Richard Leonard returns

Richard Leonard SJ, who was in Ireland last year for a launch of his book about faith and movies, is returning for a seminar on addiction in Manresa on Saturday 1 November. He is due to speak about the internet and addiction, and is expected to feature on the Pat Kenny show on Bank Holiday Monday to address the same subject. Richard, of course, acknowledges the tremendous good of information technology, but he draws attention to the depth and extent of the phenomenon of real addiction which some people may suffer in their use of the web. For more details on the Manresa seminar, consult their website.

Making headway with JRS in Limerick

In his first weeks in the Jesuit Refugee Service in Limerick, Rory Halpin SJ has been working with JRS Director Eugene Quinn to identify the needs of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in and around the Limerick area. Their initial work will entail pastoral outreach to three of the five Direct Provision Centres (Foynes, Clyde House, and Knockalisheen), focusing on those asylum seekers who are most vulnerable. Rory then hopes to develop an English language support project for transition year students in Crescent College, getting them to teach asylum seekers from these Direct Provision Centres. He is also developing an intercultural resource for parishes, to assist in the integration of new communities.

The big move

Last night, Monday 20 October, the Cherryfielders slept for the first time in their new building. Furniture had been moved across all day, and the first Mass was celebrated this morning, although not in the Chapel, which is still in preparation. The formal blessing and house-warming is planned for 8 December.

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Arriving in Goma

Gerry Clarke SJ has begun to take up his new duties, working for the Jesuit Refugee Centre in Goma, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. His journey to Goma appears to have been smooth and enthralling. In a recent missive, he describes the last stage – coming suddenly upon the majestic volcanoes near the shores of the beautiful Lake Kivu. Read more below. Read more »

Socius and Acting Provincial

John Dunne SJ is out of hospital, but starting fortnightly chemotherapy as AMDG Express goes out. In spite of this he is returning to his office as Socius (with the part-time assistance of Liam O’Connell SJ), and acting Provincial until 23 October, while the Provincial, John Dardis SJ, is at a conference of European Provincials. Fr General Nicholas slipped away from the Synod of Bishops to spend Saturday and Sunday with the Provincials in Madrid, then returned to Rome in time for the Monday session of the Synod.

Slí Eile seeks volunteers

Slí Eile, The Jesuit Centre for Young Adults, took part in a major celebration on Mission Sunday, Oct 19 2008, in St Peter’s Church, Phibsboro (pictured). They showcased their young people’s involvement in the Church’s overseas Mission and invited young adults to join them in that work. Slí Eile is currently looking for young adults to volunteer to work in Jamaica for three weeks in July 2009. The work there will involve supporting local teachers in summer school for children in downtown Kingston. For more details, contact Debbie Moore at 01-8880606 or e-mail debbie.moore@sli-eile.com.

National colleges in Rome

On 16 October Michael Paul Gallagher SJ spoke to a distinguished audience in the Pontifical Irish College, Rome, on the contemporary role of national colleges in Rome. He was speaking at the launch of a new publication about the college, The Irish College, Rome, and its World, edited by Dr Dáire Keogh and Fr Albert McDonnell (published by Four Courts Press). The book is based upon the archival holdings of the college and presents a fascinating insight into its history since its inception in 1628.

Knights in the West

Kevin Laheen recently attended the Western Region Assembly of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem at Cong. Many of the group had recently returned from the Holy Land and Kevin addressed them on the theme, “Visitor to the Holy Land – Pilgrim or Tourist?” He concelebrated Mass with Dr Michael Neary, Archbishop of Tuam, to whom he later gave a gift of the 2009 calendar published by the Messenger Office, with its illustrations of works by Harry Clarke. As there are many Clarke stained glass windows in Dr Neary’s archdiocese, he was especially pleased with the gift.

Short Notices

• Jesuit-related video clips are being compiled by the Jesuit Communication Centre and featured on Jesuit.ie. The first ones are about the JUST project in Ballymun and (in two parts) a Kairos production about Fr John Sullivan SJ. The producer was Fr Edmund O’Keefe SJ. Many more videos will be added to the ‘Worth Watching’ page in the coming months.
• Seán Ó Cearbhalláin SJ and his CLC group in Hong Kong have produced a handsome Chinese translation of Fr Brian Grogan’s “Finding God in all things”.
• John Looby SJ and Brian Flannery, along with all the headmasters, represented Ireland at a meeting of Jesuit educationalists in Portugal. The longest paper lasted 70 minutes, without prior circulation of a script, and dealt with the place of technology in education today. Alas, it used no technology, not even chalk. There’s a moral there somewhere.