Christians for Europe

The launch of ‘Christians for Europe’ took place in Leeson Street on 19 September. This new movement takes as its foundation three statements about the basic values of the European Union as presented in the Lisbon Treaty. Those values are ‘human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law’. The statements are as follows: ‘These values are Christian’; ‘Christianity has shaped them’; and ‘Christianity has a role to play in Europe’s future’. Forty people attended the launch. After each of the contributions there was a lively discussion, opening up many issues for discussion. The session could easily have been an all-day one. By the end of the meeting there was clear agreement that this kind of forum was badly needed. The intention now is to schedule further meetings and to throw them open to broader participation. Read more »

Media coverage of Fr General’s visit

The visit of Fr General Adolfo Nicolás last week attracted considerable media attention at both national and local level. In the lead-up, Nick Cuddihy, headmaster of Crescent College, was interviewed by Limerick Live 95 News about plans for the visit to the college. The Limerick Leader gave extensive coverage to that visit, and in a later edition they ran an article about Fr Nicolás launching the Jesuit Refugee Centre annual report. The Irish Times also carried the story of the launch. The Irish Catholic had an exclusive interview with Fr Nicolás, which they illustrated with a good number of photos. Two papers which went for the local angle were the Leitrim Observer, which had a photo of Jesuit scholastic Eddie Cosgrove, from Drumahair, with Fr Nicolás in Milltown, and the Fermanagh Herald, which carried a shot of local boy Brendan McManus SJ with the Father General in Limerick.

JUST reaches 100

Jesuit University Support and Training (JUST) in Ballymun, which began with 20 students in 2006, has now 100 on its list. Local newspaper Northside People West gives an enthusiastic account of the benefits JUST offers to Ballymun students. Con MacGib, for example, had fortnightly one-to-one sessions with Fr Paddy Greene. “It helped me a lot”, says Con. “Paddy introduced assignment topics by giving me options, yet he encouraged me to do the research. Then when I completed the work, he would help me correct essay layout and grammar. They weren’t serious sessions, they were laid back, and it made my experience more enjoyable. I’d recommend anyone thinking about college to go and talk to JUST.” It is designed to help students training in any learning programme.

JCC multimedia splash

The Jesuit Communication Centre has made a raft of rich media relating to Fr Adolfo Nicolás’s visit available on the new Jesuit.ie. As well as news stories, the homepage currently showcases a photo-story of the visit as well as a video clip of part of Garry O’Sullivan’s interview with the Father General for the Irish Catholic. Also, by using the top-bar menu (‘Podcasts‘), visitors can access and play audio files of both Fr Nicolás’s homily and his address on education, both in Limerick; and they can download PDFs of a number of the addresses which the Father General delivered during his visit (click on ‘Documents‘ in top-bar menu). Other resources are made available offsite, in the Irish Jesuit pages on various social networking websites. Most notable, there are many photos of the visit in Flickr. More of all these media will be uploaded shortly.

Two Jesuit encounters

Fr Martin Tierney wrote movingly of his battle with cancer in the Irish Catholic of 17 September: “50 years ago I won a medal in the Leinster swimming championships, only to have it thrown out a classroom window by an irate Jesuit who decided I wasn’t paying attention in class! His self-indulgent juvenile action hasn’t lessened my respect for the Jesuits… It was in hospital I appreciated the ministry of the wonderful Jesuit chaplain (this was Brendan Staunton) – was that God sending me an angel of light to compensate for his brother-Jesuit of fifty years ago? The gift of compassionate listening is sacramental.  You may not think you are doing much by just listening. In fact, it is one of the best ways to help.”

JESUITICA: Arizona hero

Since 1864 each US state can display statues of two of its heroes in the US Capitol. There are two Jesuits included, Michigan’s Jacques Marquette (see last week’s Express) and Arizona’s Eusebio Francisco Kino, an Italian Jesuit who in the spring of 1687 started work among a group of Indians on the far northwest frontier of New Spain. The region where Kino worked, which he called the “Pimería Alta,” or “Upper Pima Country,” is now divided between the Mexican state of Sonora and the U.S. state of Arizona. Father Kino and his successors changed the face of the Pimería Alta forever. They brought with them a new religion, a new political system, and new crops and domesticated animals.

Short Notices

• The new building for the Milltown community, pictured here, is moving nicely. The exterior should be finished in November, the interior by Christmas. The circular construct in front of the house will be a Meditation Walk.
• Two Jesuits were among the signatories of a letter to the Irish Times on 22 September, taking the Irish government to task for its unreadiness to sign an international agreement which strengthens the protection of economic, social and cultural rights for individuals. Peter McVerry, for the Peter McVerry Trust, and Gerry O’Hanlon, for the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, are among those urging the Taoiseach to sign and ratify the agreement this week.
• Old Clongownian & former captain of Clongowes Senior cup team in 2008, Jack O’Connell was elected to captain the talented Leinster under 20′s team in their match against Ulster.
• A large group of the present and past pupils plus staff from Belvedere College, Gonzaga College and Clongowes Wood College were in Lourdes in early September as part of the Dublin Diocesan Pilgrimage.
• Among those supporting the Irish Catholic tent at the National Ploughing Championships is Noelle Fitzpatrick of Slí Eile. She will give a talk on young people and the church.
• In the Irish Catholic for 17 September, Siobhan Tanner recounts an engaging “Conversation with an old teacher” – meaning John Holohan SJ. One can sense John’s restlessness as he settles in to the slower pace of life in Dublin after handling the care of three churches in Florida, USA.

Forthcoming Events

• Thursday 24 September, Manresa: Fr Gerry O’Hanlon lectures on The Recession and God. From 8pm to 9pm. For further details, visit the Manresa website.
• September 22 – 23: official opening of the Jesuit Archive in Canada in La Maison Bellarmin: 25, rue Jarry Ouest, Montréal. The Jesuit Archive in Canada is witness to the activity of all the Jesuits who worked in Canada and its foreign missions since the arrival of the first Jesuits to Canada in 1611. The Archive includes rare books, works of art, documents and publications relating to Canadian Jesuit and early Canadian history. 400 years of Canadian Jesuit history will now be more accessible under one roof.
• October 16th-18th: The Crown Plaza Hotel, Blanchardstown: Spiritual Directors International will host a Conference entitled “Being Presence” -  the first time they have held their conference in Europe. Father Korkos Moses, SJ from India will offer a reflection on “Being Present: Spiritual Practices East and West” during the closing plenary session on Sunday, October 18. The conference features educational workshops, prayer, celebration of stories and Irish arts, and plenary sessions with Fr. Daniel O’Leary, Megan McKenna and Conference Spiritual Director, Dr. Una Agnew, SSL.

Jesuit leadership

Fourteen people participated in a Partners in Mission three-day programme from 16 to 19 September. Leadership in a Jesuit work – a call from GC35 was organised in response to the General Congregation’s request that attention be given to how Jesuit works are organised. The group comprised directors of work, superiours and team leaders from a wide range of apostolates from both the Irish and British Provinces. They looked at the challenges and demands of leadership and management within Jesuit contexts. The variety of the group attending really added to the quality of the experience. “It was a great opportunity to review current scholarship on leadership and trends im management.” said Piaras Jackson, Director of Sacred Space. “I was glad to be able to meet with the others and to review my own practice in the light of the insights that were so engagingly presented.” Read more »