will miss him. We also thank God for those who walked with us on his last journey; that solidarity was invaluable. My second term as Provincial is due to finish in January 2015 and as I move on, I have many thoughts and feelings. The role of Provincial was by far the most challenging ministry that I’ve ever been asked to take on. But after six and a half years my primary feeling is one of gratitude. I’ve been blessed during these years in many, many ways. I have been witness to great virtue – in my confreres and sisters and in co-workers and benefactors who share our Redemptorist charism in the Church. The most important thing for me to say now is “thank you.” Thank you to all those who continue to show great faithfulness to the missionary call of the Redeemer; your witness has given me strength and your continued witness will give strength to my successor. Thank you to those who generously said “yes” and to those who generously heard “no” over the last six years or so. Thank you to all those people who offered understanding, tolerance, solidarity and guidance to me when I needed them. In the face of such clear and profound witness by others, I ask pardon for my failures as Provincial, as Redemptorist and as disciple. At times, those in leadership roles in the Church have made terrible mistakes; we in Ireland are painfully aware of this. But very often those who have gone astray have been surrounded by multitudes of faithful disciples. Those in leadership roles do not constitute the Church. The “living Church” is constituted by multitudes of “living stones”; by all those faithful women and men disciples of Jesus, lay, religious and cleric, who are temples of the Holy Spirit and who offer “living water” to all of God’s creation. In recent years, in the wake of serious failures, as Church we have tried to be more accountable and transparent. As Redemptorists, we have put policies and procedures in place so that we might be more accountable in areas such as ChildSafeguarding, Finance, Employment and Health & Safety. For some among us the introduction of these policies has looked like a move backwards towards greater centralization and control;
for others it has been seen as a necessary and prudent step forward in response to past failures. Whichever judgement one makes, there is no doubt that in the future, society in general will require greater and greater transparency in relation to large organizations and institutions, including charities. It would be a disaster, however, to become blinded by the mistakes of the past or paralyzed by new more stringent policies and procedures. The needs are the same as always, perhaps even greater. The call is the same. The mission of the Church and of Redemptorists is the same. The call, the mission is to proclaim the Kingdom of God: a Kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace. “The kingdom is here, it remains; it struggles to flourish anew. Christ’s resurrection everywhere calls for the seeds for that new world, even if they are cut back, they grow again, for the resurrection is already secretly woven into the fabric of this history, for Jesus did not rise in vain. May we never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope!” — Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, #278. Now is a time of extraordinary opportunity for all the faithful and for Redemptorists in a particular way to continue to proclaim this Kingdom struggling to flourish anew. Within this call, the missionary voice of Pope Francis prompting each Christian and every community to “move to the peripheries” is particularly timely for Redemptorists: “Each Christian and every community must discern the path that the Lord points out, but all of us are asked to obey his call to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the ‘peripheries’ in need of the light of the Gospel.” — Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, #20. Our call as a ‘Redemptorist family’ has always been challenging … “to proclaim the Gospel ever anew – especially to those who are most abandoned.” As Redemptorists and Redemptoristines, at times our physical frailty is painfully obvious; perhaps spiritually we are much stronger – only God knows! But we co-work with lay-women and men who are physically and spiritually strong. Working ever more fruitfully together, may we continue to be faithful to “this march of living hope” in the spirit of Alphonsus and Maria Celeste. I look forward to playing my part in whatever new role I find myself. As I write this, it is unclear who my successor will be; whoever it is I wish him well. With renewed thanks,
Michael G. Kelleher C.Ss.R
Published by Redemptorist Communications, 75 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6. Telephone: 00353-1-4922488 www.redcoms.org ©REDEMPTORIST COMMIUNICATIONS 2014