MPG in three continents

While Michael Paul Gallagher is settling into his role as Rector of the Bellarmino in Rome, he is doing a bit on the side. Having addressed New Zealand educators by video-conferencing link from Dublin, he flew to Winnepeg, Canada, to give the Hanley lectures on Our Religious Imagination, in St Paul’s College. His titles are intriguing: ‘The retrieval of a Cinderella’; ‘Imagination: the convergence of recognition’; ‘Faith as re-imagining’. Back in Rome he is preparing for an Interface Conference for Young Theologians in Maynooth, with the keynote lecture on 6 November. So Michael Paul continues to pursue his special interest in the frontier areas of theology, seeking to relate faith to secular culture, to art, to imagination and literature.

Migrants in Malta

The European Jesuit Provincials, meeting in Malta,  found that they could not ignore the challenge posed by migrants. It is felt in every European country, but with overwhelming pressure in Malta, the first landfall for boat people from Africa, and additionally attractive as a member of the EU. But with its small population and modest economy, it has a severely limited capacity to accommodate or offer work to the floods of refugees, asylum seekers and forced migrants that hit its beaches. The assembled Provincials recognised the tragedy of the migrants, and also the serious burdens faced by a small country which is disproportionately exposed to the pressures of such migration, and in the attached statement called for the burdens of receiving such migrants to be fairly shared.  Read more »

We all made the Mural

On 22 October St Declan’s School brought its 50th birthday celebrations to a brilliant close with the unveiling of a mural (pictured) in the garden. Through the clever planning of Art teacher Niamh, every pupil and every member of staff – including some from the past – had a hand in its creation. It contains over fifty separate stamps, each with an emblem (a bird, a butterfly, a bell, and so on) chosen by a girl, boy or teacher. Paul Andrews SJ , a former director, unveiled it, and John Looby SJ, Chairman of the Board, blessed it after a brillliant concert from the different classes.

Welcome song for Peter Sexton SJ

Peter Sexton SJ was given a warm official welcome to his post as Catholic Chaplain in the ecumenical chaplaincy in Trinity College Dublin, last Thursday, 22 Oct ,’09. Vespers was sung in his  honour in the college Chapel, an apt greeting as Peter himself has led the singing by  manys a church congregation in his day. His enthusiasm and inspiration as he did so was often remarked upon. As a Jesuit, Peter spent time on mission in Africa, he also worked in Belvedere  College and before this most recent appointment he gave many years service as Spiritual father to the pupils of Clongowes Wood College in Naas. He is pictured here leading the liturgy and singing in Gonzaga College when Fr General Adodfo Nicolás addressed Jesuits and their colleagues on his first visit to Ireland in September ’09.

Kairos retreat at third level

For the first time ever, Colaiste Iognaid (The ‘Jes’) ran a Kairos retreat in Esker Monastery, Athenry, for 22 mainly ex-Jes students who had graduated and were in university. They had missed out on their Kairos retreat when at school so Brendan McManus SJ (chaplain in the Jes) and Conall O’Cuinn SJ (vocations promoter for the Irish Jesuit Province) ran an extra one for them. “It was a great success” said Brendan; “the fact that they were older and had opted to come on it made for a super retreat”. Conall O’Cuinn added: “The hope is to continue running retreats at universities.”

Le Brocquy in job lot

The imminent move of a Le Brocquy mosaic of the Madonna and Child from the old Milltown community building to the new, stirred a memory in Brian Grogan. When he was Rector of Milltown, he mentioned to various friends that many walls in the house were unadorned by works of art. One day in 1978 a call came with the terse message: ‘Your works of art are ready!’  The caller was the MD of Odearest Mattresses. Brian and his then Minister, Fr Jim Fitzgerald,  went to the warehouse and were shown various mosaics, few of which were remarkable, but which now hang around the walls of Milltown. When asked if they would purchase, Brian inquired if were there more. As the interviewers say, it was a good question. Read more. Read more »

A flanker who sings bass

Gonzaga alumnus Kevin McLaughlin (in blue in the photo) was voted Leinster Rugby’s Player of the month (September). After captaining Gonzaga’s Junior and Senior cup teams, he is now playing better than ever at flanker on the Leinster team. He is equally adaptable at second row or No 8, a fine line-out jumper and highly effective in loose play, with a quick turn of pace and rocklike defence. A long article in the Sunday Times noted: “The teak-tough Leinster flanker has a confession to make – he loves singing in a classical choir.” The RTE Philharmonic, the premier classical choir in the country, makes serious demands on Kevin’s time and energy, but he loves the contrast to rugby which it offers, in skills and companionship.

JESUITICA: the coolest guy ever?

Seven years ago a high-powered group of intellectuals met in New York to discuss: “Was Athanasius Kircher the coolest guy ever, or what?” This 17th-century German Jesuit polymath, a cheerful, bumptious man, would probably have voted for himself. He was a hands-on scientist who studied volcanoes by descending into the smoking craters of Etna and Vesuvius. Though he was summoned to Rome to teach mathematics, he was also asked to interpret Egyptian hieroglyphs – since he was well-versed in more than 20 languages. He was one of the first people to work with microscopes, and one of the first to propose the role of microorganisms in the spread of disease. The museum he opened in the Roman College became a must-see on the Grand Tour.

Short notices

• Blackrock College celebrated its 150th birthday with a festival of rugby, to which it invited all the best rugby schools in these two islands to a stage competition for the coveted Fr Jules Leman trophy – you had to play your way through two group stages to earn a place in the final. Clongowes did just that, and ended as runners-up (3-0) to Methody.
• One of the “Forthcoming Events” listed below is a lecture on Dorothy Day. It will be launched by the Spiritual Capital Ireland Centre, which is located in All Hallows and run there by Michael O’Sullivan SJ and Bernadette Flanagan, and by Michael Howlett and Jacqui Quinn at Waterford Institute of Technology. The lecture coincides with the launch of the Global Compassion Charter throughout the world on that day.

Forthcoming events

• On Thursday, 5th November 2009, a Mass of Remembrance (in particular of John Dunne SJ) will be celebrated in Emo Court at 3.30 pm. A special invitation is extended to Jesuits and former Jesuits  who have lived and worked in Emo. The house will be opened for the afternoon  and there will be an opportunity to visit places that evoke memories from past times, such as the old kitchens, which are not normally open to the public. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone who hopes to attend the gathering would phone  Conor Harper at 01 2180244 or forward their names to his email: charper@clongowes.net .
• 12 November, 7.30 p.m. Lecture by Patrick Jordan, Editor of Commonweal. “Dorothy Day: Poverty, Protest and Prayer.” Chaired by Michael O’Sullivan SJ. Purcell House, All Hallows, Dublin 9.
• Note two fund-raising events for  Slí Eile: on 31 October a Hallowe’en Ball in the Skylon Hotel: Mulled wine reception from 7.00pm. 4 course dinner at 8pm.  Fancy dress optional with prizes for best dressed. Tickets @ €50 available from Slí Eile at 01 8880606.
• 10 November: Liam Lawton in Concert in Gardiner Street Church, 8 p.m. Tickets €25 from parish office or Slí Eile at 01 8880606.  Featuring tracks from Liam’s new CD, Healing Song, and old favourites. An evening of spiritual uplift with one of Ireland’s best-known religious composers. Proceeds after expenses go to Slí Eile.

Reality award for Peter McVerry

On 22 October at the annual Reality Awards (sponsored by Reality magazine), Peter McVerry was named their Person of the Year, as follows: ”We are honouring Fr Peter McVerry as our Person of the Year for his consistently insightful analysis of the Celtic Tiger and the impact the recession has had on Irish society as well as his championing of the rights of the most disadvantaged in society.” The annual awards are given in recognition of the individual and collective contibutions of people and institutions to the Church and Irish Society. The Iona Insititute won the award for Church Organisation of the Year, and Book of the Year award went to Presbyterian Minister Rev Ruth Patterson for her most recent publication, Looking Back to Tomorrow: A Spirituality for Between the Times. Photo by John McElroy.