Sunday Newsletter
Masses Today
6.30 John Burke, (Anniv).11.00: Mary & John Lovett; Eva Daly, (Anniv).
6.30: Keenan & O'Connor families, (RIP).
- Masses Sunday, April 13th: 11.00: Christine O'Halloran; 6.30: Una & Michael Beatty.
- COLLECTION: Last Sunday's collection: €1,650.00
- DECEASED: Pray for the late Michael Leonard, Grattan Park, whose funeral Mass was celebrated in the Augustinian on Wednesday last. Michael is survived by his wife, Anne Colleran, and his children John, Deirdre and Orlaith. May he rest in peace.
- AND ALSO: Please remember in your prayers Noel and Siobhan Carroll whose four year old daughter Aoibhe died suddenly on Wednesday last. Aoibhe was born on New Year's Day, 2004 and was baptised here in the Augustinian Church on February 28th, 2004. As the baby rests in peace, pray that her devastated family will draw strength and some consolation from their strong faith.
- BAPTISMS: During the 11.00 Mass this morning we will baptise twins Fionn and Erin Dahler, children of Matthias and Ruth (Molloy). They have returned from Switzerland, their permanent residence, for this occasion. The twins are grandchildren of our regular patrons, Nora and Peter Molloy. We know you will all have a great day.
- BIBLE TALK, CHANGE OF VENUE: A talk, planned by Bishop Drennan for the Pastoral Centre on Monday night next, will now take place in St. Mary's College instead. It will be conducted over three consecutive Monday evenings. Each evening begins at 7.30pm and concludes with refreshments at 9.00pm.
- SCRIPTURE STUDY: Croi Nua (Rosary Lane) will hold Scripture study sessions each Tuesday at 10.15am (repeated at 7.30pm). Scripture reflection groups meet each Thursday at 7.30. See notice board for more details.
- STEERING COMMITTEE: The Steering Committee worked on the Child Protection Document at our monthly meeting on Tuesday. What we are trying to do is to draw up a clear policy regarding the protection of children in this church and parish. It will soon be ready for circulation to all our congregations.
As I Was Saying...
Five years on, and over one million bodies later, the running sore that is Iraq continues. To mark the fifth anniversary, George W. Bush addressed the Religious Broadcasters Convention this week.
Among the many 'dodgy' aspects of the speech was its frank theological premise. "We are compelled to fight the wars in Iraq", he said, in order to "offer freedom to others who have never known it." Freedom, he stated, is not America's gift to others but a gift from the Almighty. Still, the implication was clear: the United States is the instrument of the Almighty. "We undertake this work because we believe that every human being bears the image of our maker. That's why we're doing this."
Many bad arguments have been advanced for the war in Iraq. Surely the worst, and perhaps the most offensive, is the claim that every human being bears the image of our maker! Christians should tell Bush that this claim is absurd, blasphemous. The last people to applaud such sentiments ought to be religious broadcasters.
Christians do not go to war to spread democracy or freedom. War, we are taught, should be a last resort, undertaken only to protect the innocent and to reestablish the conditions for peace. Contrary to President Bush's claims that this war is a positive sign of the nation's righteousness, Christianity teaches that all war is evidence of humanity's sinfulness. If President Bush is going to claim a theological warrant for war, then he should be held to a Christian understanding of war.
There is no Christian precedent for thinking that war is "an instrument for fixing things." Nor should a Christian imagine that there is something "romantic" about war, as Bush recently told American soldiers in Afghanistan, or that it is "a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed." At its very best, what these soldiers are being asked to do in Afghanistan and Iraq is a grim necessity - there is nothing romantic whatsoever about the business of killing and being killed, even in defence of democracy.
The president has never hesitated to demonise "the enemy." We all recognise that Islamist militants are dangerous fanatics. But yet, are they too not made in the God's image? How are we to reconcile these two facts? Loving our enemies does not mean that we refrain from naming evil when we see it.
Perhaps one way to understand what it means to love one's enemies is to recognize the ambiguity of our own motives and the limitations of our actions, especially in war. It would be refreshing if President Bush, as a Christian, would recognize the 'Otherness' of God, instead of justifying his own flawed decisions in God's name. Unfortunately however, George Bush believes he is a man from whom God concealed very little. Irrespective of their provenance, such men are dangerous!
-Dick Lyng
EILEEN CARR
I know she may kill me for permitting this rather lively cat to escape from the bag, but Eileen Carr celebrates here 100th birthday this weekend. Because this is such a rare event in our parish, it would be utterly remiss of us to let it pass unnoticed. Furthermore, she is herself such a rare lady that the earth would cry to the skies for vengeance if the centenary of her birth went unmarked here! I can now assure you that I would much prefer to confront the anger of Eileen Carr than the collective anger of the entire population of the divine Pantheon!
She was born Eileen Flynn near Ballintubber Abbey on April 5th, 1908. But Eileen didn't have the limelight all to herself. Because another striking lady, 'The Queen of the Screen' herself, one Bette Davis, was born on that very same day in Massachusetts. And, as if that wasn't enough, Henry Asquith succeeded Henry Campbell-Bannerman to become British Prime Minister for the first time. Furthermore, the 4th Olympic Games of modern times opened that month in London. So young Eileen had a lot of distractions in her first few days on this earth!
Having completed her secondary education, Eileen Flynn came south from Ballintubber to Galway in the year 1928 in search of work and the good life! She landed her first job in a a pub in Woodquay, then owned by a family called Cosgrove. McSwiggan's Pub stands on that spot today.
Having secured work, she went in search of love, or, more accurately, love came searching for Eileen. She began a relationship with Roddy Carr whose family owned the paint shop on the corner of Cross Street, now Supermacs. The happy couple married in Dublin in 1933. 'We tried to have a quiet wedding but we didn't succeed' she said without disappointment!
Eileen has had great health. She had a pacemaker inserted recently, and cataracts removed from her eyes. She attends Church twice a day and plays bridge every Sunday. Above all, she is a pleasure to talk to and is delightful company.
Have a wonderful birthday Eileen, and many more of them!
CHILDREN'S WRITER
John in the garden
Playing goodies and baddies
Janet in the bedroom
Playing mommies and daddies
Mummy in the kitchen
Washing and wiping
Daddy in the study
Stereotyping.
-Roger McGough.
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus!
- MONEY: A man will pay €2 for a €1 item he needs. A woman will pay €1 for a €2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
- BATHROOMS: A man has 6 items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel. The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.
- ARGUMENTS: A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
- FUTURE: A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
- MARRIAGE: A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't. A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.
- DRESSING UP: A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the bins, answer the phone, read a book, and get the post. A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
- OFFSPRING: Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favourite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
- THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing.
Matters of Moderate Interest...
- TODDLER TANTRUMS: The Diocesan Pastoral Centre is hosting an evening with David Coleman, Psychologist and parenting expert entitled, "Toddler Tantrums to Troublesome Teens", on Thursday, April 24th, at 7.30 pm in the Menlo Park Hotel. Tickets are €20 and must be prebooked. Concessions are available. To book, phone Eileen or Christine at 565066.
- SPIRITUAL DIRECTION COURSE: This is a two-year training Course in Spiritual Direction - understood as the ministry of guiding others in their faith lives. It is an external Course offered by the Jesuit Centre of Spirituality in Dublin, Manresa House. The Milltown Institute will award a Diploma to those who have satisfactorily completed the Course. For full details of course, see Church notice board. If interested further, contact John Humphreys, SJ, St Ignatius, 27 Raleigh Row, Galway. Tel: 091 - 523 707.