Untangling the web of 19th century inter-church relations

Oliver Rafferty SJ, who taught at various colleges in England, Ireland and the United States, has just brought out a new academic work about Catholicism in 19th Century Ireland. The Catholic Church and the Protestant State: Nineteenth-century Irish realities pays particular attention to the deep complexities and ironies in the relationship between the Catholic Church and the various Protestant churches in Ireland in the decades after the Act of Union. The book can be purchased from the publishers, Four Courts Press.

Clongowes students become teachers

12 students from Clongowes will be visiting JRS on Thursday 7 February. These 12 students have completed Teaching English as a Foreign Language accreditation. They will be participating in a workshop at JRS on Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Ireland. They will then observe Belvedere students tutoring asylum seekers and refugees in TEFL, as they do each Thursday morning. The Clongowes pilot group will be providing similar classes locally in Kildare, arranged through Sr Anne Horgan of JRS.

Bob McGoran Centre opens in Galway

Colaiste Iognaid’s new Bob McGoran Centre for special needs students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was officially launched recently. Dedicated to Bob McGoran SJ, a former headmaster who took a great interest in helping people with special needs, the new centre opened with two students. It is staffed by one full-time and one part-time teacher from the college and two special needs assistants. The goal is to integrate those with special needs into mainstream classes such as Religion, Art, Home Economics, and Physical Education. For these subjects, the students are accompanied by a special needs assistant. They also participate in extra curricular activities such as rugby, physical education, and swimming.

Milltown welcomes adult learners to come and look

Working in tandem with the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival, the Milltown Institute is holding an Open Evening on Tuesday 5 February to introduce its adult education courses. It extends an invitation to all comers to “explore your questions about Spirituality, Philosophy and Theology in an open friendly environment”. At 6.15pm and again at 7.15pm, there will be a short presentation about what Milltown has to offer, but callers are welcome at any time during the evening. For more details, email Sorcha Woods or phone 01-2776352.

Galway rows

A former student at the Coláiste Iognáid was one of the 14-man rowing crew which broke the record for the fastest transatlantic crossing. Ray Carroll has been rowing since he attended Galway’s Jesuit school and has represented Ireland in the World junior championships, the World University games, and won gold for Ireland in the European rowing championships.

When his crew reached Port St Charles, Barbados, on Thursday 17 January they broke a record that has resisted numerous attempts since 1992, setting a new 32-day standard. Ray was selected from some 200 applicants to be part of the crew that was skippered by Leven Brown, holder of the record for rowing solo across the Atlantic and a Guinness World Record rowing from mainland Spain to the West Indies.

Archbishop commends Institute for decades of engaging with culture

The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, paid tribute to the work of religious in building Irish society. Speaking at a mass to launch Milltown Institutes’s celebration of forty years, the archbishop said that the Jesuits were among the groups that contributed to Irish cultural renewal. Drawing on Milltown’s history, he encouraged students and faculty to continue to find ways to engage with culture and to shape the future. He praised the work of the Institute and spoke of how he valued the presence of religious congregations who care pastorally for 20% of the Diocese of Dublin. Read more »

Marking 40 years of Milltown

The Milltown Institute celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. This jubilee will be marked by a series of special lectures throughout the year. The opening Jubilee celebration takes place on 14 January, with Mass at 7.30pm celebrated by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. After this, both Dr Christopher O’Donnell OCarm and Dr Una Agnew SSL will address the subject ‘Keeping the memory’. For further information on the jubilee events, email info@milltown-institute.ie.

Teaching English to refugees

2007 Fourteen Clongowes Transition Year students and two teachers plan to use Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) to assist local asylum seekers and refugees. They are a pilot group who completed an intensive 20 hour course last week and will work closely with the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) to provide language tuition. They are following the example of the successful Belvedere College TEFL programme that has been in operation for a number of years. Links: www.clongowes.com

Irish academic fellowships

The Irish Jesuits are offering two academic fellowships at Milltown Institute in Theology, including Spirituality, and Philosophy. The fellowships offer full board and accommodation for one or two semesters, a stipend, office and computer facilities. Successful applicants will teach a postgraduate module and conduct a staff seminar. Applications and CVs to Fr. Noel Barber SJ, nbarber[at]jesuit.ie, Gonzaga College, Sandford Road, Dublin 6.

Further role for Finbarr

Finbarr Clancy SJ took up the role of acting president of Milltown Institute yesterday for an interim period until June 2008. Finbarr was previously appointed Rector of the Ecclesiastical faculty of the Institute in January of this year. Milltown grants civil and pontifical degrees, including doctorates, in Philosophy, Theology, Spirituality, Sacred Scripture and Pastoral Studies. Links: www.milltown-institute.ie

Cranes over Clongowes

Clongowes has just commenced the first phase of construction for a new library. The second phase of building the internal structures will begin early next year. When completed in Autumn 2008, it will include areas for formal and informal study; reading, research and multi-media facilities and two peer tutor rooms for group study

Rugby win for Jes

Rugby win for Jes 28 November 2007 Coláiste Iognáid SJ, “the Jes”, Senior rugby team won the Connacht Senior League, beating Marist College Athlone in the final, 17-8. The Galway city school scored three tries, versus one for the Athlone school, in an entertaining final at Garbally College, Ballinasloe. In addition, Coláiste Iognáid have won the Connacht Schools Senior Cup three times in the last ten years (2002, 2005 and 2006). Links: www.colaisteiognaid.ie, Rugby news

Ecumenism ‘for the ever greater glory of God’

In August 1971, Fr Arrupe visited Dublin for the occasion of the Fourth International Congress of Jesuit Ecumenists. Michael Hurley SJ, founder and director of the Irish School of Ecumenics, sees the contribution of the Superior General as the highlight of the event.