Masses Today

6.30: Freda Giblin, (Anniv)
11.00: Mattie & Teresa Carr, (Anniv)
6.30: Muriel Roache, (Anniv)





AS I WAS SAYING...

Radio chat shows are the soap boxes of our day. If you have a gripe, just pick up the phone and dial Joe Duffy, Gerry Ryan, or (if your irritation is more localised) Keith Finnegan! There you will liberate buzzing bees from your bonnet. This exercise can amuse and infuriate in equal measure. And it does tend to bring out from under the stones some very unpleasant types, be they sanctimonious craw-thumpers or bleary-eyed bigots. Because there is an infinite variety of both specimens out there!

Apparently, the culinary expert Darina Allen will return to our TV screens this Summer with another cookery programme. (You will recall that her husband Tim Allen, on being convicted of child pornography charges in the past, was fined heavily and given a suspended sentence.) On hearing that Darina was to resume her TV work, all hell broke loose on the airwaves. How dare she show her face after the disgrace of her husband? Duffy rightly pointed out that it was Tim Allen, not Darina Allen, who was convicted of criminal activity. It is surely unjust, he pointed out, that a wife should be punished for her husband's crimes. But the moralising harridans had their tails up! They were not to be deprived of their quarry. Allen should hang, and his wife with him!

The whole area of child abuse is enormously sensitive. The crime attracts social opprobrium like no other crime, murder not excluded. And it is not difficult to see why. The lives of innocent children have been blighted and destroyed by sexual predators. But the creation of more innocent victims (like Darina Allen) will do nothing to improve matters. Or, as the old maxim puts it, 'Two wrongs don't make a right'.

Now to a closely related, but perhaps a far more contentious matter. I believe the treatment of Judge Curtin by the state is itself criminal. Through sheer incompetence, agents of that state failed to make a child pornography charge stick. The defendant walked from the court an innocent man. Yet the world of journalism, and the entire political community are at one: the judge must be nailed. So the politicians are now in the process of rewriting the rule book. Consequently, I was glad to see one journalist, Mark Brennock of The Irish Times, break away from the herd this week. He wrote:

We could be forgiven for thinking the state itself was under threat. A matter has arisen that is so grave that the Cabinet has now discussed it at least three times in recent weeks. We witnessed a political consensus normally reserved for times when a country is at war or when the nation's political forces must unite against a common enemy. And the enemy? A judge who currently resides in St John of God's Hospital, suffering from what we are told is a serious illness. He is a pariah and his career is over.

Of course Brennock is right. This is absurd. Society (or children) will not be one whit safer after this present parody has been played out. But the politicians fear the baying hounds of the chat shows, especially at election time. Now that the elections are over, call off the hounds and allow this broken human being address his demons in peace. Compassion is called for. At present it is conspicuous by its absence.

-Dick Lyng.




EVENTS THIS WEEK AND LAST






AUGUSTINIAN CHURCH PROJECT TEAM

You will recall from the newsletter of the 23rd of May, that we the Project Team acknowledged receipt of a positive decision from Galway City Council, bringing to conclusion Phase I of the planning process which commenced on 18th November with the submission of the planning application.

At that stage we had entered Phase II of the planning process which allows for this decision to be appealed to An Bord Pleanala within a four week period from the date of the decision given by the Local Authority. This period has now expired. Having subsequently contacted An Bord Pleanala, we have been advised that no appeal has been received and therefore the decision of Galway City Council stands and planning permission will be issued. We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all those who contributed to the achievement of this positive outcome.

To cater for the diverse usage of the Augustinian Church and Priory we are currently enhancing our communication mechanisms to facilitate the substantial increase in information that we anticipate will be generated as the project progresses. In consultation with our Design Team professionals we are giving careful attention to the preparation of a schedule for the execution of the works - now that much of the uncertainty has been removed.

We would appreciate your continued support during this process and will be advising you in due course of the proposed programme.






THE LOTTERY

At five o'clock our time a killer was fried
According to law he was sentenced and died
Georgia the state where they favour the chair
When the switches were thrown I was washing my hair
Just lucky I guess.

At a quarter to midnight on his way to the shop
A stolen car hit him, revved up didn't stop
On arrival at Casualty he was found to be dead
When they rang up his wife I was reading in bed
Just lucky I guess.

At thirteen o nine it went out of control
The port engine failed and it started to roll
Imagine the scene on that ill-fated plane
When it burst into flames I was dodging the rain
Just lucky I guess.

At twenty fifteen it was 9, 24,
11 and 7, only needed three more
As each number came up I hardly could speak
Until I remembered. . . No ticket this week
Unlucky I guess.

-Roger McGough.





MIND GAMES

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS.

How many times does the letter 'F' occur in this sentence?






IS ANYONE LISTENING?

In the movie Contact, U.S. scientists are sending out radio signals to outer space, in search of intelligent life. Sometimes preaching is like that. We wonder, Is anyone listening? The lights are on but is anyone home? Last year, visiting a church in Palm Beach, I said to the pastor, 'How big is your church?' He said, 'Bishop, my church sleeps 700.'

-Archbishop Seán O'Malley of Boston.





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