AS I WAS SAYING...
St. Patrick's Day enjoys a unique festive status throughout the world. People of every creed and colour, will assemble today to celebrate the festival. There is probably so other saint, with the possible exception of St. Nicholas or Santa Claus, with the same hold on the public imagination. Of course no one supposes for one moment that this outpouring of international celebration was sparked off by an admiration of the Saint himself, and by any particular virtues that he may have personally embodied. In truth, we celebrate 'Paddy's Day', an event, not 'St. Patrick', the person.
A number of factors have played their part in the growth of the 'Patrick Event': hoards of 19th century emigrants in particular, nostalgic for the homeland, cultivated his myth abroad. Irish Nationalism vested him in bright green vestments and enlisted his patronage. The Protestant Churches contributed their own little bit: Patrick, the Briton, came to Ireland at the prompting of a personal dream. His mission was neither mandated by Rome or a Catholic hierarchy. So, from the very beginning, the Irish Church was independent of Rome. The Irish Church was, in other words, Protestant ab initio! Poor Patrick had many uses! Of course the contribution of Bord Fáilte in relatively recent years was not inconsiderable. The festival is now a huge commercial venture.
In effect, down through the ages, St. Patrick has been hijacked as their patron and champion by every conceivable interest group in the country. Ironically, the greatest casualty of this development has been the Patricius, the 5th century Briton who wrote the 'Confessions' (or, as Liam de Paor has more satisfactorily renamed it, 'St. Patrick's Declaration') and 'A Letter against the Soldiers of Coroticus'. In the popular mind at any rate, the person has sunk without trace beneath the colossal legendary figure. How many of those who pound the pavements today, or whose drinking has rendered them unable to march, or who even attend Mass to mark the Feast will have read even a line of his writings? I guess the percentage will be small enough.
Patrick is tremendously important historically. With his two writings, the 'Confessions' and 'A Letter against the Soldiers of Coroticus' documented Irish history begins. All that went before is truly Ireland's own the Dark Ages, mere guesswork.
But today is intended primarily as a celebration of his spiritual significance. His writings reveal a man who was uncontaminated by piety. His is a raw, honest spirituality based exclusively on the Scriptures and on an intimacy with God that can only have been purchased through strife and struggle. Throughout his works he is hesitant, but realistic: "For the recklessness of my youth prevented me from building on my early education. Then I was taken captive...So today I am ashamed, and agitated with fear at exposing my lack of education; because I lack the fluency to express myself concisely, as my spirit longs to do and as I try with heart and soul." He is encouraged by Isaiah whom he quotes: "The stammering tongues will quickly learn." And his hesitant, stammering tongue learned well. He has left us two gems. Tolle lege! Tolle lege!
-Dick Lyng.
EVENTS THIS WEEK
- 11.00 MASS TODAY: Thanks to Denis Crosby and the visiting Choir who, in honour of the day that's in it, will present a newly composed 'Aifreann Chaomháin' le Charlie Lennon at the 11.00 today. We are delighted to welcome you all and to thank Denis and the Choir for honouring us with their presence.
- SCRIPTURE AND EUCHARIST: We will hold our final 'Lenten Exercise' session on Wednesday night next, March 20th at 8.00 in the Priory. Our concluding topic will be 'What are theologians today are saying about the Eucharist?" The session will follow the now familiar format: a 20 minute Presentation, 20 minute discussion in small groups, a 30 minute Reporting back-Questions in the open forum. The theology will be washed down with weak tea and strong coffee.
- CHURCH RENOVATION GROUP: This group delivered the goods in no uncertain terms on Tuesday night last. It was a visual presentation of the plans for the Church Renovation. The session was a most satisfactory presentation. Obviously enormous work had gone into its preparation. It is a very professional and very effective. Thanks very much.
NOEL HESSION'S SPECTACLES
We have now completed the collection of the spectacles for Noel Hession's Mission in Ecuador. The final collection surpassed our expectations: over 3,000 pairs of spectacles were collected in all.
I was in touch with him on Friday with a view to getting them out there. The Banana Boat from Cork is no longer the attraction it once was! But Noel has a brother working in the GPO in Dublin and he is in a position to dispatch stuff with ease. So we will 'pack' the spectacles this week and send them on to the GPO. Again, thanks very much for your generosity in this project.
THE HOUNDS OF HEAVEN
In recent times a debate has been conducted in the pages of The Tablet on the desirability -or otherwise- of allowing dogs into Church. The journal carried two stories concerning dogs who went to Mass, even without their owners.
A lady called Deborah Jones attempted to provide the historical perspective. (It may have some relevance for our Church Renovation Committee here!) She holds that dogs attending Church would have been very common up to the late 1800s. "In the late Middle Ages lots of people brought their dogs to Mass. Shepherds brought them in with them, and if you had to walk a great distance through the countryside to get to church you would have brought your dog for protection. Later, people would have brought their dogs in because they were attached to their pets." {Emotionally, we must presume...! D.L.}
Ms. Jones believes that the altar rail was originally placed in churches to keep the dogs at bay, and that the base of pillars in Roman basilicas were once painted black to conceal what dogs do at such places.
But what about the smell? "Everyone smelt in those days. They didn't douse themselves in deodorants and aftershave and perfumes. We are the first generation who have not smelt!" replied Ms. Jones sweetly.
LOUIS NAUGHTON, R.I.P
Msg. Louis Naughton, formerly 3 High St., died in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday last. Louis was an annual visitor to Galway, and to the Augustinian here. He celebrated Mass here every day during his Summer vacation, and always made a point of celebrating the Feast of St. Augustine with the Augustinian community here.
Louis was, in the language of the day, a 'late Vocation'. He graduated from UCG with a B.E. in Civil Engineering in 1958. He pursued his post-graduation studies in Leeds University, graduating from there with an MSc. in Civil Engineering. He worked as an engineer with Galway County Council, with the E.S.B and then with Patrick J. Tobin.
In 1967 he decided to embark on a different path: He began theological studies at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium and, on July 11th, 1972, he was ordained in Galway Cathedral by Bishop Michael Browne. He joined the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia.
In the mid-1980 he pursued further theological studies in Washington D.C., graduating as Doctor of Canon Law. He returned to Atlanta in 1986 and embarked upon a reorganisation of the Diocesan Marriage Tribunal there of which he was Head.
Louis became seriously ill last Summer. He returned to Galway for a brief visit in November last. He knew then, in his own words, that 'the game was up'. We extend our sympathies to Teddy Molloy, his sister, to his many siblings, to Sonny Molloy, Louis’s brother-in-law and our Choir Master in at St. Augustine’s. Louis will be buried in Atlanta on Tuesday next.
May he rest in peace.
CATHEDRAL PILGRIMAGE
The priests of the Cathedral Parish are organising a pilgrimage to Lourdes and the Shrines of France from July 1st to July 10th . This is in conjunction with the annual Galway Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. This pilgrimage will include two days of sightseeing and (spare me!) shopping in Paris. (Cost: €750) If you are interested, look at the poster on display in the Church porch and contact Seán O'Flaherty.
EIREANN
The distant Seychelles are not so remote
Nor Cresiphon so ultimately dead
As this damp square round which tired echoes float
Of something brilliant that George Moore once said:
Where, still, in pitch-pine snugs pale poets quote
Verses rejected by the Bodley Head.
For in this drained aquarium no breeze
Deposits pollen from more fertile shores
Or kills the smell of long unopened drawers
That clings forever to these dripping trees.
Where Bloom once wandered, gross and ill-at-ease,
Twice-pensioned heroes of forgotten wars
With misplaced confidence demand applause
Shouting stale slogans over the Liffey quays.
-Osbert Lancaster.
THE BISHOP'S LAST DIRECTIONS
Tell my priests, when I am gone,
O'er me to shed no tears,
For I shall be no deader then
than they have been for years.
-Author Unknown.
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