0 Comments
ADDRESS of Archbishop Michael Neary FOR THE JOHN PAUL II AWARDS.
I extend a very warm welcome to you all, to the young people who are receiving the Awards, to your parents and families who have every reason to be very proud of you. Welcome to the Members of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, to Trish O’ Brien and the Diocesan Youth Council, to the Liaison Committee – Frs. Tod Nolan, Seán Cuningham and Charlie McDonnell, to the priests from your parish, the teachers from your schools and colleges. It is very encouraging to find that while 242 young people applied for the John Paul II Award, 190 have completed it. A warm welcome to the Diocesan Youth Choir and the Soloist, Ellen Hynes. Discipleship and Mission is the theme which was chosen for this year. It is very appropriate for the Year of Faith. There can be no discipleship or mission unless people like yourselves are called and sent. Your first call came at a time which you would not have been aware and it was answered by your parents and godparents at your baptism. On that occasion you were also been sent on mission. You have been called many times since then in different ways, in your local Church, in your school, in your local community. You have been invited to become part of the Mission Outreach of the Church. We are reminded of this at every Mass because while we are called we are also sent on Mission in the name of Jesus Christ. It was very impressive and encouraging to read some of the reflections which you provided as your experience of Church through your participation in the John Paul II Awards. I welcome our invited guest Peter O’ Connell from Killererin who has climbed Everest to raise money for Pieta House. We rejoice with him in completing this gigantic task and congratulate him on raising money for such a worthy cause. One of our participants, Cian Coleman, is not here to accept the award this evening. As you know Cian passed on to receive his eternal reward during the year. I know that this is a very difficult time for his family, his Mam and Dad, Mairéad and Michael and his sister Hannah, for his school colleagues and teachers. His family are here to accept his honorary Gold Award. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam usual. I would like to acknowledge the great work being done by Trish O’ Brien in her role as Diocesan Youth Co-ordinator. Trish has arranged a Youth Ministry Course in which 22 people from the Diocese are participating and being trained. It is hoped that from that group that new Youth leaders will emerge for various areas in our diocese. I congratulate all those who have received the John Paul II Awards this evening. I would ask you to make your contemporaries aware of this and share the positive experiences of Church which you have had as you participated in the John Paul II Awards. I hope that this will inspire and influence you to go on to greater participation in your local Church area and enable you to reach out in mission. If you want to find out more about Christ’s call to be a priest come and see:
· ‘Come and See’ Dinner Westport- Wednesday, November 20 · ‘Come and See’ Dinner Galway- Thursday, November 21 · ‘Come and See’ Dinner Claremorris- Monday, November 25 · Regional Vocations Event- NUI Galway- Saturday, March 8 Bring a friend, come and meet men who have answered Christ’s call for an informal chat and bite to eat. Please contact Fr. Fintan Monahan 093 24166 or email him at[email protected] to book a spot! Galway camogie All-Ireland winner Therese Maher was the special guest speaker at the launch of the 6th edition of the Archdiocese of Tuam’s New Dawn magazine which goes on sale at churches next weekend (Oct 26 and 27).
Yet again the magazine is full of interesting news items, articles and features and represents excellent value at €4 per copy. Included in the magazine are profiles on Westport and Moore parishes while the recent celebrations in Ballinrobe, marking the 150th anniversary of the building of St Mary’s Church, are also recalled. There’s a number of articles “As Gaeilge” and the “People Profile” features Achill native James Kilbane who has established a niche for himself as a “country” and “gospel” singer since he was runner-up in the “You’re a Star” television programme. James is ecumenical in his approach to performing and regularly sings at gatherings of various Christian churches. He is presently working on a new album based on the Old Testament. Fr Enda McDonagh recalls the life, the scholarship and sporting times of famed Aughamore man, Seán Freyne, who started his football career in St Jarlath’s college before going on to represent Mayo at all levels, while Dr Áine Ní Mhannín, lecturer in NUIG, has written a thought-provoking piece on the life and times of the German theologian Meister Eckhart. “Journeying Together in Faith” is the recently published pastoral plan for Tuam and is summarised in the magazine by Fr Pat Farragher. Journalist Brian McDonald has written a nice feature on the Irish Garden of Remembrance to Organ Donors in Salthill, Galway. The garden is the brainchild of Martina and Denis Goggin whose organ donor son, Eamonn, was tragically killed in a car crash. The magazine also includes details of a variety of pilgrimages, loads of colourful and relevant photographs and the usual quizzes and crossword in the Puzzle Page. ENDS Journeying together in Faith – Planning for the Future - Diocesan Pastoral Plan 2013 to 2020.11/13/2013 Journeying Together in Faith – By Fr Pat Farragher A booklet entitled ‘Journeying Together in Faith’ was circulated recently to all parishes of the diocese. It will be available in Churches on the weekend of the 12th and 13 of October. This booklet contains proposals on how our parishes might best be served between now and 2020. The publication marks both an end and a beginning. It marks the end of a diocesan-wide consultation process with priests, pastoral councils as well as other relevant bodies which began in autumn 2012. It also marks the beginning of the implementation of the proposals contained in the document. Journeying Together in Faith looks at the changes which will take place in the diocese between now and 2020. It makes proposals as to how we might equip ourselves to address these challenges in our communities and parish groupings. The booklet seeks to address two questions: ‘What structures or supports need to be put in place to ensure that a parish without a resident priest receives the best possible sacramental and pastoral care?’ and ‘What groupings of parishes might be served by a lesser number of priests?’ In responding to these questions, the importance of Pastoral Councils and Finance Committees is highlighted. The growing role of the parish secretary and the possibility of a group of parishes employing a lay pastoral worker are also among the proposals made in addressing these two questions. A number of the proposals contained in the booklet are time-limited such as the decision regarding the introduction of the Permanent Diaconate in our diocese. As well as making these proposals, the document also seeks to address the reality that by 2020 the diocese will have in the region of fifty priests available to serve the 55 parishes. Journeying Together in Faith proposes certain groupings of parishes which might be served by a lesser number of priests e.g. a grouping of four parishes served by three priests. Currently there are four priests serving in special ministries and it is envisaged that during the time-frame of this planning document that will be reduced to two. Journeying Together in Faith is strong in the belief that this is a time of change which demands courage and faith as we address the challenges before us. The document recalls the challenging times our people faced in the past and invites all people in the parish to play their part in ensuring the faith is nurtured and developed in our communities. This brief article has sought to give the context to the Journeying together in Faith booklet and to highlight some of its contents. Readers are encouraged to read the booklet in full for themselves. Hard copies are available through your parish or if you wish to view the document online you can do so at
“And God saw that it was good” (Gen 1:12, 18, 21, 25). The biblical account of the beginning of the history of the world and of humanity speaks to us of a God who looks at creation, in a sense contemplating it, and declares: “It is good”. This, dear brothers and sisters, allows us to enter into God’s heart and, precisely from within him, to receive his message.
We can ask ourselves: what does this message mean? What does it say to me, to you, to all of us? 1. It says to us simply that this, our world, in the heart and mind of God, is the “house of harmony and peace”, and that it is the space in which everyone is able to find their proper place and feel “at home”, because it is “good”. All of creation forms a harmonious and good unity, but above all humanity, made in the image and likeness of God, is one family, in which relationships are marked by a true fraternity not only in words: the other person is a brother or sister to love, and our relationship with God, who is love, fidelity and goodness, mirrors every human relationship and brings harmony to the whole of creation. God’s world is a world where everyone feels responsible for the other, for the good of the other. This evening, in reflection, fasting and prayer, each of us deep down should ask ourselves: Is this really the world that I desire? Is this really the world that we all carry in our hearts? Is the world that we want really a world of harmony and peace, in ourselves, in our relations with others, in families, in cities, in and between nations? And does not true freedom mean choosing ways in this world that lead to the good of all and are guided by love? 2. But then we wonder: Is this the world in which we are living? Creation retains its beauty which fills us with awe and it remains a good work. But there is also “violence, division, disagreement, war”. This occurs when man, the summit of creation, stops contemplating beauty and goodness, and withdraws into his own selfishness. When man thinks only of himself, of his own interests and places himself in the centre, when he permits himself to be captivated by the idols of dominion and power, when he puts himself in God’s place, then all relationships are broken and everything is ruined; then the door opens to violence, indifference, and conflict. This is precisely what the passage in the Book of Genesis seeks to teach us in the story of the Fall: man enters into conflict with himself, he realizes that he is naked and he hides himself because he is afraid (cf. Gen 3: 10), he is afraid of God’s glance; he accuses the woman, she who is flesh of his flesh (cf. v. 12); he breaks harmony with creation, he begins to raise his hand against his brother to kill him. Can we say that from harmony he passes to “disharmony”? No, there is no such thing as “disharmony”; there is either harmony or we fall into chaos, where there is violence, argument, conflict, fear .... It is exactly in this chaos that God asks man’s conscience: “Where is Abel your brother?” and Cain responds: “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen 4:9). We too are asked this question, it would be good for us to ask ourselves as well: Am I really my brother’s keeper? Yes, you are your brother’s keeper! To be human means to care for one another! But when harmony is broken, a metamorphosis occurs: the brother who is to be cared for and loved becomes an adversary to fight, to kill. What violence occurs at that moment, how many conflicts, how many wars have marked our history! We need only look at the suffering of so many brothers and sisters. This is not a question of coincidence, but the truth: we bring about the rebirth of Cain in every act of violence and in every war. All of us! And even today we continue this history of conflict between brothers, even today we raise our hands against our brother. Even today, we let ourselves be guided by idols, by selfishness, by our own interests, and this attitude persists. We have perfected our weapons, our conscience has fallen asleep, and we have sharpened our ideas to justify ourselves. As if it were normal, we continue to sow destruction, pain, death! Violence and war lead only to death, they speak of death! Violence and war are the language of death! After the chaos of the flood, when it stopped raining, a rainbow appeared and the dove returned with an olive branch. Today, I think also of that olive tree which representatives of various religions planted in the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires in 2000, asking that there be no more chaos, asking that there be no more war, asking for peace. 3. And at this point I ask myself: Is it possible to walk the path of peace? Can we get out of this spiral of sorrow and death? Can we learn once again to walk and live in the ways of peace? Invoking the help of God, under the maternal gaze of the Salus Populi Romani, Queen of Peace, I say: Yes, it is possible for everyone! From every corner of the world tonight, I would like to hear us cry out: Yes, it is possible for everyone! Or even better, I would like for each one of us, from the least to the greatest, including those called to govern nations, to respond: Yes, we want it! My Christian faith urges me to look to the Cross. How I wish that all men and women of good will would look to the Cross if only for a moment! There, we can see God’s reply: violence is not answered with violence, death is not answered with the language of death. In the silence of the Cross, the uproar of weapons ceases and the language of reconciliation, forgiveness, dialogue, and peace is spoken. This evening, I ask the Lord that we Christians, and our brothers and sisters of other religions, and every man and woman of good will, cry out forcefully: violence and war are never the way to peace! Let everyone be moved to look into the depths of his or her conscience and listen to that word which says: Leave behind the self-interest that hardens your heart, overcome the indifference that makes your heart insensitive towards others, conquer your deadly reasoning, and open yourself to dialogue and reconciliation. Look upon your brother’s sorrow – I think of the children: look upon these… look at the sorrow of your brother, stay your hand and do not add to it, rebuild the harmony that has been shattered; and all this achieved not by conflict but by encounter! May the noise of weapons cease! War always marks the failure of peace, it is always a defeat for humanity. Let the words of Pope Paul VI resound again: “No more one against the other, no more, never! ... war never again, never again war!” (Address to the United Nations, 1965). “Peace expresses itself only in peace, a peace which is not separate from the demands of justice but which is fostered by personal sacrifice, clemency, mercy and love” (World Day of Peace Message, 1975). Brothers and Sisters, forgiveness, dialogue, reconciliation – these are the words of peace, in beloved Syria, in the Middle East, in all the world! Let us pray this evening for reconciliation and peace, let us work for reconciliation and peace, and let us all become, in every place, men and women of reconciliation and peace! So may it be. A Celebration of Gathering
This year we celebrate the Gathering. The Gathering may be social, sporting, cultural or religious. In the gathering we are welcoming back, enabling people to re-establish contact with their roots, appreciate their history, acknowledge where we are presently and prepare to go forward to face the future with hope in our hearts. Our faith gatherings share all these elements. For the past week we have celebrated the Croagh Patrick gathering, which included pilgrimages and Mass on the summit each day, historical and heritage talks each evening, as well as music and guided walks. This morning I extend a very warm welcome to you all as we celebrate the National Pilgrimage to Ireland’s holy mountain, the legacy of the wellsprings of our Patrician faith. Faith and Pilgrimage Faith and pilgrimage are inter-related. In this year of faith the Croagh Patrick Pilgrimage affords us an opportunity to reflect on some aspects of faith and the light it throws on our life in various areas. The Church ought to be about gathering, about embrace, about welcoming home all sorts and conditions of people. Home is a place of the mother tongue, of old stories told and treasured, of being at ease, known by name, belonging without qualifying for membership. The ministry of gathering is one to which God has always been committed and one which is central to the ministry of Jesus Christ and his Church. Getting a Perspective of the Sacred from the Holy Mountain There is a Chinese proverb that states “if you don’t scale the mountain you can’t view the plain”. The occasion of the Croagh Patrick Pilgrimage provides us with an opportunity to get a clearer vision and adjust our relationships in two areas. Location in venerable and ancient Spiritual Heritage Firstly, because of its location, scenic beauty and the place which it holds both in Celtic and Irish spirituality, the pilgrimage helps us to enter into a relationship with nature, not in a controlling, consumerist manner but rather seeing nature as a gift of God, as a communication from God. Responding appropriately to creation is part of knowing and responding to God. Creation itself is an act of divine self-giving. The world is a gift, a means of receiving something of the life of God. As Pope Francis says “faith enables us to discern in nature a grammar written by the hand of God and a dwelling place entrusted to our care and protection”. This mountain has been made holy by the long lines of pilgrims who struggled to the summit as they endeavoured to find meaning and purpose. Croagh Patrick as a pilgrimage centre challenges us to respect our environment. Ancestral memories and cultural inheritance is an essential part of our inner human landscape. The absence of those and an alienation from nature in the concrete jungles and artificial land-scaping, makes us uprooted and restless creatures. Sacred Journey – Giving perspective and meaning to our Vulnerability Secondly, as we climb Croagh Patrick we become more conscious of our limitations and of the vulnerability of others. This enables us to recognise our relationships with others in the way in which we negotiate our own and other people’s frailties. We become conscious of weakness and powerlessness. This ought to influence our behaviour. It helps us to respect what is at risk in the life of another and to work on behalf of another’s need. The Perspective of Faith In all of this faith has a significant role to play. Far from standing in the way of human development faith inspires personal development and initiatives; it gives a sense of identity, leads to intimate friendships and integrates persons and society. At the same time it warns against self-centredness, isolation and misuse of others. Faith must find expression in justice, be of service to the common good and be capable of throwing light on all our relationships in society. As Christians we seek to act in the market place “in the name of God”. To believe in God is to be a “trustee” of God’s truth. Implications of Weakened Faith When faith is weakened, the foundations of humanity also risk being weakened. The light of faith can never allow us to forget the sufferings of this world. Faith does not dispel all our darkness, but rather guides our perilous steps on life’s journey. The service which faith provides to the common good is always one of hope. Religion and faith are persisting features of the human situation and will not disappear so long as we ask the fundamental questions of why we are here and what kind of world we seek to create. Perspective on Economic Crises The opposite of faith is idolatry. Reflecting on our recent economic woes, many claim that greed was the underlying problem. I wonder whether pride may have been an even more significant contributory factor, the pride that refuses to acknowledge my lack of control over the environment, my illusion that I can shape the world as I wish. The freedom of the few was purchased at the expense of the enslavement of many to poverty and deprivation. Our lives ought to reflect truth.Real change can come only through freeing ourselves from the illusions which enslave us. Therefore the importance of empathy, of developing a kind of intelligence that will reflect on who we are will help to control and limit a purely technical approach. Faith can be a great help in developing this type of thinking. Safeguarding the Common Good When we take time out from the routine of busyness and our daily concerns, personal, community and national – we afford ourselves some time to stand back and think. This different, sacred location, well worn by the footsteps of generations of pilgrims freshens our perspective on the lives we live, the issues that occupy us. During this past year a number of issues concerning the common good in relation to peoples lives have come into sharp perspective. Whenever the service of the common good is in question the Church involves herself in public debate. The service of the common good surely also is a key criterion for political and civil leaders. Making provision for the Religious Voice to be heard The Church does not seek to have her moral teaching enshrined in law simply because the Church teaches it. Instead, the Church proposes that a particular issue on which she has clear moral teaching, ought to be safeguarded in civil law. When the Church seeks this, it is not doing so out of a sense of entitlement or wish to dominate. Instead, the Church is concerned that the value at stake ought to enjoy the protection of civil law. In fact, the status in civil law of such an issue does not affect its moral value. Allowing the Religious voice to be heard in an inclusive way To deny the right of the Church, or any religious body, to participate in public debates is a hallmark of a country that seeks to deny a fundamental human right: the right of religious freedom. It attempts to corral religious believers and excises their contribution to important discussions about the kind of society that twenty-first century Ireland should have. It also reduces religion to a sort of private sphere that is prohibited from influencing public life. A mature secularism would welcome and provide space for religious believers in the public sphere. A mature Catholicism would make its contributions with courtesy and respect for those with whom we disagree. I cannot speak too highly, in this regard, of those who do not share our beliefs but who have insisted throughout recent crucial public debates that we be heard. This is an approach which may truly be called liberal. I only wish we had encountered it more. It should be remembered here that religion is more than just worship; freedom in matters of religion also involves freedom to propose a moral code. A truly liberal atmosphere not only permits but actively encourages the Church’s voice. Conclusion Croagh Patrick, Reek Sunday, this annual, great festival of faith, this last Sunday of July has for so long been a great place of gathering for so many generations to take stock of our lives. To return to that Chinese Proverb it gives us collectively an opportunity to ‘scale the plains’ of our lives, our communities and our society from the ‘mountain-top perspective’. From this vantage point we open up to the assistance of faith, the presence, company and blessing of the sacred. We renew our appreciation for the gift of nature and the many other gifts. We allow, finally, each others voices to be truly heard, trusting in the integrity and goodwill of all, and remembering those who as yet have no active voices in our society, but still exist and claim our protection and our love. Reek Sunday - 28th July 2013 Masses Monday 22nd - Thursday 25th July and Saturday 27th July: Daily @ 12noon on the Mountain top. Friday 26th July: Garland Friday: Mass @ 10am & 7pm. Sunday 28th July : Reek Sunday Mass @ 8am, 8.30am, 9am, 9.30am(Archbishop Michael Neary), 10am(Irish), 10.30am(Archbishop Charles Brown), 11am(Bishop Brendan Kelly), 11.30am, 12noon, 12.30pm, 1pm, 1.30pm & 2pm. THEME: “FAITH & HERITAGE” Knock Shrine 14th – 22nd August, 2013 Twice daily: Afternoon 3.00 pm, Evening 8.30 pm (Except on Thursday 15th and Sunday 18th when ceremonies commence with Anointing of the Sick at 2.30pm) Wed. 14th August
Fr. Tommy Murphy, SSC, Former Superior General of Columban Order. Living the Heritage of Faith today. Thurs. 15th August Archbishop Eamon Martin, Coadjutor Archbishop of Armagh. To Jesus, through Mary: transforming the world from within. Fri. 16th August Trish O’Brien Diocesan Youth Director. Archdiocese of Tuam. “You shall inherit….” Faith & Young People today. Sat. 17th August Bishop Philip Boyce, Bishop of Raphoe. Faith in difficult times. Sun. 18th August Bishop Christy Jones, Bishop of Elphin. Faith & Family: a heritage to be proud of. Mon. 19th August Fr. Frank Fahey, Ballintubber Abbey. The Presence of God. Tues. 20th August Salvador Ryan, Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Maynooth. Sparks through the Stubble, re-imagining Ireland’s 'Golden Age' of Christianity. Wed. 21st August Fr. Richard Gibbons, P.P., Rector of Knock Shrine. Knock, a legacy and a future. Thurs. 22nd August Fr. Gerry Fitzpatrick, Carmelite Monastery. Derry. Faith and Heritage:looking to the future. Lord Jesus, you are the source and lover of life.
Re-awaken in us respect for every human life. Help us to see in each child the marvellous work of our Creator. Open our hearts to welcome every child as a unique and wonderful gift. Guide the work of doctors, nurses and midwives. May the life of a mother and her baby in the womb be equally cherished and respected. Help those who make our laws to uphold the uniqueness and sacredness of every human life, from the first moment of conception to natural death. Give us wisdom and generosity to build a society that cares for all. Together with Mary, your Mother, in whose womb you took on our human nature, Help us to choose life in every decision we take. We ask this in the joyful hope of eternal life with you, and in the communion of the Blessed Trinity. Amen. In recent days bishops have sent the following briefing note to deputies and senators on theProtection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013. The briefing note highlights flaws in the abortion bill which is currently being debated in Oireachtas Éireann and explains that, if the abortion bill is enacted, it:
2. The Bill accepts the premise that abortion is an appropriate response to suicidal ideation. This is contrary to substantial medical evidence.
The questions posed above are substantial. They reflect the seriousness of the issues at stake. Legislators should be free to exercise their conscience on this fundamental moral issue, in accordance with the principles of a free and democratic society and their express right as citizens under Article 44.2.3 of the Constitution. No one should entrust the decisions of their conscience to another on issues like this which are, literally, matters of life and death. ENDS For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678 |