Slí Eile go to Santiago

“Not for the faint-hearted”! So says Slí Eile of its pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, from 27 May to 7 June. It seems that the physical journey, however, will only be moderately rigorous – early starts, long treks over the mountains, enduring hostel life, and so on. More challenging, maybe, will be the journey into the self, which is what all pilgrimages are truly about. Doing the Camino with Slí Eile will require a commitment to take stock of oneself, spending some time walking alone, meditating, and learning to share with the other participants. Young adults who are interested in this event should contact Sí Eile by Tuesday 1 April (no joke!). For more details, phone Slí Eile at 01-8625345 or email ballymunadmin@sli-eile.com.

Belvedere win Senior Cup

In a hard-fought contest against St Mary’s College, Belvedere College’s rugby team won the Leinster Schools’ Senior Cup on Sunday 16 March. Having beaten Terenure, Roscrea and Clongowes in the lead-up to the final, Belvedere were ready for a tough, demanding game. And so it was. They won by the narrowest of margins – 11-10 – with players on both sides pushing themselves to the limit. Over 11,000 spectators watched the mayhem, which took place in the RDS Showgrounds.

Getting to grips with the Gospels

Manresa is starting a weekly evening lecture series on ‘Introducing the Gospels’. Delivered by Fr Brendan Comerford SJ, the lectures will elucidate the background of the Gospels and tackle such issues as for whom they were written, who Jesus was for the writers, who exactly the writers were, and what was going on in the communities for which they were writing. The lectures will take place on six consecutive Wednesday evenings, from 8pm – 9.30pm, starting on 9 April. For more details, contact Manresa at 01-8331352 or manresa@jesuit.ie.

Busy Broadcasting

It’s been a busy week media-wise for Jesuits and their colleagues. Piaras Jackson SJ was on the Seoige and O’Shea programme on RTE 1 television on Thursday March 13, talking about what has been misconstrued as ‘the Vatican’s new list of sins.’ Barney McGuckian tackled the same subject on RTE radio one’s Spirit Moves on Sunday 16. Two young people from the Pioneer Association talked about their reasons for not drinking alcohol on the Ryan Tubridy Show,on Wednesday 18 and later this week, barrister Ursula Kilkelly will be on the Today with Pat Kenny radio show talking about an article she wrote for the current Jesuit periodical Studies which has ‘The Family Today’ as its theme. Her article is on children’s rights and the family.

Mass of closure: homily of Fr Nicolás

The homily given by Father Adolfo Nicolás at the closing Mass of General Congregation 35 has been released in English. Speaking in Italian at the Church of the Gesù on March 6, Fr Nicolás reflected on ‘the logic of the Christian experience’: ‘God is love, and so we too love. God is mercy, and so we too show mercy. God is good, and so we too desire to be good.’ Echoing the Pope’s words, he affirmed that ‘love for the poor does not have an ideological but a Christological basis’. Relating the Gospel of the Mass to the experience of the General Congregation, Fr Nicolás remarked that ‘everything we have done is for mission’. Jesuits are invited, he added, to ‘go to the source’ of the General Congregation experience and ‘make sure that it is being transformed into mission, an all-embracing mission, a mission which will continue to bear fruit in others’. Read more »

‘Lent Matters’ on local radio

There’s been a great response to RNN’s Lenten series ‘Lent Matters’ according to Eileen Good, Director of RNN. Five half-hour programmes on the theme of ‘journey’ have been broadcast on local radio all over the country with the sixth going out at the Easter weekend featuring a young woman about to become a Catholic through the RCIA (Rite for the Catholic Initiation of Adults). Other programmes featured Mags O’Shea of the Jesuit Youth Outreach Slí Eile who has joined the Loreto Sisters. Piaras Jackson SJ reveals the story behind the famous ‘Footprints’ poem and his godmother is the focus of a programme where she talks to Eileen Good about thirty years of caring for her husband disabled in an accident twelve years into their marriage. Pat Coyle talks to the well known American author and scripture scholar Megan McKenna about the stories of Lent in the gospels and film director Peter Sheridan talks about his journey of recovery from alcoholism.

Stations of the Cross on Sacred Space

Sacred Space presents a set of Kenyan-themed Stations of the Cross that are suitable for individual reflection and prayer. Both the images and the words are challenging and topical as they offer Kenyan perspectives in the art and in the consideration of climate change. Adapted from Trócaire’s 2008 Lenten Resources, the paintings accompanying each station are from Lodwar Cathedral. Having become aware of the political and social unrest in the East African country, we are now invited to pray in solidarity with the people of Kenya. Read more »

Father General on Vatican Radio

Vatican Radio News includes a brief interview with Jesuit Superior General, Adolfo Nicolás:

The newly-elected Father General of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, SJ, spoke with Vatican Radio about his order’s recently-concluded 35th General Congregation, which chose the 71 year-old Fr. Nicolas to lead the largest religious order of men. Fr. Nicolas told us the Congregation was a moment of reflection, and renewal of the Jesuits’ commitment to the Holy Father and to their mission of service to the whole Church…

Gardiner Street garden prayer

Prayer and reflection on the events of Holy Thursday will take place in the garden of Gardiner St Church, starting at 8.45pm on Holy Thursday evening. Scripture readings and hymns will accompany reflection on the agony, arrest, betrayal and imprisonment of Jesus. The prayer will last about an hour. Entrance to the garden is through the church. Other Holy Week events at Gardiner St Church include Prayer around the Cross on Good Friday at 7.30 p.m., and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at 9.00pm. All are welcome to all events.

Conclusion of General Congregation

The 35th General Congregation of the Jesuit Order concluded on Thursday 6 March 2008.The new Father General, Aldofo Nicolás presided at the final Mass in the Church of the Gésu. Over two hundred and twenty delegates from around the world who had been in Rome since the beginning of January, are now returning home to inspire their Provinces , drawing on the insights of the Congregation. Click here for GC35 news.
General Congregation 35
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S.J. Press Office, Rome, Italy, Tel. +39-06-68977.289, infosj@sjcuria.org

Rome, March 10 2008, n. 21 Read more »

Arrivederci Roma

The former head of the Jesuit order left Rome for his new assignment on Sunday 9 March 2008. Father Kolvenbach left the Jesuit headquarters in Rome which had been his base since 1983. The 79-year-old Dutchman returns to the Near East Province to begin a new assignment in Beirut. Fr Kolvenbach last lived in Lebanon when he was Professor of General Linguistics at Université de Saint-Joseph. He hopes to take on scholarly research and pastoral projects.

An interview with Richard Leonard

Richard Leonard was interviewed by Pat Coyle during his recent visit to Ireland. Audio courtesy of RNN. Click here to select other AMDG audio.

 

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Liam Greene remembered in Galway

The late Liam Greene SJ will be specially remembered at the 11 o’clock mass in St Ignatius Church, Sea Road, Galway on Sunday 16 March 2008. John Humphries SJ will preside. Liam died unexpectedly on February 15 and is sadly missed by all who knew him.

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