Masses Today

6.30: O'Donnell Family (RIP)
9.00: Josie O'Toole, Quay Lane, (Anniv)
11.00 Maura Heaney, Bowling Green, (Anniv)
12.15 Joseph & Catherine Kelly, Bowling Green, (Anniv)
6.30 Clare Lally, (Anniv)

AS I WAS SAYING...

Wasn't it a glorious few weeks! The initial triumph over home-grown adversity, the wild exuberance, the astonishing surprises delivered daily, the early downfall of so many giants, the dogged persistence of the minnows, the confident artistry of our own fellows, and that final shoot-out at High Noon with the Spanish!! We just couldn't have asked for more. (Well, we could actually, but let's leave greed to those who are good at it!) What a wonderful celebration the whole thing was. And the marvellous participation of the young and the old! The nation will cherish the memory for years to come.

I was involved in the Mass for the closure of Ballyhaunis on Sunday last. As a result, I will have no personal memories of extra time or the penalty shoot-out. But, on my return to Galway, I went along alone to a restaurant to have something to eat and to read the Sunday papers in peace. Two ladies whom I knew soon joined me at table, mother and daughter, both very obviously animated by the events of the day gone by. I told them I had not witnessed the drama personally. They looked at me in astonishment. It was like the Emmaus story all over again: "You must be the only person living in Jerusalem who have not......."

To distract them from my bizarre behaviour, I directed the discussion to a more general playing pitch: Who had a good World Cup? Who disappointed? Both were obviously very knowledgeable. They had been through what amounted to a four-week crash course in the intricacies of Association Football. And, by God, I was not going to escape! They spoke of the great burden that inexperience can be. But I made the point that our least experienced campaigner had been our most outstanding player. "Four years ago Duff hadn't even dreamt of playing at that level," I offered. The mother's eyes began to twinkle: "I know another fellow who has a bit of learning to do," she said. "Debbie and myself went into the Auggie at the end of normal time and spoke to Padre Pio. He ignored us entirely!" I suggested that the same man had more than World Cups on his mind last Sunday. "I don't care" she protested, "he had a very poor first game. Not very promising. He should have been left on the subs bench for another few years. And we should have followed McCarthy's example and stayed with the old reliables like Blessed Martin. McCarthy stayed with Quinn and wasn't he right!

Celebration enhances life and builds up community. That's what the last few weeks have been all about. But celebration is not confined to sport, or to success for that matter. Celebration centres on identity rather than achievement. Events, like weddings, or achievements, like winning the All Ireland, provide us with the opportunity to celebrate. The event is secondary; the identify, the sense of belonging, is primary.

This is very true of the Christian life as experience in a Parish. It actually makes sense to 'contrive' a celebration. Again, to a great extent, the event is largely irrelevant. What is relevant is that we have chosen to belong to this particular Parish. This is now part of our identity. And we are happy with our choice. The experience is positive and joyful. This is surely worth celebrating. In celebrating, we build up the community.

Learn from our footballers then! The more we put into our Mid Summer Festival, the more we will enjoy the celebrations. Who knows? Even the sun may show up!

-Dick Lyng.

EVENTS THIS WEEK

I Beg to differ.......

17.06.2002

Dear Frs. O'Brien and Lyng,
I write with regard to inappropriate activities taking place in the church, which others and I find, are a disturbing trend within the Augustinian which I term the Protestantisation of the Church. Two years ago we had the unholy spectacle of a concert in the Augustinian church by the Blind Boys of America (a supposed Gospel Group) in an event that could only be described as an evening of raucous music and gyrations unfitting for the Sanctuary of the Real Presence of The Lord. It was the most nauseous evening I have ever spent. I cringe with shame at having been present at such a blasphemous display.

We have other items such as Harvest Festivals, Plays and Poetry Readings now being held in church which have nothing at all to do with the devotion of the people and which are also inappropriate. Is it not strange that our priests are involving themselves in such distractions when their sole duty for which they were ordained is to say Mass, Hear Confessions, Administer The Sacraments and Anoint The Dying? People have been unhappy at the removal of the Sacred Heart Statue from its position at the top left side of the church. The absence of the tabernacle and statues in the protestant churches leaves them cold and unwelcoming and you just know there is nothing there.

So the Sacred Heart Chapel is to be the chapel of Adoration for the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and this is good, provided it is not the intention to remove the Blessed Sacrament permanently from its central position on the High Altar. Is this another downgrading of the centrality of the Eucharistic Presence to appease our protestant ecumenical friends?

In the Sunday newsletter I feel the comments by the person producing it are too flippant and dismissive when questions such as the removal of statues are raised. Is this a result of an exalted opinion of ones own literacy and knowledge? If it is it smacks of sinful pride. In my experience if there were any questions raised by those of the laity who are perceived to be going along with or who may even be orchestrating the changes, these would be praised and accepted without hesitation.

There is grave necessity for the clergy and the church in general to get back to the basics of absolute respect for the Real Presence, less of the inclusive language in the texts of the readings and the Mass, and more preaching of the solid doctrine of the church instead of the weak material that is being preached today. It would also be a very good thing if our clergy were prouder of their vocation instead of trying to hide it by the wearing of secular clothing.

Faithfully,
Fredrick Haynes
Shantalla, Galway.
(Reasons of space necessitated some judicious editing. I hope the necessary omissions do not distort the general meaning.)


OWN GOALS.....





MID-SUMMER FESTIVAL, 2002





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