Reds News June 2017

REDEMPTORISTINES IN THE UK PAGE 4

FR ALEC REID CSsR HONOURED BY GAA PAGE 7

THE RENOVATION OF DUNDALK MONASTERY NEWSLETTER OF THE IRISH REDEMPTORISTS

Volume 7 Number 1 • June 2017

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OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP IN MAYNOOTH The final stop of the pilgrim icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help for the jubilee tour of Ireland was at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth on March 24. St Mary’s Chapel in the college will now be the icon’s permanent home. It is very appropriate that the long links between Maynooth and the Redemptorists should be commemorated in this way.

Continued on page 2 Left: Frs Brian Nolan CSsR and Michael Cusack CSsR carry the pilgrim icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help through the corridors of Maynooth College to its new permanent home

REALITY IS 80 YEARS OLD In November of 1936, the Redemptorists published the first edition of their magazine The Redemptorist Record. Later, it would be retitled as Reality. To mark the anniversay, a celebration was held at the Carlton Dublin Airport Hotel, officiated by RTÉ broadcaster Mary Kennedy. Pictured are Fr Brian D’Arcy, Mary Kennedy and Fr Brendan McConvery CSsR, editor.

Full story on page 3

OUR MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP IN MAYNOOTH Continued from page 1 Many of the early Irish Redemptorists were already ordained before they entered the Congregation. Most of them would have done their theological studies in Maynooth.

Among them was the first Provincial of the independent Irish Province, the Cavanborn Fr Andrew Boylan, who also founded the Province’s first foreign mission in the Philippines and was later appointed bishop of his native diocese of Kilmore. The young Donegal man,

Patrick Murray, had done his studies up to diaconate in Maynooth; he would later become the only Irish superior general, an office he held for almost 40 years.

Even before the Redemptorists arrived in Ireland, their founder St Alphonsus was well known in Maynooth.

A young professor and later president of the college, Charles Russell, introduced Blessed John Henry Newman to Alphonsus’ Glories of Mary. A contemporary of his, Nicholas Callan, a pioneer in

the development of electricity, translated many of the works of Alphonsus into English and made them available in cheap editions to offset the influence of cheap Protestant tracts. His translation of Alphonsus’ book on the priesthood became the standard text for priestly spirituality in the college and his Moral Theology became the standard text book in the subject, thanks to another professor, Edmund O’Reilly, later a Jesuit.

World War II prevented promising postgraduate students from going to

Rome for further study.

As a result several young men, including Seán O’Riordan and Gerry Crotty, took their doctorates in Maynooth.

From the early 70s onwards, another generation took the Maynooth BD as external students in the Holy Ghost Missionary College.

Among the Redemptorists who taught in Maynooth were Frs FM Jones, Seán O’Riordan, George Wadding, Raphael Gallagher, Brendan McConvery, Ciarán O’Callaghan, and Leonard Martin.

Redemptorists and seminary students with the Icon Redemptorists at the door of St Patrick’s College with the Pilgim Icon

INTRODUCING THE NEW FINANCE MANAGER Fearghal Connolly comes from Silverbridge in Co Armagh. He joined the Redemptorist Provincial staff team as finance and operations manager in February 2017. Fearghal previously worked for The Sunday Business Post newspaper where he held a senior position as financial controller for three years. Fearghal is an eager Gaelic football fan and supporter of Armagh county. Fearghal has family in Dundalk and will be relocating back there in line with the move from Santry!

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REALITY’S 80TH BIRTHDAY On December 14 last, we celebrated the 80th anniversary of the publication of the first number of The Redemptorist Record with a modest reception at the Clarion Hotel near our current Dublin offices. Fifty years ago, the Record changed its name and still survives as Reality. The anniversary was an occasion to recall the founding vision of what has eventually become Redemptorist Communications, for in addition to Reality magazine, we also produce a range of Sunday missalettes (SoulSpace and Sunday Message), pastoral aids for sacramental preparation (baptism, confirmation and marriage) and for funerals, as well as the annual novena booklets,

and a range of popular books for prayer and personal growth. We also produce short videos, such as the series for Lent this year.

Among the guests at our reception were some of our contributors and promoters. During the anniversary year, we are running a series of reprints of articles from our archives that give the flavour of our magazine down through the years.

Our mission statement sums up what we are doing in the name of the Irish Redemptorist Province. We see ourselves as a ministry “in which lay people and Redemptorists collaborate to communicate the Gospel message – to inform, inspire and challenge through pastoral publications and other media.”

Mary Kennedy makes the opening speech From left: Fr Raphael Gallagher (former editor), Fr Brendan McConvery (current editor), Br Seamus Campion and Fr John Goode (Sales)

From left: Columnist Carmel Wynne with her daughter

From left: Michelle McKeon (office administrator), with her husband, Joe Byrne and her mother Breda McKeon

From left: Fr Dan Baragry, Provincial, Mary Kennedy & Fr Brendan McConvery, Editor, get the party started by cutting the cake

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THE REDEMPTORISTINE FOUNDATION IN ENGLAND As we remember the last English Redemptoristine, Sr Mary Bernadette Grundy, RIP, a look at the community’s humble beginnings in London

Reverend Mother Marie-Gertrude of the Incarnation of the Redemptoristine community in Dublin, having submitted her project of a new foundation of

Redemptoristine Nuns in England to the Most Reverend Father Raus, the Rector Major of the Redemptorist Fathers, to the Cardinal Archbishop of Dublin, and to Msgr Bourne, then the Bishop

of Southwark, had the joy of receiving a favourable response from all of them. The renowned Rev Father Bridgett CSsR was enchanted to learn that the monastery whose foundation he had always Chudleigh Monastery

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ardently desired, was finally to be established.

Consequently, the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer was officially established in Great Britain in 1897 with the arrival of Mother Mary Gertrude, Sr Mary Liguori, Sr Mary Cecelia, Sr Mary Clare, Sr Mary Philomena, Sister Josephine, and two postulants Miss Caroline Jones and Miss Louisa Corcoran from the founding monastery in Drumcondra, Dublin. This occurred during the year of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria; and the arrival of the nuns in their red, white and blue habits elicited many comments in London.

The Sisters purchased property in Rectory

D

Grove, Clapham, near the monastery of the Redemptorists, and there they were to stay until 1926. By this time, London had expanded, and Clapham was no longer rural and did not adequately provide for their requirements.

Furthermore the community had grown in number. From Clapham they moved to Chudleigh, South Devon in 1926.

The Chudleigh convent which they purchased was

(New York), in Liguori (St. Louis) and in Maitland, Australia. From the Liguori monastery, foundations have since been made in Legazpi, Philippines (which then went on to found a monastery in Cebu), in South Africa, and recently in Thailand. So from the four nuns from Chudleigh, there emerged eight foundations in four continents.

Decline However by 1990 the number of Redemptoristine

The community at Chudleigh c. 1930s

a purpose-built monastery and had just been vacated by the Bridgittine Nuns (the only order to remain in existence through the Reformation). These Sisters re-Iocated to another part of Devon about 30 miles south.

Expansion & development In 1947 four nuns set out from Chudleigh in Devon for Toronto in Canada.

Here their growth was truly phenomenal. In the years that followed, foundations were made from this new monastery in Esopus

Sisters diminished to ten and all of them were over 60 years of age. One by one, the printing business, communion bread-baking, and making of priests’ vestments were abandoned.

There was no self-pity, just acceptance. The compulsory purchase of land close to the monastery was another factor that compelled the move to a smaller premises. The Sisters moved to a convent in Liverpool in 1990 where they continued to life faithfully the Redemptoristine charism.

Working in the kitchen

As the community further decreased to four Sisters that needed medical care, they finally went to Nazareth House Nursing Care facility in Crosby, Liverpool. Sister Mary Bernadette Grundy was the last remaining English national, who went home to God on March 30, 2017, R.I.P. Sister Mary Patrick Kelly is the only living member of the English Redemptoristine Monastery and now resides with the community in Dublin.

However, the influence of the Sisters in England and throughout the world cannot be minimised. We rejoice and give thanks for the fidelity of the Redemptoristine Sisters who lived a true

contemplative life in England since 1897 and whose legacy will never die, since grace remains forever.

For more info on the Redemptoristines, go to www.rednuns.com

‘The Way of the Cross’ at Chudleigh

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HAVEN OF HOPE - SARNELLI HOUSE Limerick Redemptorist community supporting refuge for orphans 150 children of all ages, some of whom are away at college.

Fr Mike and his team are committed to supporting the young people until they become independent.

The Redemptorists in Limerick have been supporting Sarnelli House in various ways for a number of years.

Nong Khai

project. Sarnelli House farms 44 acres and aims at becoming self-sufficient in food. Ongoing water shortages were putting these plans at risk. The Limerick Sarnelli House is a Redemptorists, with Redemptorist orphanage the help of the JP in North-Eastern Thailand.

McManus Charitable It is not an orphanage Foundation, funded in an institutional sense. the construction of a confectioners. We have The children live in water reservoir.

This now adopted the House group homes spread guarantees a constant of Hope – the home for across three villages – supply of water and has abandoned babies at enabled the farm to go Sarnelli House – as our from strength to strength. project. We have just The farm now employs 15 local people and helps feed the children and staff at Sarnelli House.

Since then funds raised in Mount St Alphonsus have The football team with their new boots Fr Seamus Enright with some of the staff and children from the House of Hope helped fund We first responded to an a mushroom-growing sent €2,500 – our first Don Wai, Pi Si Tong, emergency appeal from project and to equip a contribution for 2017. and Viengkhuk – not far Fr Ole – the Thai assistant bakery, where some of This will help with the from the great Mekong director – for help with the young people are day-to-day running costs river. The nearest town, a water conservation trained as bakers and of the House of Hope if you want to find the and will also pay for new place on an atlas, is Nong fusball and football boots khai. The Redemptorists Fr Seamus and Sr Dominic in the bakery at Sarnelli house. The equipment was bought for some of the teams at care for small Catholic from funds raised in Limerick Sarnelli House. communities in each of Limerick’s main the villages. fundraising event is a Fr Mike Shea, an Cuppa for Sarnelli House.

American Redemptorist This will take place on the with roots on the Dingle weekend of October 14/15 peninsula, founded this year and we are Sarnelli House as a small delighted that Fr Ole from refuge for a handful of Sarnelli House will be our orphaned children in guest preacher.

1999. It is now home to 6

FR ALEC REID CSsR HONOURED BY THE GAA Reid’s love and passion recognised Many people will know Fr Alec Reid as a peacemaker, a role to which he dedicated his life. Another passion of his was GAA, both hurling and football. Fr Alec was a member of the Tipperary minor hurling panel which won the All-Ireland in 1949.

In recognition of this and his legacy on the Peace Process, in January of this year Fr Alec was acknowledged by the Tipperary and Antrim GAA boards, during a weekend of events which included GAA masterclasses to more than 1,000 children facilitated by the current senior All-Ireland team and their Antrim counterparts.

The weekend culminated

in a Mass celebrated in Clonard Monastery, Belfast.

At the end of Mass there was an unveiling by the Tipperary and Antrim county chairmen of one of three plaques made in his honour. This plaque will remain in Clonard Monastery,while a second will be situated in the redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast, and a third will be erected in Tipperary.

Also present at the Mass was GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghaíl who, in addressing the congregation, said he was “honoured, in a time when people are building walls, to play a part in honouring a man who built bridges”

Cllr Siobhan Ambrose; Fr Michael Kelleher CSsR; Tim Floyd, secretary of the Tipperary GAA County Board; Fr Noel Kehoe CSsR; and Cllr Phyl Bugler, Mayor of Nenagh.

GAA president Aogán Ó Fearghaíl; Fr Noel Kehoe CSsR; Michael Bourke, chairman Tipperary GAA County Board, and Colin Donnelly, chairman of Antrim GAA County Board.

Fr Michael Kelleher and Anne Fitzmorris

PUTTING THEIR BEST FEET FORWARD!

The Clonard Youth Ministry team ran their first Belfast City Marathon as a relay team in May. Fr Adrian Egan CSsR ran as part of the relay team for Run for Ronan. Clonard Monastery was one of the Belfast landmarks which the runners passed. The Redemptorist community were out in force cheering on the runners and creating a great community atmosphere. A huge well done to all involved for your energy and enthusiasm.

Clonard Youth Ministry Team on completion of the Marathon

Fr Adrian Egan CSsR with memebers of the relay team

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THE REDS

MISSION IN MOZAMBIQUE Fr Derek Ryan reports on the recent visit of three provincials to our newest mission field in Africa

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IN AFRICA Our Redemptorist mission in the diocese of Tete, Mozambique, began officially in 2012. We live in the rural town of Furancungo which has a population of around 11,000 people. The wider mission area is bigger than Co Cork. We are now into our fifth year of the mission, a very short time indeed. Our experience and understanding of the people and culture is, as such, very limited. We still have much to learn.

We are a small community of four Redemptorist confreres, two from Ireland

and two from Brazil. Jean Carlos only arrived recently, on April 18. He is in his final year of preparation before making a life commitment to the Redemptorist way of life. We hope he will be very happy and fulfilled here in his new surroundings.

During Easter time we had a visit from three Redemptorist provincials, Fr Dan (Ireland), Fr Domingos (Brazil), and Fr Ramon (Argentina).

They witnessed firsthand the vibrant participation of the people in the life of the parish. In paticular the singing and dancing seemed to leave a deep impression on everyone. It was a very worthwhile experience for us all, as well as being a necessary aspect of trying to consolidate our missionary presence into the future. We

look forward to other such visits in the years ahead.

The big news of the diocese at present is the departure of Bishop Inacio to another diocese here in Mozambique. He was appointed bishop of Tete at the same time as we began our mission here.

He has always been very welcoming and friendly in all our dealings with him.

Ireland is only about 80 per cent the size of Tete diocese, in which there are about 32 priests in total.

Yet as a bishop he visited every single mission and parish several times over, and did so with good humour, courtesy, and patience. We wish him the very best in his new appointment.

We are now approaching the end of an exceptionally

The Redemptorist students are pictured with Fr Dan and Fr Ramon (Argentinian Provincial)

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Jean Carlos from Brazil, the newest member of the community in Mozambique

wet rainy season which began in December. During this time it is impossible to visit our wider mission area due to the very difficult driving conditions.

However the life of faith among the people continues to carry on just fine without us. There was a vibrant faith community before we ever arrived here, in which the people take responsibility for everything, and regularly meet, work and pray together. Our presence, we hope, can help to strenghten and encourage each community to continue growing in faith and love.

In conclusion, we would like to thank everybody who has in any way supported us in our mission. Many have been so generous financially, many have encouraged us with their kind words, and many continue to pray for us. We appreciate everything. Thank you.

SCHOOL MISSION AT ST CLEMENTS, LIMERICK Name of author.. A member of the retreat team reflects on the strong sense of community he/she encountered A packed morning assembly

Joanne Behan, Phena Moroney and Peadar Cronin present the Mission Cross

Youth Ministry Mission Team

Youth Ministry Mission Team with the 12 Transition Year students who helped plan and lead the Mission.

When asked to be part of the school mission team I was nervous and apprehensive; however I said yes. I had never been part of a retreat team, but was very open to what the week of mission would bring.

Arriving in Limerick, I quickly settled into what was going to be my new home for the week. I reconnected with the youth ministry teams from Clonard, Scala, and Esker and also met some new faces, all of whom were very friendly and welcoming.

On Monday morning, we met with 12 young men from transition year who were going to be working alongside us for the week and they soon became known as the 12 disciples. The days began with morning assembly in Mount St. Alphonsus Church, where we encountered and reflected on the four main pillars of Redemptorist spirituality which are the Crib, Cross, Eucharist, and Mary. On the Tuesday morning there was a wonderful, thoughtprovoking talk by Elma Walsh, Donal Walsh’s mother. Donal lived with cancer for a number of years and has since returned home to God. The mornings and

afternoons saw the pupils avail of retreat time. Some years got a full day, while others got a half day. The retreats focused on identity, friendship, letting your light shine by using your many gifts and talents, and looking into the future. There was also time for fun and many ice-breaker games were played, with both the pupils and mission team taking part.

Throughout the week the mission team grew in friendship with one another and a fantastic relationship was built between the mission team and all the pupils at St. Clements College. The pupils are a credit to St. Clements and there is a real sense of community in the school. Each one of them brought such joy to each day and shared with us their gifts and talents.

I was so pleased that I said yes to the invitation to be part of the mission team and look forward to the next school mission with excitement.

For more info on school missions and youth programmes, go to www.scala.ie For info on St Clement’s College, go to www.stclements.ie 9

‘selfie’

ABOUT THE TOWN - DUNDALK BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE – ST JOSEPH’S, DUNDALK Work on the monastery and church continues at a steady pace and most of the exterior work has now been completed.

The building looks really refreshed and renewed with its new roof and dormer windows and all the chimney pots cleaned up. The painstaking job of roofing the building has taken a full year but the finished product is really impressive.

Our temporary home in Carlinn Hall, Dundalk has been a real Godsend and presented us with a lovely new experience of having wonderful neighbours and so much new life all around us.

The development at Carlinn Hall continues to expand and we will really miss the place when we move back to St Joseph’s.

Sincere thanks to all our friends and neighbours

in Carlinn Hall for their great kindness and welcome. I’m sure that we will remain friends for many years to come.

The next phase of the development at St Joseph’s involves all the interior work of remodelling, wiring, plumbing and decorating, and this work has already begun. The new building at the rear of the monastery will start

in the next few weeks and that should allow us to be back in our ‘new’ home by Christmas 2017.

It will be worth the wait and please God we will then have a comfortable, warm, and welcoming living and ministry space to allow us to continue to serve the people of Dundalk and the surrounding area for many years to come.

The front facade of St Joseph’s monastery

St Joseph’s new roof and dormer windows

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The progressing bell tower renovations

THE GIFT BOX - A CAMPAIGN AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING On Wednesday March 29, the St Joseph’s Redemptorist Community, Dundalk hosted the GIFT box.

Back in January a group of concerned people came together in Dundalk to plan the visit of the GIFT (Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking) Box. The GIFT Box initiative was launched at the London Olympics in 2012. The 7ft x 7ft x 7ft metal exhibit is a walkin street sculpture which invites the public inside with promises and offers of a good life. Once you are inside the box you are faced with the reality of human trafficking in our world today. The box is used to lead people into a reflection and awareness about this terrible exploitation in our country and throughout the world.

In order to host the GIFT box, a team of volunteers had to be trained in the reality of human trafficking and commit to staffing the event on the day of the visit. Here in Dundalk, Rosie Reynolds, Liam Reilly, Jacqui Ward, and Fr Michael Cusack, CSsR gathered 34 volunteers who participated in a three-hour awareness and training day in St Gerard’s Hall facilitated

by Ruth Kilcullen of APT, Sr Isabel, and Sr

Catherine. It was just amazing to witness the great spirit of community and the deep concern of all the participants. There was a real energy and spark to the group and a deep desire to help deal with this great evil in our world.

We advertised widely about the event and invited the local radio stations and local schools to get involved on the day. We had a team of workers providing refreshments and lots of reading material to help in raising awareness.

Many local schools visited and even prepared some project material for the day. Harnessing the good will of our community is a real sign of the Kingdom of God in our midst.

The 34 volunteers did a wonderful job in spreading the story of human trafficking in our world. We send a big thank you to all who gave so generously in so many ways and made this event a real success story for our community.

The GIFT box in the monastery carpark

Inside the GIFT box

Fr Michael Cusack with some volunteers

For more info on this and forthcoming events, go to www. redemptoristsdundalk.ie or www.facebook.com/ RedemptoristsDundalk Volunteers and students from The Marist College

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THEOLOGY FOR CONTEMPLATIVES On April 6 last, 20 sisters from a number of different contemplative communities received the Certificate in Spirituality with a ‘Specialisation in the History and Theology of the Contemplative Life’ from the Pontifical University of Maynooth.

The certificates were conferred by the Rev Dr Michael Shortall, Director of Affiliated Programmes at the university.

This rather unique

programme was put together especially for Irish contemplative monasteries of women. While many of the women who enter enclosed monastic communities are often gifted professionally, the nature of contemplative life has not made it easy for them to continue their theological studies, which are essential for deepening and nurturing the roots of the life of prayer and contemplation to which

The graduates with Dr Michael Shortall, Maynooth; Sr Gabrielle Fox OSsR; and Fr Brendan McConvery, course co-ordinators

Ethan Feely and Roisin Ni Dhonabhain receiving the second place trophy from Fiona Reily, secretary of the Irish Association of Brass and Concert Bands.

they are so wholeheartedly devoted. A programme that covered scripture, liturgy, history, and theology of the contemplative life was designed in consultation with the sisters and approved by the university.

As contemplative communities tend to be small today, the sisters came together for a twoweek summer school each year based in the Monastery of St Alphonsus in Drumcondra and taught

by practising theologians.

During the year, they wrote essays based on the components of the summer programme, which provided opportunity for further reading and study.

The final component was a research essay on some aspect of the spirituality and life of the sisters’ own communities. The sisters were drawn from Poor Clare, Carmelite, Redemptoristine, and Adoration (Wexford).

Poor Clare graduates with Fr Francis Cotter OFM

WINNING STREAK FOR REDEMPTORIST CENTRE OF MUSIC March and April have been very busy months for the staff and students of the Redemptorist Centre of Music. In March the RCM concert band participated in the Limerick St Patrick’s Day parade and the international band parade competition. The band was awarded the special judges award for their performance during the band parade. Former co-director Andrew Jordan was the announcer for the band parade, which saw more than 17 bands from around the world parade down the streets of Limerick. This is the fourth consecutive year the band has won an award in the international band parade. A few weeks later, the RCM concert band was on the road to Navan for the National Band Championships. This was the band’s first time competing in the nationals, in which they came in second. The band was also awarded the best choice piece award by the adjudicator Archie Hutchison.

The RCM concert band is the most prominent of the ensembles in the centre, which currently has more than 300 students including choirs, string ensembles, guitar orchestras, and percussion ensembles. The RCM provides many children and adults with access to music tuition through the instrument bank and scholarship programme.

Published by Redemptorist Communications, Unit A6, Santry Business Park, Swords Road, Dublin D09 X651 Ireland. Telephone: 00353-1-4922488 www.redcoms.org © REDEMPTORIST COMMIUNICATIONS May 2017