Challenging student culture

SHAG week in Trinity, just ended, illustrates well the culture in which the chaplains, among them Peter Sexton SJ, spread the Good News. SHAG stands for Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance. The Information Booklet is quite dogmatic about what makes a responsible student: “If you’re having sex, it’s your responsibility to protect yourself with contraception… By carrying a condom with you in your wallet, purse, back pocket, you are being a responsible adult. (Condoms are freely available from the Student Welfare Officer.)” In such a context, which accepts sexual activity as casual and loveless, lacking any moral dimension except care for personal safety, the chaplain’s voice inevitably resembles John the Baptist’s: crying in the wilderness. However, Peter took issue with the simplistic culture of SHAG in a homily to the students in Trinity Hall and in the Trinity Common Room.

Forthcoming events

• Monday 12 December: Lecture by Robert Kennedy SJ author of ‘Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit and Zen Gifts to Christians’, Gonzaga College at 7.30pm. Contact union@gonzaga.ie for further information.
• Monday 12 to Friday 16 December: Advent Triduum.  Manresa, Jesuit Centre of Spirituality, 426 Clontarf  Road, Dollymount Dublin 3. For further information Tel: 01 8331352  email: manresa@jesuit.ie or visit www.manresa.ie
• Tuesday 13, 20 December: Advent Prayer and reflection evenings from 7.30pm-9pm.  Manresa, Jesuit Centre of Spirituality, 426 Clontarf  Road, Dollymount Dublin 3. For further information Tel: 01 8331352  email: manresa@jesuit.ie or visit www.manresa.ie
• Thursday 15 December: JRS Ireland holding a ‘mince pies and mulled wine’ event  to launch their Intercultural and Interfaith Calendar for 2012.  The Mews, 20 Gardiner Street Upper, Dublin 1 6p.m.  Donations towards their Christmas Toy Appeal will also be happening on the night.
• Saturday 17 December: Christmas Preparation for Children. Manresa, Jesuit Centre of Spirituality, 426 Clontarf  Road, Dollymount Dublin 3 at 3pm-5pm. For further information visit www.manresa.ie or Tel: 01 8331352
• Wednesday 21 December: Steps2Serenity: 12 Step Meditation and Prayer evening 8pm-9.30pm.  Manresa, Jesuit Centre of Spirituality, 426 Clontarf  Road, Dollymount Dublin 3. For further information, tel: 01 8331352, email: manresa@jesuit.ie, or visit www.manresa.ie
• Saturday 24, Sunday 25 December: St Francis Xavier Chruch, Gardiner St. Vigil of Christmas Masses: Family Mass 6 p.m., Gospel Choir Mass 8 p.m. Church Choir Mass 10pm. Carols  half-hour before each  Mass. Christmas Day Masses 9.15am, 11am (Choir) and 12.30pm.
• Monday 26-Friday 31: St Francis Xavier Church, Gardiner St. Masses at 11am and 1pm. Sunday 1, Masses at 11am,1pm and Vigil Mass at 6pm. Monday,Jan 2-5, Masses 11am and 1pm. Office closed 25 Dec until 3 Jan. Phone during holiday:01 7072219
• Monday 9 January: Magis International Volunteering South Africa 2012 Leaders Orientation. Leaders will work in orphanages, clinics; feeding centre’s, building projects, and working with vulnerable children.  For more information contact: Debbie Moore, email: debbie.moore@magisireland.com, Tel: 01 8943165 /01 8880606, ext 25.

Short notices

• The latest talk in the Clongowes Leadership Series was given in Dublin’s RDS by David Dilger, who left Clongowes in 1973 and served as CEO for Greencore group PLC for many years. Currently Director of James Hardie Industries SE, he outlined what it takes to be a leader, and spoke realistically of the up and downs to be expected. Photo: L-R:  Father Leonard Moloney SJ (Headmaster of Clongowes), David Dilger (OC ’73), Hugh Geoghegan (OC’56) and Mrs Kate Dilger.
• JRS Ireland invite you to join them for mince pies and mulled wine at the launch of their Intercultural and Interfaith Calendar for 2012,  Thursday 15 December at 6pm, in The Mews, 20 Gardiner Street Upper, Dublin 1.
  The calendar is aimed at raising awareness of diversity in Ireland. Highlighting religious feast days from different faiths, and international UN celebrations, each month is themed with a quote. You can also bring a toy/gift  for for a child aged between 3 and 12 to be given to children of Asylum Seekers living in accomodation centres in Dublin and delivered by ‘Santa’ the following week.
• Listowel-born John O’Brien, former deputy head of Crescent College, has died. Affectionately known as Maxi by students and colleagues, he was universally liked and admired by both staff and students, including the many recidivists he managed to ‘turn’ in his long career.  The stroke which he suffered some years ago did little to lessen his zest for life and interest in his friends and the school he served so well. May he rest in peace.
• It was a wet and stormy night, but almost 200 people turned out for the launch of Fr Browne’s Titanic Album by Fr Eddie O’Donnell SJ, in the Cobh Heritage Centre, Co.Cork on Wednedsay 23 November. Una Reilly, Chair of the Belfast Titanic society gave a powerpoint presentation on the ill-fated ship and highly recommended the book to those present. There had been extensive coverage of the publication and its wonderful photos on BBC and RTE, as well as on local radio and newspapers. Staff from Messenger Publications, who published the book, had a busy night selling hundreds of copies to all present.

Jesuit troika

Readers will have noticed one sign of hope on the European scene, a blessed unity of purpose among three of Europe’s leaders: Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council; Mario Draghi, President of the European Central Bank; and Mario Monti, the new Prime Minister of Italy. In a recent speech van Rompuy reminded listeners that all three were educated by the Jesuits: “My two technocrat colleagues share with me an idea of a humane market economy, an area where I have always dwelled.” They share the global economic vision of Pope Benedict’s encyclical: Caritas in Veritate. The fact that the Spaniards have just elected another Jesuit alumnus, Mariano Rajoy, as their leader, is stirring the lunatic fringe to talk of a Jesuit take-over of Europe – whatever that means. Pictured here are, left to right, Draghi, Monti, van Rompuy.

Magis retreat – ‘a very special week’

‘A very special week’ was how eight young retreatants described the Retreat in Daily Life at Magis Ireland, Gardiner St. on Sunday 27 November. They were introduced to different ways of praying and made practical arrangements to meet daily with their prayer guides, committing to thirty minutes of prayer each day. They also dipped into the evening workshops on ‘Images of God’ and ‘Discernment Leading to Good Decision Making.’ At the Gospel Choir Mass in Gardiner St Church, they listened to Donal Neary SJ’s invitation to be co-creators with God in a world constantly being created. Soft music and candle light spilled out of the Magis Ireland building each evening as retreatants and prayer guides met for their  sessions. The retreat ended on Friday evening with a powerful sharing of experiences and deeply prayerful thanks. Read more »

Clongownian annual arrives

The Clongownian Annual 2011 has just been published – in full colour. Edited by Declan O’Keefe, the current issue features an in-depth interview with Provincial (and Old Clongownian) Tom Layden SJ. There is also an article by Bruce Bradley SJ, editor of Studies, covering one of the most significant events in the history of the school – the amalgamation with Tullabeg 125 years ago – as well as a piece by Conor Harper SJ marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of Fr John Sullivan SJ, ‘Servant of God’. Declan says that “a cursory glance through its pages reveals that 2011 was a big year for rugby, but Clongowes is about much more than sport and The Clongownian 2011 reflects the breadth of activity in the school throughout the year, be it academic, cultural, pastoral, religious or sporting.” Read his interview with Tom Layden SJ, below. Read more »

Jesuit books for Christmas

A guide to the Gospel of Mark by Phil Fogarty SJ and just published by Columba Press, is the last in his very successful and  accessible ‘Navigating the Gospels’ series which would make a lovely Christmas gift. Indeed there are a number of books published by Jesuits this year that may take the headache out of Christmas shopping. Like Fr Browne’s Titanic Album by Eddie O’Donnell SJ, praised in the media and published by Messenger Publications. Gerry O’Hanlon SJ’s book on A New Vision for the Catholic Church (Columba) has been selling well and on a similar theme Jesuit historian John O’Malley’s bestseller What Happened at Vatican II was a big hit when he lectured here in the summer. The Jesuit Communciation Centre have some signed copies of it for sale for €20 (call 01 4987370) as well as CDs of his lecture. Read more »

Jesuit Missions Christmas Cards

The Jesuit Mission Office is selling four Christmas cards this year, all of them designed by pupils in Upendo Primary School in Kangemi, a slum settlement of at least 100,000 people on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. Upendo is in the Jesuit-run St Joseph the Worker parish in Kangemi, and as well as providing primary school education it runs an informal day-care centre for street children and at-risk children. The four card designers are Edwin Atbasa, Michael Masinde, Paul Fungo, and Vincent Ochieng – see them on the Jesuit Missions homepage. Appropriately, the proceeds (€1 per card) will go into the ‘Jesuit Missions Education Basket’, a fund which supports poor and disadvantaged students in Eastern Africa, Zambia and Malawi. For more information, or to buy some cards, contact the Mission Office (01 8366509 or misson@jesuit.ie).

Ethics in journalism

Since Fr John K. Guiney took over as president of the Irish Missionary Union, one issue has made huge demands on his energies: the defamation of Fr Kevin Reynolds (pictured here) by RTE’s Prime Time team. When two other priests had declined invitations to speak on Tonight with Vincent Browne, John accepted, feeling that the church has been too timid in speaking against injustices and libels in the more disreputable media. In an hour of strong talk, John made clear what the IMU wanted and wants: a robust external investigation of this tragic episode, in which there are many victims – most of all Fr Kevin Reynolds – and no winners. Despite the ugliness of the incident, the broadcast was good. John received huge positive feedback for his balance, honesty, calm and trenchant arguments. Read more: Read more »

Confucius in Gt Denmark Street

Back in the 1970s it used be said that the optimists were learning Russian (taught in Belvedere by Fr Schrenk), and the pessimists Chinese. The opposite is true today. After a wonderful visit to China by a group of Irish Principals, including Belvedere’s Gerry Foley, the links have been growing. They reached a high point on 18 November, when the Chinese ambassador, H.E. Mr. Luo Linquan, visited Belvedere to launch the second Confucius Classroom affiliated to the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland.The photograph shows the Chinese ambassador making a Chinese promise with 1st year student Barry Henehan. The ambassador said to Barry: “Promise to study hard, and the next time we meet we can chat entirely in Chinese!” Read more Read more »

JESUITICA: Signposting the Mormons

The Mormons are under particular scrutiny in the USA because one of them, Mitt Romney, has declared an interest in the Presidency. There was a time when they were less acceptable. In 1838 Governor Bloggs of Missouri decreed: “The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated, or driven from the State, if necessary for the public peace”. As they were hounded from state to state, seeking a place where they could live in peace, they sought advice from Jean Pierre DeSmet SJ, the noted explorer of the American west. His description of the magnificent Great Salt Lake valley pleased them greatly.  So Salt Lake City became to Mormons what Rome is to Catholics, and Jesuit de Smet stands there among the founders’ statues.

Christmas cards from Jesuit Missions

The Jesuit Mission Office is selling four designed Christmas cards for the price of €1.00 each.  The cards have been designed by school pupils in Eastern Africa and all proceeds will go towards the Jesuit Missions Education Basket. The Education Baskets supports poor and disadvantaged students in Eastern Africa, Zambia and Malawi enabling them to receive a decent education. For more information, contact the Mission Office at 8366509 or email misson@jesuit.ie. Read more for images of cards. Read more »

Tour of Roman archives

Damien Burke (Irish Jesuit Archives) and Margaret Doyle (Clongowes Wood College) attended the Catholic Archives Society study trip to Rome last October. Over a six-day period, twelve visits were arranged, which included the Propaganda Fide Archives, the Vatican Secret Archives and the Archives of St Peter’s Basilica. They also had an audience with the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta and with Cardinal Marchisano and Abbot Zielinski, Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church. Fr. Brian Mac Cuarta, SJ (Director, Archivum Romanum Societatis Iesu), who is pictured here (right) with Damien, made them very welcome at the Jesuit Archives and at his local ristorante. The trip highlighted the challenges faced by religious archives, especially in terms of accessibility to their historic collections.