Sunday Newsletter

Masses Today

6.30 (Vigil) Elizabeth Coyne (Anniv).
11.00: Johnny Buckley, (Mervue) (Anniv).
6.30: Fr. Dan Kelleher, O.S.A., P.P., (11th Anniv).

AS I WAS SAYING.....

The famous Easter Sunday 'Drogheda Concelebrated Mass' whipped up a furious hurricane. While lesser publications lost the run of themselves, this humble organ maintained a dignified, judicious silence. And it's not as if we weren't sorely tempted, you know! For we had much to say!

For the past 25 years, ecumenism has endured a harsh winter. It is no coincidence that the Roman pontiff reigning throughout that winter was, for the first time since the schism of 1054, an eastern European, Karol Woyjtyla. In his view, the 'estranged capital' was Constantinople rather than Canterbury. For the first thousand years of her history the Church was essentially one. Five historic Patriarchal centres (Jerusalem; Antioch, Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople) formed a cohesive whole and were in full communion with each other. Then, in events culminating in 1054 concerning primacy, the Roman Patriarch pulled away from the other four, pursuing his long-developing claim of universal headship of the Church. The healing of this ancient rift was the central ecumenical concern of Pope John Paul. Relationships with the Churches of the Reform were very low on his list of priorities.

Understandably then, the urgency that marked western ecumenism in the aftermath of Vatican II has long abated. Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Church reverted to its smug religious chauvinism, while some Churches of the Reform embarked on a few counter-productive solo runs. The 'Drogheda concelebration' could be viewed as a frustrated if ill-considered reaction to this official ecumenical paralysis. The heavy-handed dictatorial reaction of the Catholic authorities was rendered almost inevitable by the very public nature of the original defiance. In fact Armagh was left with very little option. We can now say, with the benefit of hindsight of course, that the Drogheda debacle was counter-productive. The ensuing debate brought to the surface some theologically unsavoury characters. There was no shortage of affronted Catholics prepared to lecture Protestants on some of the finer points of the Reformed faith. Their arrogance outstripped their competence to an embarrassing degree.

We should recall the wise words of Rev'd Patrick Towers concerning our common celebration of the Harvest Supper last autumn: "As things stand between the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, there is no permission to share the Eucharist sacramentally. Nonetheless, we can do so many things to which that sacrament itself points - the breaking and sharing of bread and the drinking of wine together." The common meal is community-building at its most basic. We look forward to celebrating a common Summer Festival with the parishioners of St. Nicholas in three weeks time.

-Dick Lyng

Items of Interest

Posture in Church

For the third (and final!) time, here are the new regulations on 'Posture in Church':

Obviously, we will have to make exception (in the case of kneeling) with those people in our two front rows. As you see, great ephasis is placed on standing as the normal posture throughout the greater part of the Mass. Standing expresses the readiness for action of an Easter people lifted up to greet its risen Lord. We will begin this weekend. The 'common' practice will also apply on weekdays.

The Silken Tent

She is as in a field of silken tent
At midday when the sunny summer breeze
Has dried the dew and all its ropes relent,
So that in guys it gently sways at ease,
And its supporting central cedar pole,
That is its pinnacle to heavenward
And signifies the sureness of the soul,
Seems to owe naught to any single cord,
But strictly held by none, is loosely bound
By countless silken ties of love and thought
To every thing on earth the compass round,
And only by one's going slightly taut
In the capriciousness of summer air
Is of the slightest bondage made aware.

-Robert Frost

Mid-Summer Festival

We celebrate our Mid Summer Festival on the last weekend of June (23-25). We will return to the custom of using the Priory Car Park as the focal point for our barbecue and the other festivities. The Steering Committee will meet on Tuesday week, June 13th to work out the logistics of this celebration. We will hold a Children's Art Competition and we have engaged a Puppeteer for the night of June 24th. The people of St. Nicholas (including the children) will of course be involved with us this year.

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