Chaplains’ work crucial for Church

“Your work as chaplains is one of the most important missions in the Church”. That was the message from Dr Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, to  thirty members of the Chaplains Network at Third Level, in the St Stephen’s Chaplaincy, Friday 13 Nov 09. UCD chaplain Leon Ó Giolláin SJ organised the day of reflection on (i) the psychosocial benefits of religious practice and young adults and (ii) a vision for chaplaincy in contemporary society. Dr Martin said the chaplains were educationalists in the broadest and best sense because they imparted not just knowledge but wisdom. Dr. Patricia Casey, Professor of Psychiatry at UCD  spoke about her recently published research on religious practice. ‘Religion is good for you’  sums up the message emanating from a very broad range of rigorous research.

Mount-‘Joy’ to the world!

Prisoners in Mountjoy, working with Sli Eile, the Jesuit Outreach to Young Adults, have put their own hand-made Christmas cards on the market. The proceeds from the sales will go to an orphanage in Calcutta which has links with the Jesuits in Gardiner St Church. Eoghan Keogh, project worker with Sli Eile, meets with the prisoners every Wednesday, and they explore the area of spirituality in their lives. They were so moved by a video of the orphanage which he showed them that they decided to make the Chrismas cards. The art work, design and poems are all the prisoners’ own work. The Sli Eile team does the printing and the cards are available from the Sli Eile office just across the road from the Gardiner St Church. Read press release below. Read more »

Jesuits in the DIB

There was Jesuit interest and involvement in the monumental Dictionary of Irish Biography (DIB), which was launched on 18 November in St Patrick’s Hall, Dublin Castle, before some 500 people.  Among the longer entries was Bruce Bradley’s article on James Joyce, running to over 11,000 words. Conor Harper wrote on John Sullivan, and Peter McVerry on Michael Sweetman. Todd Morrissey contributed six articles, two on bishops (William Walsh of Dublin and Edward Patrick O’Dwyer of Limerick), and four on Jesuits: James Archer, Peter Kenney, William Delany and Tom Finlay. Todd has kindly acquired the nine-volume set at a reduced price for the Milltown Library, where thankfully they will continue to be available to readers. See further details of the publication below. Read more »

Irish booklaunch fest

For a few years now Foilseacháin Ábhair Spioradálta has produced but not properly celebrated some beautiful new books. So, on Tuesday Nov 17th there was a Slógadh Mór and a mass launching. Cathal Goan of RTÉ accepted the Herculean task of presenting not one but six new books to an unsuspecting world.  He delighted the authors  (Séamus de Vál, Helen Ó Murchú, an tSr Mairéad Ní Bhuachalla and Alan Mac Eochagáin) and their friends with a masterly and very appreciative speech. Music from Cór Dhuibhlinne topped off a very special night. Then on Saturday Dr Charlie Dillon launched Alan’s translation of the life of Naomh Iognáid in the Cultúrlann i mBéal Feirste. Chomhgairdeas all round.

‘Please Sir, can I have some more?’

“It truly was,” as Dr Anne Looney described it,”a gathering of the aspiring, the perspiring and the inspiring!” Teachers, pupils and educators  arrived in significant numbers for the Education Symposium on ‘The relationship between teacher and pupil,’ in Crescent College Limerick, Dooradoyle, Sat 14 Nov 10am -4pm. Anne Looney, CEO of the National Council for Curriculum Development was in the chair whilst Mr Eamonn Stack, Chief Inspector with the Dept of Education, Senator Ronan Mullen and Jim Deegan of Mary Immaculate College Limerick, all addressed the topic “with an energy and enthusiasm that was infective”, according to the school’s headmaster, Nick Cuddihy. He said their challenging insights gave rise to a really, opinionated and informed follow-up debate. Many people who attended have requested that this type of symposium become a regular feature in Jesuit schools.

Jesuit economist honoured

John Brady SJ was conferred with an Honorary Fellowship by the National College of Ireland on Friday 20 Nov,’09. Many former collegues, Jesuits and friends were there to celebrate his achievement. John Brady SJ spent thirty years of his life at the NCI which was formerly known as the National College of Industrial Relations, based in Ranelagh. According to Dr Tony White of the Milltown Insititute, who gave the  citation, John Brady was a moderniser. He said it was mainly during his time that the college moved from being a college of adult education to a mainline third-level institution. He also oversaw the employment of lay staff along with Jesuits.”That expansion of course increased the cost base but John’s skills extended to ensuring that the College increased its financial resources to pay for this expansion. He may have had a vow of poverty, but he understood money. After all he is an economist!” Click here to read the full text of Tony White’s speech. Read more »

Irish links with San Salvador

At the 20th anniversary Mass in Milltown for the San Salvador martyrs, Michael O’Sullivan SJ recalled some of their links with Ireland. Amando Lopez studied theology and was ordained in Milltown in 1965. Ignacio Ellacuria made his Tertianship at Rathfarnham Castle. Eight years before his death he spoke in Milltown on the situation in El Salvador. Frank Doyle, who concelebrated with Michael, was with Jon Sobrino in Thailand the day he got the news that the members of his community had been murdered in San Salvador.  Jon avoided death that night because he was working with the Columbans in Thailand. Fr Jim McPolin from Limerick was in San Salvador at the time, but had opted to work in a rural parish rather than the University. Read a summary of Michael’s homily below. Read more »

Scholarships, Catholic and Protestant

Readers of the Irish Times may have picked up an amicable exchange between a Governor of The King’s Hospital school and Ivan Hammond, Chairman of Belvedere Social Services. Ian French, defending Protestant schools from the label of elitism, protested that nearly 10% of their pupils receive a means-tested Government grant. Ivan congratulated Ian on his success in getting such a grant, and explained that Belvedere, in order to offer similar scholarships to the 10% of its pupils from disadvantaged families, has no such government grant and has to raise over half a million euro a year to fund the scheme. Read his letter below: Read more »

JESUITICA: Waugh and the Jesuits

Both the life and the writings of the English novelist Evelyn Waugh were characterised by a deep faith, but also by a dark, acerbic wit. It was perfectly apt then, according to his friend Graham Greene, that Waugh should die just after attending the Resurrection Mass of Easter Sunday – while sitting on the toilet! Two Jesuits featured prominently in Waugh’s life. First was Fr Martin D’Arcy SJ, who instructed him before his reception into the Catholic Church. Then, five years later, he published a biography of Edmund Campion, the Jesuit martyr who was executed at Tyburn in 1581, and whose feastday is celebrated next week, 1 December.

Short Notices

• Miriam O’Callaghan hosted Peter McVerry Trust’s 3rd Charity Gala Ball on Friday 13th November, in Clontarf Castle Hotel. €65,000 was raised on the night to support the work of the charity. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Clontarf Castle Hotel, every penny of this will go directly towards the provision of the charity’s housing and support services. With more than 2,000 people homeless in Dublin Peter McVerry Trust’s services are urgently required to help reduce homelessness in the city.
• Working Notes: Who Will Pay for the Recession? (November 2009) is available from www.jcfj.ie. It features Peter McVerry SJ exploring the very different realities experienced by those at the top and those at the bottom of Irish society. Also articles by Patrick Hume SJ, ‘Pro Bono: Still Relevant for Access to Justice’, Elizabeth O’Rourke, JRS, ‘Frontloading’: The Case for Legal Resources at the Early Stages of the Asylum Process’, and Aileen Walsh, ‘The Challenges Facing the Church in Ireland in the Aftermath of the Ryan Report’.
• Keara Sheeran is on a one-woman mission to get Galway clapping and singing Alleluia to the energetic strains of Gospel music. Her father, Peter Sheeran, directed the folk Mass at the Jesuit church on Sea Road for 20 years until 1998. When Keara moved to Galway, she returned to what she calls her spiritual home in the Jesuit church but found it an empty quiet place, with not a folk singer in sight. She started the Jes Gospel Choir a year ago, and leads it at the Sli Eile mass every second Sunday.

Forthcoming Events

• 29 November: Prayer service in St Ignatius, Galway: 8pm
• 5 December, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Emmaus Retreat House, Swords, Co. Dublin: Christian Life Community Day of Prayer. Cost: €40 includes lunch. Contact Barbara Butler 046 9731936; or Michael Gallagher 7758596
• Mondays November-December: Soul Journey evenings in Gardiner Street: 6 to 6.3
• 6 December: Christmas Carol Concert in St Patrick’s Cathedral in aid of Peter McVerry Trust (Peter is the guest speaker). Tickets €25. 7.30pm. Doors open 7 p.m. Contact fundraising@pmvtrust.ie