During this month of November, we will have memorial Masses in many parishes across Ireland. In my experience these can be very moving occasions as the name of each person who died during the last year is called out and a family member comes forward to light a candle in memory of a parent, a…
Notebook Next year in both parishes I now have responsibility for, we will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. That means that eight different 5th and 6th classes in four schools are eligible to celebrate the Sacrament. In recent weeks I have been visiting those classes to begin a conversation around Confirmation. One thing that I…
For almost 60 years a British journalist, Alistair Cooke had a weekly show on BBC Radio 4 called Letter from America looking at various topics from an American perspective. I feel a little like that this month as I’m writing this piece while sitting in a café just across the street from the White House.…
You might very well think it is an obvious thing for a priest to say but recently, I have been thinking a lot about Faith. A few weeks ago, the Harvard business school professor, Arthur C. Brooks, shocked RTÉ radio presenter, Brendan O‘Connor by suggesting that the two most important things that guarantee a happy…
Thirty years ago, I was invited along with a colleague to lead a parish mission in Newfoundland on the east coast of Canada. It was an interesting and memorable experience. Newfoundland has very close connections with Ireland and indeed most of the population spoke with distinct Irish accents. Many of the family names were ones…
As someone who is regularly tasked with preaching, I am always looking for examples of people who live out their faith in practical ways, loving God and neighbour in the bits and pieces of life. Within the last year I came across two films which I found inspiring. The first film, which I discovered by…
Notebook I have lived and worked in a predominantly rural parish in the midlands for the last ten years. In that time, we have had national debates about many issues including same-sex marriage, abortion, Brexit and the demise – and possible resuscitation – of the Celtic Tiger. All of those issues and many more have…
I’m writing these reflections in Holy Week and later this evening I will join my colleagues to celebrate the Chrism Mass during which we will renew the promises made at ordination. Much has changed since that July evening in 1986 when I first made those promise and so this annual renewal causes me to reflect…
I have been thinking again recently about my friends, Monica Brown and Hilary Musgrave who introduced me to the whole experience of sacred clowning. Hilary and Monica lead retreats all over the world and the sacred clown ‘Naofa’ is an integral part of their unique approach to spirituality. Sacred clowning must be experienced because trying…
Notebook Can I begin this month by sharing a brain teaser liberally mixed in with a fair amount of name-dropping. Last week I celebrated Mass in four different countries. However in all four countries the congregation was made up of pretty much the same people, the choir consisted of a list of Irish household names…