Sunday Newsletter
Masses Today
6.30: Seamus Breathnach, (Anniv).11.00 Christy and Mai Deacy; (Anniv).
6.30: Tommy & Clare O'Connor, (Anniv).
- Masses Sunday, March 23rd (Easter Sunday): 11.00: Bernard & Elizabeth Coyne; 6.30: Sarah & Walter Joyce.
- RECENTLY DECEASED: Pray for Dominic Burke, late of Conroy's Halls, Quay Street who died on March 14th. May he rest in peace.
- COLLECTION: Last Sunday's collection: €1,605.00.
- ST PATRICK'S DAY: Since the Civic celebration of Patrick's Day takes place tomorrow, Monday March 17th, it will be a public holiday. Consequently, there will be no 8.30 morning Mass and the Priory Office will remain closed all day.
- HOLY WEEK: You will be aware that the coming week is the busiest week of the entire year in the Church. (See below). A Liturgy Group has been working diligently on the ceremonies. In all, there are 12 separate ceremonies celebrated in the Church throughout the week, each one quite complex in its own right. It was not possible (and probably not even desirable) to tackle and revamp all twelve! So they concentrated on two ceremonies in particular: the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at midday, and Good Friday night.
- STATIONS OF THE CROSS: The Church is usually filled for this traditional Service. For the last few years we have illustrated the Stations narrative by projecting parallel contemporary images onto a screen at the top of the Church. We felt that this presented two problems. First, the images had grown 'tired'. With constant use, they had lost whatever novelty or 'shock value' that they had originally. Second, all projections depend for their clarity and effectiveness on dull lighting, if not complete darkness. Obviously, it will not be possible to replicate those conditions in the Church at 12 noon. So we decided to opt for dramatised tableau instead. It worked very well at rehearsals and I'm sure it will be quite effective on the day.
- TENEBRAE: This Service (8.00 Good Friday) will be new to all of us. We are doing it in conjunction with St. Nicholas'. It is an ancient monastic service and we have adapted it to our circumstances here.
As I Was Saying...
Inevitably, St. Patrick's Day is confusing this year. (For the first time since 1913, and the last time until 2160, March 17th falls during Holy Week.) This has resulted in the sacred and the civic celebrations going their separate ways. Perhaps this is no bad thing!
It forces us to draw a clear line between the feast and the event, between the saint himself and the "Paddywhackery" that surrounds him! There is no other saint, (St. Nicholas excluded) who is celebrated in such a public and universal manner. No one supposes for one moment that this outpouring of universal enthusiasm is sparked off by an admiration of the Saint himself.
In truth, annually we celebrate 'Paddy's Day', an event, not 'St. Patrick', the person. Of course a number of factors 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 a Pope or a bishop. So, from the very beginning, the Irish Church was independent of Rome. The Irish Church was, in other words, Protestant from the start! Poor Patrick had many uses! Of course the contribution of Bord Fáilte in relatively recent years was not inconsiderable in the creation of this festival.
Historically, St. Patrick has been hijacked as patron by every conceivable interest group. And the greatest casualty of this process has been the Patricius, the fifth century Briton, author of the 'Confessions' and 'Letter against the Soldiers of Coroticus'. In popular culture, the person has sunk without trace beneath the legendary figure. How many of those who pound the pavements this weekend will have read even a line of his writings? I guess the percentage will be small enough.
This year at least we have an opportunity to concentrate on 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: 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 own hesitant, stammering tongue learned well. If you get a chance, read his two surviving documents at www.prayerfoundation.org
Having done that, enjoy the weekend!
-Dick Lyng
Seder Meal
Ticket Holders Only: Last year was our first year celebrating the Passover with the Seder Meal. And our inexperience showed! First of all, we attempted to crush far too many into the limited space available to us. As a result were almost eating off each other's plates. I assure you that we will have plenty space this year! We will also have a much bigger crowd. We made 68 tickets (€20 each) available for our Seder Meal with the parishioners of St. Nicholas on Tuesday night next. St. Nicholas' were allocated 18, St. Augustine's parishioners 50. First option for refusal was offered to those who attended the Tuesday night Lenten Sessions on St. Paul. They were then advertised publicly in both Churches. I am glad to say that the tickets were all bought up within 24 hours. Patrick Towers and Dick Lyng will look after the text and ritual for the evening. A committee, with members drawn form both Churches, will look after the food, setting and decor. The University very kindly supplied the tables for the occasion. It should be a wonderful night. Please enter the premises via the Priory door on St. Augustine Street that night as the church itself will be closed from 6.00. Don't forget to bring your ticket with you!
Good Liturgy
One of the most important pastoral challenges I have faced as a parish priest over the past 30 years has been helping the faithful overcome a legacy of passivity and the notion that it's "Father's Mass, not ours." Certainly progress has been made since the Second Vatican Council, but a survey of the current liturgical landscape reveals mixed results. Catholics have a solid, well-articulated theology of the assembly's role at the Eucharist, a vision backed by numerous official pronouncements stretching back to Pius X in the early 20th century. But many people in the pews are unaware of that theology, and they continue to struggle with a deeply entrenched clericalism and disenfranchisement of the laity at Mass, conditions passed on from generation to generation through subtle attitudes and behaviours that continue to communicate the message that it really is "Father's Mass!"
-Fr. Robert Duggan, P.P.
Tara and Patrick
In 1992, the traditional statue of St. Patrick that had graced the Hill of Tara for over a century was removed for repairs. You may recall that Belfast sculptor Annette Hennessy designed an 8ft-high bronze statue to replace it. St Patrick is seen as a shaven-headed warrior, clad in a skirt and carrying a staff topped with antlers in place of the traditional crozier. This radical (and ugly!) creation outraged purists and locals alike. Meath people are not slow or shy about revealing their artistic judgments. They raised such a hue and cry that the authorities backed down and what was prematurely denigrated "the homo on the hill" was never cast, nor installed on its planned site at the Hill of Tara.
Holy Week & Easter, 2008
| Penitential Services: | Spy Wednesday | 8.00 |
| Holy Saturday | 4.00 | |
| Confessions: | Holy Thursday | 11.00-12.30; 4.00-6.00. |
| Good Friday | 11.00-12.00; 6.30-8.00 | |
| Holy Saturday | 11.00-1.00; 2.30-3.30; 5.00-6.00 | |
| Easter Ceremonies: | Holy Thursday | The Lord's Supper: 8.00 |
| Good Friday | Stations of the Cross: 12.00 Midday. | |
| The Lord's Passion: 3.00 | ||
| Tenebrae: 8.00 | ||
| Holy Saturday | Easter Vigil: 9.00. | |
| Easter Sunday: | Easter Mass: 11.00 & 6.30 |
Since Monday, March 24th is a Public Holiday, there will be no 8.30 Mass and the Priory Office will remain closed all day.
Cura Galway Seeks Volunteers
CURA is a voluntary organisation, which offers support and help to those who are faced with a crisis pregnancy. There are sixteen CURA Centres around the country. Over 400 volunteer counsellors work with CURA all of whom have undertake training in crisis pregnancy counselling. Cura Galway seeks volunteers in their centre at Arus de Brun, Newtownsmith, Galway who are willing to commit to 8 hours per month after training If you are interested in our work in crisis pregnancy counselling please contact your local centre at 091- 562558or write to Anne Murphy, Cura, Arus de Brun, Newtownsmith, Galway for an application form.