Reds News Summer 2015

NEW REDEMPTORIST MISSION : ALBANIA PAGE 4

HONOURING CATHAL CUMISKEY CSsR PAGE 7

THE NEW PROVINCIAL AND HIS TEAM NEWSLETTER OF THE IRISH REDEMPTORISTS

Volume 5 Number 1 • June 2015

PAGE 8

WELCOME TO MOZAMBIQUE

Two young men join the Irish Redemptorist Mission in Furancungo, Mozambique

Fr John Bermingham CSsR

Fr Derek Ryan CSsR

On Tuesday 5 May, Fr. John Bermingham made his return journey to Mozambique, accompanied by Fr. Derek Ryan who has gone join to the Redemptorist mission team. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

The people’s hopes are becoming a reality. For years, they have had to survive as a Christian Community through war, poverty, and difficulties of many kinds. We were invited to come and live in this rural region, to be a presence among the people, while trying continued on page 2

YOUTH MINISTRY TEAM RECEIVE AWARDS Youth team honoured at Living Youth ceremony Brendan Dineen and members of Clonard’s Youth team pictured with Bishop Bishop Anthony Farquhar, receive their Papal Cross Award.

Full story on Page 3

WELCOME TO MOZAMBIQUE continued from page 1

and learn their language, understand their customs, way of life, and journey with them as best we can.

Over the last four years they expressed clearly and repeatedly their hopes to build their own church. They decided to start themselves.

They made and fired 140.000 bricks, as well as

contributing generously from their very limited financial resources. Two months ago they began dig the foundations of their parish church. The main walls are almost complete and it is nearly ready to be roofed.

We ask you to continue to support and to pray for the success of this mission.

The church at Furancungo

Fr Derek is presented with a welcoming gift

The Furancungo community

ESKER’S NEW YOUTH MINISTER Youth Retreats are an important aspect of the ministry of Esker Retreat House. By Lizzie Harrison

My name is Lizzie Harrison and I am the coordinator of youth ministry in Esker. I am from Ballina, Co. Mayo, the youngest of seven and grew up on a farm. I am married to Martin Foran, a mother of 2

two young boys and we live near Esker.

From childhood, my faith was strongly influenced by my mother who was an active member of the parish community. Faith and music went hand in hand, as I sang in the local choir and later the folk group. My background is in education. I graduated from Mater Dei in 1996 and since then I have worked in teaching, retreats and youth ministry. Most recently I spent six years as chaplain in Loreto College,

Crumlin. I am delighted to join the Redemptorist family in Esker and feel privileged to be part of Esker’s mission tradition dating back to the sixteenth century.

My role involves communicating the joy of the Gospel to young people through retreats and developing innovative programmes to explore faith and life issues. Pope Francis provides what all good Christian leaders should - hope. Young people still thirst for the higher gifts

of faith, hope and love. In Esker we journey with them towards hope by discovering their worth, resilience and potential. Our programmes challenge them to find happiness in lives inspired

by Gospel values and dedicated to serving others.

I look forward to working with such an experienced team and learning from them. Find more about our programme and facilities at http://www. redemptoristsesker.ie/whatwe-do/school-retreats/.

TO LIVE A LIFE OF SERVICE

Members of Clonard Youth Ministry Team receive awards

By Brendan Dineen (Youth Ministry Coordinator, Clonard Monastery) To live a life of service forms part of the mission statement of Redemptorist Youth Ministry in Ireland.

Over the last several years many young adults have become involved with Clonard Youth Ministry at various levels. This group has developed and evolved into a very strong vibrant and committed group of young adults.

They volunteer at various events and projects as well as taking part in faith and personal development programmes.

Clonard Youth Ministry plays an active part at the Annual Solemn Novena.

During the nine days, many of the young people take on various roles such as car park stewards, webcam operators, sorting petitions and as Church stewards.

They also help organise and lead a wonderful celebration of the children’s Novena and take a leading role in organising and participating in the youth session on Sunday evening.

This session was the largest of the nine days with a wonderful prayerful and inspirational atmosphere created by the participation in the liturgy of these young people.

Another example of a life of service is the Clonard Youth Ministry Outreach Programme. Last July, we had another successful summer programme.

During a great week when the sun shone, the young people were able to put their faith into action through various activities.

The ministry outreach has become an established

project within the area and we have built up strong professional relationships with many people within the community. The young volunteers are well respected and the project is well received as a valuable aspect of the ministry of Clonard Monastery. For many people, it is the only contact that they have with the church.

The Novena and the Clonard Outreach are just two examples of the ways young people are living a life of service to others. In recognition of their great work, many of them have received awards such as the John Paul II Award. In February this year, eleven young people of them received the Papal Cross Award for outstanding contribution to their church

and community. All of the young people who volunteered in Clonard over the last year were recognised at a prestigious award ceremony in the Belfast Waterfront Hall, hosted by the Millennium Volunteers Organization, where they received certificates in recognition for over two hundred hours service to church and community.

It can be easy to stereotype and condemn all young people for the actions of a few. When we recognise the great work young people play in both their church and community, the awards that they receive are just a small token of recognition for the part that they play in a living a life of service to others.

Certificates for 200 hours of Volunteering

Receiving their John Paul 11 awards Some of the Youth Volunteers at Clonard Monastery

3

MISSION IN ALBANIA The European Conference of Redemptorists launches a new mission – three men from three provinces

By Dominic O’Toole CSsR (London Province) Albania is situated in the Balkans in the South Eastern corner of Europe, above Greece and across the Adriatic from Italy. Formerly part of the Eastern Roman Empire and much later of the Turkish or Ottoman Empire, during the present century it was under fascist and then communist

died are now officially recognised as martyrs who died for their faith in Christ. Following the fall of Hoxha in 1990, persecution eased.

Religion was once more tolerated and finally declared legal. Today about 15% of the population is Catholic, 20% Orthodox Christians, and the rest Muslim.

With local youth and Archbishop Rrok Miredita, of Tirana-Durrës

control. In 1967, it was declared ‘the world’s first atheist state.’ Under its communist dictator Enver Hoxha there was severe religious persecution of Muslims, Catholic and Orthodox believers alike.

Finally all religion was officially banned. Many non-Albanian priests were executed, the rest were expelled along with men and women religious. Those who 4

The Albanian Mission In prioritising strategic missionary areas, the Redemptorists of Europe identified Albania as a priority. A new missionary community was established in September 2014. Frs Laureano Del Otero Seviliano from Spain, Andrzej Michon from Poland and Dominic O’Toole from the UK, moved to the capital Tirana, to start working in north of

Fr Dominic with Frs Laureano and Andrzej

the city in the parishes of Kamez, Bathore, with their daughter churches of Luz, Arraramarras and Kassale.

This pastoral area includes around 120,000 people.

Most of them have moved into the city from the mountainous regions in the north. In general, the population is poor. Wages are low (averaging €7 per day) and unemployment is around 60%. Despite their poverty and the complete absence of priests, many of the people in the northern mountains held on to their Catholic faith. Once again the faith is beginning to flourish again. The three new missionaries have spent the first six months

learning about the country, its customs, its people, and of course, learning the Albanian language.

Pastoral need is so urgent, however, that they have been celebrating Mass and administering the other Sacraments in Albanian from the outset — usually with more enthusiasm than language fluency!

The Missionary Task The missionaries are there first of all to serve the ordinary pastoral needs of their parishioners – to celebrate Mass, baptise babies, to marry couples.

Even this necessarily involves catechesis at every level: educating children

Fr Dominic blesses the palms on Palm Sunday

and adults in the Catholic faith.

The second priority is to form and strengthen parish communities, so that parishioners may find mutual encouragement and support, and begin to organise community activities amongst

themselves and so regain the spiritual confidence years of persecution had virtually extinguished. This will involve encouraging and training lay parish workers to work alongside the priests. Adequate parish facilities must be restored, built and maintained to

The church in Kamez on Christmas Eve

Outside the church at Luz

enable the communities to flourish.

The third task is twofold. It is to ensure the Catholic church in Albania is missionary: open to and encouraging of new members, drawn by the Redemptorist preaching and living of “plentiful redemption.” In tandem

with this, it is to live respectfully and fraternally with other Christians (principally Orthodox) and with the majority Muslim population.

In the new evangelisation of Albania, our Redemptorist presence is well situated to play a key role.

Fr Michael Cusack CSsR and Martina Redden

A BIG NIGHT FOR DROGHEDA SPECIAL OLYMPICS

© Courtesy of Tony Oliver -Campbell Photography

Huge funds raised to support a worthy cause

On the recommendation of Senator Mary Moran, Fr. Michael Cusack was drafted into Strictly Come Dancing for Drogheda Special Olympics. Training began in February - all fifteen couples practised at least twice weekly in the Drogheda Special Olympics Hall and tried to come to terms with their assigned dances. Fr. Michael and his dance partner Galway

girl, Martina Redden, who is a primary school teacher in St Mary’s School in Drogheda, were given the Cha Cha Cha as their dance.

All 15 couples were charged with getting sponsorship and selling tickets for the Grand Final which was held in the Barbican Centre in Drogheda on Sunday 3rd May. Fr Michael

said that he was quite overwhelmned with the generosity and goodness of the Dundalk people once again as they gave wholeheartedly to this event. ‘I want to thank all those who gave me sponsorship and who bought tickets for the final night.’

The final was hosted by RTÉ presenter Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh. The show kicked off with a group dance and then each couple performed their specially prepared dance. Fr Michael and Martina made it through to the final eight and as the last couple to dance, they really had to pull something spectacular out of the bag. With a

dramatic presentation of a Viennese waltz to Tom Jones’ Delilah, both danced their hearts out dressed in suitably chosen evening tails and ballgown.

The cheering supporters went wild as full marks were awarded to the duo and were crowned winners of Strictly Come Dancing 2015.

In his speech of thanks, Fr Michael said that the real winners of this event are the special olympics athletes and their families and the generous dancers and organisers who had given so much of their time and energy over the weeks and months to support this great cause.

5

FROM QUILLS TO APPS

International Meeting of Redemptorists celebrates ‘apostolate of the pen’ and explores new frontiers in communication

By Claire Carmichael

Fr General, Michael Brehl

Some of the team from Redemptorist Communications, along with the Provincial Fr Dan Baragry, attended the International Redemptorist Publishing Symposium in Hawkstone Hall from the 8th – 12th April 2015. The event was organised by Redemptorist Publications UK and Majellan Publications Australia.

The London Province of Redemptorists were gracious hosts and a very warm welcome and wonderful hospitality was afforded to us by provincial Fr Ronald McAnish and his team.

Fr. Michael Brehl, superior

Products on display

general of the Congregation, formally inaugurated the symposium by reminding the participants of the “Apostolate of Pen” and its roots in the Congregation, citing numerous examples from the lives of St. Alphonsus and other pioneers. He stressed the need for collaboration in the development of the ministry of publication and of exploring the possibilities and challenges we find in the life of the Congregation.

In the context of the Alphonsian tradition, Fr. Brehl raised the question, “What would St. Alphonsus expect from our publishing

Fr Ronald McAnish CSsR addresses the gathering

6

Fr Denis McBride CSsR

houses today and in the longer term and who are we called to serve?”

Representatives from Ireland, UK, USA, Australia, Slovakia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Poland and Italy attended the symposium. During our time together, we got a better understanding of the business and accomplishments of each publishing house, highlighting the wealth of skills and experience we have as a collective ministry.

Among the topics taken up at facilitated sessions were strategic planning, evolving our businesses in changing

Eastern Europe were represented

times, collaboration, communication and spirituality in a digital landscape. It was an intense packed agenda!

The international launch of the Bread 4 Today prayer app took place during the symposium.

This is the first time Redemptorist publishing houses or Provinces have joined together to address collectively digital evangelization. The project was pioneered by Matthew Howard and his provincial Fr Ed Nixon of the Province of Oceania. Download this free app from the itunes store.

LIBRARY UPDATE Every Redemptorist Community had its own library.

For the past few years, the libraries are being coordinated and catalogued.

By Antoinette Doran A lot has happened since we last appeared in the Reds! Marie Jennings has completed work on the Irish Studies Collection and is now in Dublin cataloguing other significant collections, including all books held in the Province by or about the Redemptorists.

Antoinette Doran is working on some archival projects and is hoping to gather new collections for addition to the archives. Antoinette and Marie are putting together plans for the libraries and archives and would welcome any suggestions or feedback (redemptorist. librarian@gmail.com)!

The Limerick library now houses the Province’s Pre 1900 Collection, which contains books dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Many of these books were originally housed in Limerick. Some were brought to Ireland by the early Redemptorists from the continent, while others were bought by some of the first English fathers who were converts from the Oxford Movement and serious students of

The library in Limerick’s old school

THE FR CATHAL CUMISKEY HISTORY ROOM Honouring a Redemptorist pioneer in education

Professor Kevin Rafter (former student of St Clement’s who received the St Alphonsus Liguori award for his writings on history), Mr Pat Talty (VicePrincipal) Ms Jan O’Sullivan, Minister for Education and Training, Fr Cathal Cumiskey, Mr Vincent Foley (Principal) Antoinette and Marie

theology. With the transfer of theological studies to Clonard, and later to Esker, Redemptorists on the continent were asked to purchase books to start a theological library.

The dining room of the old college in Limerick has been given a makeover and could now easily be mistaken for a library, especially thanks to some nice shelving donations!

Several thousand books are now catalogued on the libraries’ online catalogue at cssrlibrary-search.interleaf. ie and more are being added every day. If you are looking for a book or want to have a browse of the main collections catalogued so far please take a look at the online catalogue (cssrlibrary-search.interleaf. ie) or Google ‘cssrlibrary catalogue’.

On Monday, 11th May, the Minister for Education, Ms Jan O’Sullivan, formally opened a new history resources centre at St Clements’ College, Limerick.

It was named “The Fr Cathal Cumiskey History Room” to commemorate Fr Cumiskey’s long association with the College that spans more than six decades. Fr Cumiskey began his association with the college in the 1950s.

In those days, it was a small college, seldom rising above 100 students, all of whom were borders and prospective candidates for the Redemptorist priesthood. He later served as principal in association with Fr Brendan Meagher and a few years later, took

over the administration of the college. It was during these years that the college became, first a mixed “day-boarding” and boarding school.

“Day-boarding” meant that local boys began to attend the school, remaining for games and study until evening. Numbers also increased at this time and the college’s flourishing state is due in large measure to Fr Cumiskey’s energy and encouragement.

History, especially the local history of Limerick and the Redemptorists, was one of his passions and it is particularly appropriate that he should be commemorated with a resource centre for the teaching of history.

Fr Cumiskey with students who received the history awards for each year.

7

REDEMPTORISTS GONE TO GOD Fr. Eddie Lynch was born on Christmas Day 1929 in Fedamore Co. Limerick. Following his schooling, he moved to Limerick City to work for the Department of Post and Telegraphs. It was here that he came in contact with the Redemptorists, joining the Arch-Confraternity and worshiping regularly at Mount St. Alphonsus.

At the age of 28 he applied to join the Congregation.

He completed his Leaving Cert in St. Clements College, Limerick. After his noviciate, he was professed in Esker, Co. Galway in 1960 and ordained In Cluain Mhuire, Galway, in 1966. Eddie spent his whole ministerial life on the “home mission,” working in the retreat houses in Limerick, Belfast and Galway. He also spent some years in Belfast during ‘the troubles’ being assigned to Clonard and to St. Gerard’s parish. His main work however was as a parish missioner, working from Dundalk, Limerick and later Esker from where he preached missions throughout Western Ireland, anywhere for Ballydehob to Bloody Foreland.

Fr Eddie was a good community man with a voracious interest in news and world affairs. In his later years in Esker, he was the proud editor of the weekly bulletin and he organised the first “Cemetery Sunday,” which is now a significant event in the Esker calendar. Eddie bore his final illness with great fortitude and patience and died in the University Hospital on December 1st 2014.

Fr. Flannan Daffy was born in Ennis, Co. Clare in 1931. Educated at St. Flannan’s College he entered the Redemptorist novitiate in Esker, Co. Galway, in 1949 and was professed a year later. Following his ordination in 1956 he was assigned to the Philippine mission where he spent over 50 years in ministry.

Flan thrived in the Philippines and he made an extraordinary contribution to the Redemptorist mission there. He was a passionate, hardworking, dedicated man, with a simple but deep faith and a generous spirit of availability. He served the Redemptorist mission in the Philippines in many capacities, as parish priest, retreat director, superior and member of provincial councils, always with great energy, positivity and humour.

Physically, he was a big man. More importantly, he was a man with a big heart for ordinary people and a Redemptorist missionary with a deep zeal for the apostolate. Flan returned to Ireland in 2011 already quite unwell and after a spell in Dublin, he found a new home in Esker where he was lovingly cared for during his final years. He died at the University Hospital Galway on Sunday April 26th 2015. It was Good Shepherd Sunday, a most appropriate day for a priest, who in Pope Francis’s colourful phrase, was “a shepherd living with the smell of the sheep.” May he find rest in the tent of the Good Shepherd.

As we were going to press, news arrived of the death of Fr Vincent Kavanagh in Esker on 15th May. Our next issue will include a fuller obituary to this very well known Redemptorist

PROVINCIAL CHAPTER At a Chapter, the members of the Province gather to plan the priorities for the next four years.

The Sixteenth Chapter of the Dublin Province of Redemptorists took place from the 11 – 16 January 2015. The Chapter began with the installation of Fr Dan Baragry CSsR who had been elected as the new Irish Provicial. We take this opportunity to thank Fr Michael Kelleher CSsR, who served as provincial from 2008 – 2014, for his

dedication, leadership and witness to the Irish province over the last seven years.

A Chapter is a time for gathering in prayer and meeting to reflect on the future of the province and to focus on priorities for the coming years. During this time the leadership team for the province is also elected.

The following were elected to the Ordinary Council:

Fr Dan Baragry CSsR (centre) with the OPC and EPC teams

Fr Ciaran O’Callaghan (Vicar) and Fr Noel Kehoe (Second Consultor). The following were elected to the Extraordinary Provincial Council: Frs Adrian Egan, Seamus Enright and Brian Nolan CSsR.

Published by Redemptorist Communications, 75 Orwell Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6. Telephone: 00353-1-4922488 www.redcoms.org ©REDEMPTORIST COMMIUNICATIONS 2015

The Chapter also provided the occasion to celebrate our Redemptorist jubilarians, who have reached milestone anniversaries of profession and ordination.

We thank God for their lives and witness.