Football fever in Limerick

This summer’s football fever erupted in Limerick on 19 June, as Jesuit Refugee Service Ireland marked the occasion of World Refugee Day (20 June) with an 11-a-side football tournament for teams from four Direct Provision Centres for asylum seekers in the Limerick region. Over fifty asylum seekers participated in this competition, the inaugural Crescent Pedro Arrupe Cup, in the grounds of the Crescent Comprehensive in Dooradoyle. There were teams from Mount Trenchard (Foynes), Westbourne (Dock Rd), Hanratty’s (Glentworth Street) and Knockalisheen; and ultimately Knockalisheen emerged victorious. The JRS Ireland director, Eugene Quinn, used the occasion to call for a review of the Government’s policy of Direct Provision, drawing attention to well-documented concerns that this system may lead to institutionalisation and social isolation. See the YouTube video of the event, taken by Liam O’Connell SJ.

Volunteers commissioned in Gardiner St.

Eighteen Slí Eile volunteers were commissioned at the Gardiner Street Gospel Choir Mass on 20 June for their upcoming work in Jamaica and Zambia. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin celebrated the Mass with Donal Neary SJ. The volunteers had been preparing for the last eight months, under the guidance of Slí Eile team member Debbie Moore. A further group of school-leavers are preparing to go to South Africa and were represented by Fr Terry Howard SJ and two of their group. Archbishop Martin encouraged the volunteers, reminding them that Christ’s question “Who do you say that I am?” is answered in words of faith and in actions of love and service. At the end of the Mass, the congregation registered their appreciation of the Archbishop’s courageous leadership in the Dublin archdiocese with a burst of applause.

A time of grace

The 8-day retreat that has just ended in Manresa was distinctive in two ways. The group of retreatants comprised Jesuits from the Irish, British, Dutch and Flemish provinces: the diversity of their languages and cultures reflected the global mission of the Society. While St Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises structured the retreat, these were supplemented by a substantial talk every day about areas of Christian concern, so that one’s prayer was “incarnated”. We bring the spirit of Jesus to all the encounters of our lives, with victims of clerical abuse, drug addicts, asylum-seekers and the homeless as well as with our Jesuit companions and our own sicknesses and failings. The eyes of faith transform them all. The retreat reflected the creative planning of a small committee, and was blessed by God with glorious weather, as well as unseen graces.

Forthcoming events

• 30 June: Kevin Laheen SJ’s book entitled The Jesuits in Tullabeg: The final curtain will be launched in Milltown Institute. For details, contact 01 6768409
• 2-24 July: Sli Eile – a group of 9 people will travel to Jamaica
• 9-29 July: Sli Eil – a group 9 people will travel to Lusaka, Zambia
• 4-23 July: Sli Eile – a group of 22 people will travel to Mwandi, Zambia
• 18-28 August: Sli Eile, a group of 34 people will travel in three different groups to Eastern Cape, South Africa
• 27 July-8 August: ‘Magis: the Hungarian experience’ – as part of the lead-up to Magis 2011,  a group of 20 young people from Sli Eile are traveling to Hungary. The theme of this trip is community action and reflection
• September 2010 – August 2011: Next year’s Manresa programme has been published and can be downloaded from their website

Short notices

• Fifty-two students walked over 250 km from Dublin to Galway for the annual Belvedere College Block Pull charity walk. The Block Pull involves students pulling two large wooden blocks about 30km a day, across the Irish countryside. The weather was exceptionally hot, and many students battled through sunburn and blisters! The walk was a great success, raising over €52,000 for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and Temple Street Children’s Hospital.
• In April the Jesuit-run Newman Institute for Catholic Studies in Uppsala, Sweden, received accreditation from the government, making it the first Catholic college in the country in 500 years. With a staff of twenty-one and several hundred students, it offers courses and seminars in theology, philosophy, and cultural studies.
• Jesuit Refugee Service Syria have been awarded a prize of 75,000. Caritas Internationale, that is the international section of caritas belgium, has awarded the prize for the work among refugees from Irak, especially educational projects, based on interreligious cooperation. The prize is awarded every three years. Read (in French) about the award of three years ago.
• Colm Brophy SJ has three water-colour portraits in the annual exhibition of the National College of Art and Design in Thomas Street, Dublin: opening Thursday 1 July, 6-8 pm.
• A friend in Tokyo reports that Bill Johnston’s state shows little change. Because of a bed-sore, he suffers from some fever. He cannot feed himself or communicate, and he survives with the help of a pacemaker.

Bloody Sunday – moving on

The recent publication of the report of the Saville Inquiry into the fateful events on Bloody Sunday in Derry 1972 was an historic and moving occasion for many. According to Brian Lennon SJ, “It is a report about the past which may well help us towards the future”. The Dublin-born Jesuit has spent over twenty years working on peace building in the North. Acknowledging the  power of the admission of guilt and the apology given by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Brian Lennon says that we may need more inquiries, faster and less complex, along the lines on those conducted by Nuala O’Loan. He also suggests that facilitated storytelling with those  from all sides who suffered in the North might be a more effective tool that a truth commission. Read more of his article below, also published on the British Jesuit website ThinkingFaith.org. Read more »

St Declan’s principal retires

Michael Nolan, Principal of St Declan’s National School since 1994, is retiring, and the end-of-term Mass was also a farewell to him. School Principals, trying to hold a balance between the divergent claims of pupils, teachers and parents, have to be ready for some unpopularity. Remarkably Michael, without looking for it, seemed to be loved by all three sectors. He was an enabler, giving encouragement and space to staff and pupils to use their gifts, a cheerful, quirky, unobtrusive presence with a big influence. He spoke with deep emotion about what a gift St Declan’s had been to him – the enrichment was mutual. Then he sat down and drew the first sweet chords from the piano which was the school’s parting gift to him.

Remembering a remarkable man

Irish Jesuit Ciaran Kane gave a ringing endorsement to Todd Morrissey SJ’s book  Thomas F. Ryan SJ: From Cork to China and Windsor Castle, launched in Belvedere College, Great Denmark Street, 17 June. “This is the man I knew,” he said, holding up the book. Fr Kane, a missionary in Hong Kong, spoke of Tom Ryan’s incredible life as explored in the  biography. “Thomas was a musician, art critic, broadcaster, teacher, innovator who even became a Minister in the Hong Kong government! He had a strong commitment to the poor in Ireland, China and Hong Kong.” Referring to the fact that Thomas Ryan was unusually and unjustly sacked from his position as a Jesuit superior, he said that the  unvarnished truth was the hallmark of Fr Morrissey’s excellent biography. The book is available in Veritas and in the Messenger Office bookshop.

A dazzling diaconate

The voice of John Looby, Editor of the Sacred Heart Messenger, resonated round the vasty spaces of Christ Church Cathedral as he declaimed the Second Reading. His words to Ken Rue for once were not about double-entry book-keeping, assets or bad debts, but rather from St Paul: “Do not be conformed to this world, he exhorted Ken, but be conformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Archbishop Neill of Dublin was ordaining Ken to the diaconate. The Messenger Office turned up in force to support their much-loved accountant. It was a dazzling ceremony, with glorious music and a packed church. Ken will continue minding our books while caring for the parishioners of Powerscourt and Kilbride. Read more »

MP Gallagher on BBC

Michael Paul Gallagher SJ returned from Italy to Ireland recently to spend some of the summer, and already the author of over ten books on spirituality, culture and fundamental theology is busy giving interviews on his latest book, Faith Maps: From Newman to Benedict XVI. On Sunday 27 June he gave a wide-ranging interview to William Crawley, on BBC Radio Ulster’s well known Sunday Sequence programme (15 mins in). On 1 September at 7.30pm he will give a public lecture in Gardiner Street Church entitled ‘Translating Newman for Today’. And on 18 September he will give a presentation in Milltown Park marking the 25th anniversary of the spiritual direction ministry, Anamcharadas. His talk, ‘Where are we now? What hope for faith?’, will offer a Powerpoint meditation with images on emerging languages for Christian faith, after a time of trouble and turmoil.

JESUITICA: Model School Jesuit

The recently published history of the Model School, Enniskillen has quite an Orange flavour – many of the old boys are pictured wearing the Sash. It is a surprise to find a Jesuit among them, Fr Paddy Morris. His father, Charles, was an independent-minded educator and the first headmaster of the Model School. He  built it up against the determined opposition of the local Catholic clergy, who saw it as rivalling the national schools under their control. In 1900 Paddy entered the Jesuits with John Sullivan (also educated in Enniskillen, at Portora), served as a British army chaplain in the First World War, and later spent twelve years in Belvedere, six of them as its Rector, before ending his days, like John Sullivan, serving the People’s Church in Clongowes.

Forthcoming events

• 17 June: Todd Morrissey SJ’s book entitled Thomas F. Ryan SJ: From Cork to China and Windsor Castle will be launched by Ciaran Kane SJ in Belvedere College, Great Denmark Street, at 7.30pm. For details, contact 01 6768409.
• 20 June: Ken Rue (financial controller of the Sacred Heart Messenger) will be ordained to the diaconate by Church of Ireland Archbishop John Neill, in Christ Church Cathedral: at 3.30pm
• 22 June: Cherryfield Lodge open day for residents and their families, from 2.30-5.30pm
• 30 June: Kevin Laheen SJ’s book entitled The Jesuits in Tullabeg: The final curtain will be launched in Milltown Institute. For details, contact 01 6768409
• September 2010 – August 2011: Manresa programme has been published, and can be downloaded at the website: www.manresa.ie

Short notices

• As part of their Province planning day, the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice staff went on a team outing in the afternoon – a Segway tour of Dublin Docklands.
• Cherryfield Lodge is hosting an open day for residents and their families on Tuesday 22nd June from 2.30pm to 5.30pm. Entrance to Cherryfield through main Milltown Gate from Sandford Road. For further details, contact Cherryfield Lodge Reception: Tel: (01) 4985800.
• The new contact details for the Irish Jesuit Curia are: Irish Jesuit Provincialate, Milltown Park, Sandford Road, Dublin 6; Phone – 01 4987333; Fax – 01 4987334
• The grounds of former Mungret College will see the building of 126 houses by Dineen and company, who bought the property from the Jesuits. Limerick County Council has given the go-ahead.
• Irish woman Bridget Redmond, the former caretaker of St Michael’s Catholic College in Leeds, has been made a Member of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Bridget Redmond – known as May – was just 16 when she began working for the Jesuits at the college in Hyde Park, having left her native Ireland to travel to Leeds to find work. Read the full story.
• Fr. Declan Deane, formerly of the Irish Jesuit Province, and now working in a parish near San Francisco, has a serious illness, and charts his journey and the support he has from friends, and the prayer organised on his behalf to Fr. John Sullivan S.J. Go to his website.
• A cartoon of Fr Joe Kelly SJ was unveiled at Sardi’s Restaurant, New York, at a celebratory evening in his memory.
• Pray as you follow the World Cup:  World Cup fever is well and truly upon us,  and  Pray-as-you-go, in partnership with the Jesuit Institute in South Africa, is providing five reflections on themes surrounding the World Cup and South Africa. Click here.