Sunday Newsletter

Masses Today

6.30: (Vigil) John Ffrench, (Month's Mind).
11.00: Ellen Reynolds, (Anniv).
6.30: Jeremiah & Mary Brigit Morkan, (Anniv).

As I Was Saying...

St. Patrick's Day celebrations have already begun. Increasingly, it has become a-few-day festival rather than a solitary day. There is probably so other saint, with the possible exception of St. Nicholas or Santa Claus, with the same hold on the public imagination.

We should not suppose for one moment that this outpouring of international celebration is prompted by an admiration of the Saint himself, and by any particular virtues that he may have personally embodied. In truth, we celebrate 'Paddy's Day', an event, rather than 'St. Patrick', the person.

A number of factors have 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 Rome or a Catholic hierarchy. So, from the very beginning, the Irish Church was independent of Rome. The Irish Church was, in other words, Protestant from the beginning! Poor Patrick had many uses!

St. Patrick has been hijacked as their champion by every conceivable interest group in this country, and in the States. Ironically, the greatest casualty of this development has been the man himself, Patricius, the 5th century Briton who wrote the 'Confessions' and 'A Letter against the Soldiers of Coroticus'. I fear that the real person has sunk beneath the colossal legendary figure. How many of those who pound the pavements these few days, or whose drinking has rendered them unable to stand, let alone march, or who even attend Mass to mark the Feast, will have read even a line of his writings? Not a great many, I guess.

Irish Catholicism has seen bleak days before. However, today its wounds have been largely self-inflicted. Nevertheless, our leaders must show effective leadership. They must not allow themselves to be bullied and harangued out of the public forum. They must focus on 5 points, and stress these clearly, and constantly:

  1. We accept the past, but we are not prisoners of it.
  2. We have now in place the most comprehensive child protection regime of any institution in this country. This message is not being heard.
  3. We must recover our confidence in the gospel. The message is infallible, the messengers will inevitably fail.
  4. We must never rely on a secular media to get across our message. (A conflict of interests there!).
  5. We must accept, without shame, that sin is, and will always be, a reality in the Church of Christ. Sin is part of our story. But it is still the Church beloved by Christ.

St. Patrick left us a wonderful treasure. Recent revelations must never diminish it. Patrick was a humble man, but a brave man too. He preached the gospel boldly in a hostile culture. In a sense, we are back where he began. It is time for us to return to our simple roots. Sheer necessity may force us to study Patrick more closely. We could do worse.

-Dick Lyng

Items of Great Interest

Holy Week & Easter

Palm Sunday is now just two weeks away, on March 28th. We will address this matter at our Liturgy Meeting tomorrow night. The ceremonies concerned are as follows:

Penitential Services: (Fr Lyng)
Spy Wednesday 8.00
Holy Saturday 4.00

Easter Ceremonies:
Monday, 28 March: Sedar Meal, 8.00 (Rev'd Patrick Towers)
Holy Thursday: The Lord's Supper: 8.00. (Fr. Whelan)
Good Friday: Stations of the Cross: 12.00.
The Lord's Passion: 3.00. (Fr. Foley)
Tenebrae: 8.00. (Fr. Foley)
Holy Saturday: Easter Vigil: 9.00. (Fr Lyng)

We would greatly welcome your participation in these events. If you are in a position to help out with any of the ceremonies, please give your name to the priest in charge of that particular liturgical event.

Croi Nua Programmes

DAY OF REFLECTION (1)

Tuesday 16th March, from 10.00a.m. - 5.00p.m.
'Our need for a contemplative vision of reality.'

DAY OF REFLECTION (2)

Thursday, 18th March from 10.00a.m. - 5.00p.m.
'Be still and know that I am God.'

Both sessions facilitated by Sr. Ishpriya, RSCJ Suggested stipend €25.
(Packed lunch suggested. Tea & Coffee provided).
Information: Karla Kyne, 086-1740405.

From "Clearances"

(In Memoriam M.K.H., 1911-1984)

When all the others were away at Mass
I was all hers as we peeled potatoes.
They broke the silence, let fall one by one
Like solder weeping off the soldering iron:
Cold comforts set between us, things to share
Gleaming in a bucket of clean water.
And again let fall. Little pleasant splashes
From each other' s work would bring us to our senses.
So while the parish priest at her bedside
Went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying
And some were responding and some crying
I remembered her head bent towards my head,
Her breath in mine, our fluent dipping knives-
Never closer the whole rest of our lives.

-Seamus Heaney.

Palm Sunday in Cathedral

On Palm Sunday, March 28, at 3.00pm each parish is invited to send representatives for a Service of Reparation in the Cathedral. The prayer service will include readings, prayers of intercession and hymns. We'll be asking God's forgiveness for crimes of physical, sexual and emotional abuse that have brought shame on all of us. In our prayer we'll remember all who are survivors of abuse, all in need of healing, in need of the peace that only God can give.

It would be ideal if each parish could be represented and bring a bunch of palm to place on the altar. Parishes may decide on particular ways to express the penitential mood of the day before setting off for the Cathedral.

Sincere thanks in anticipation for your help in organising your parish to take part in this important event.

Yours sincerely,
+ Martin Drennan

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