Fr. Frido Pflueger SJ, Regional Director of JRS Eastern Africa (pictured here), visited our Dublin office from Nairobi and brought good news of Richard O’Dwyer SJ who is begining a new project in Eastern Ethiopia amongst the Somali refugees. Dublin-born Richard, now 51, was a quantity surveyor before he entered the Jesuits in 1983, and you notice the surveyor’s eye as he records his impressions of Addis Ababa. Read more. Read more »
ighteen Jesuits, from six communities, plus two ex-Jesuits who were novices in Emo, and five ladies who have worked there in recent years, gathered in the old noviciate on a November evening to remember and pray, and enjoy the hospitality of the Office of Public Works before scattering. It was a day to remember. Read more. Read more »
A wealth of colourful anecdotes adorns the recently published book by Todd Morrissey SJ on the first 80 years of the Irish Jesuit mission to China. The 800-page book, Jesuits in Hong Kong, South China and Beyond: Irish Jesuit mission – its development 1926-2006, was financed and promoted by the Past Students Association of the Wah Yan colleges in Hong Kong and Kowloon. After its recent launch in China it sold an astonishing 900 copies in just nine days. At its official Irish launch in Milltown Park on 28 January, John Dardis SJ will present a copy of the book to a representative of the family of each Jesuit, living and dead, who was on the Chinese mission. Copies can be obtained from Geraldine Kellett at the Jesuit Communication Centre: phone 01-6768408.
There was a full house in Colaiste Iognáid’s school library on 18th November to hear the Irish Jesuit Provincial, John Dardis SJ, and his colleague Jim Corkery SJ (pictured here with attendants) speak on the topic ‘An Ignatian Vision for the 21st Century’. The event was hosted by the Ignatian Identity Group (IIG), made up of parents and teachers in the school. John and Jim spoke about the recent Jesuit General Congregation in Rome (GC35) and its relevance for Jesuit education. There was a lively discussion and extended plenary session.
Each Tuesday a group of about forty 6th year/5th year boys and girls from St Marks community School, Tallaght, visit Gardiner St Church, where Fr Donal Neary PP talks of the history of the church, the Jesuits, and St Francis Xavier (with a Powerpoint presentation). After a meditation and a cuppa, the group moves to two other churches for a similar experience. Feedback is positive and the gang enjoy the day out together in the city. Donal will be happy to do something like this for any school group.
The Milltown professorial staff has made one lasting impact on the life of Dublin in the Father Simpson Water-polo Cup, commemorating Paddy Simpson’s huge ministry to swimmers and water polo players at the Half-Moon and elsewhere. We picture three Jesuit alumni in contention: Kenny Wong from Riverview, Jim Stitt from Clongowes, and Keith Lynch from Belvedere.|
FR PROVINCIAL’S DIARY 24-27 Nov: Clongowes visitation |
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The Irish Jesuits are giving away over one hundred thousand copies of The Messenger magazine this Sunday Nov 30th 2008. The Messenger is the biggest selling magazine in Ireland, with a circulation of over 100,000 readers. Its editor, John Looby SJ, receives over one thousand letters a week. This weekend, through the Sunday Independent Newspaper, twenty thousand copies will be distributed in the Dublin area and 90,000 throughout the rest of the country, North and South. This special promotional edition includes articles from the past year by the magazine’s key writers, such as Michael Paul Gallager SJ (Faith in Today’s Youth) and Paul Andrews SJ (The Blame Game). It also contains a Prayer Calendar and special subscription offer.
Though the ceasefire announced last month in the Democratic Republic of Congo appears to be still holding, all is far from well there. There continue to be many reports of the kidnapping, raping and killing of civilians, both by the rebels and by government troops. Refugee camps are fast filling up with people who fled from Goma and neighbouring towns during the worst weeks of the violence. In the brief account below, however, Gerry Clarke SJ (pictured here with … reports on the immense good which the NGOs are doing in the region. Specifically he describes how the Jesuit Refugee Service is helping in the rehabilitation of the victims. Read more »
AMDG Express had two Jewish stories last week (John McDade on Israel our brother, and Hugh O’Flaherty, Righteous among the Gentiles). This week Thomas Casey SJ becomes our man in Jerusalem. Tom, normally teaching at the Gregorian in Rome, is Visiting Professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (pictured here) until the beginning of February 2009. Read more »
Shane Geoghegan, who was murdered in Limerick on 9th November, in a case of mistaken identity, was a past pupil of Crescent College Comprehensive. When he graduated in 1999, his certificate from the school stated that the school took pride in Shane’s achievements, and Shane was well known and loved by his fellow students and his teachers. His parents Mary and Tom and his brother Anthony (also a past student of Crescent) were given great cross-community support, from Shane’s school friends, his sporting companions and his work colleagues. The chief celebrant at the funeral Mass was his former teacher and friend, Fr. Jim Maher SJ.
Jesuit Archives and Todd Morrissey SJ helped TnaG make a documentary on Mgr Hugh O’Flaherty, the extrarodinary Kerry-born, Mungret-educated priest who saved the lives of thousands of Jews and Allied prisoners from the Nazis. Our picture shows him as a senior apostolic (he was already a qualified teacher) in the 1919 Mungret Annual. His obituary, in the 1964 annual, is curious: no mention of Jews (though he was the first Irishman to be hailed by Israel as “Righteous among the Nations”); just a grudging reference to his relief of suffering among escaped prisoners, followed by an expansive paragraph about his golfing prowess. Read on: Read more »
The Northside People West on 12 November published an interview with Peter McVerry SJ in which he urged a discussion of the legalisation of all drugs. “We have already legalised one drug, methadone, and there has not been a huge explosion of methadone use. In fact, the selling of methadone on the street has almost stopped. I feel we should at least explore doing the same with all other drugs. We have to realise that the present system is not working, despite the spending of millions of euro to stop the importing and selling of drugs.” The debate started at once, with a response in the same newspaper, and no doubt will continue.
In a public lecture given at Haddington Road Church, John McDade SJ, Principal of Heythrop College, explored Catholic-Jewish relations since Vatican II. He drew twice the usual attendance at this lecture series. He described the enormously influential contribution of Pope John Paul II, especially by his symbolic visit to Jerusalem and his prayer at the Western Wall. His listeners responded warmly to the vision of Israel as our elder brother, but they heard also, in a couple of questioners, some atavistic hankering for old animosities.
