Mary Kenny
Josepha Madigan 
From her own point of view, Josepha Madigan’s decision to lead prayers in Mount Merrion church recently – in the absence of a priest – was a bold career move which has brought benefits.
She will have realised this when she saw comments on social media, and letters to the papers from people saying they hadn’t had a clue who the Culture Minister was – but now they know.
What Josepha [pictured] got from the episode was “brand recognition”. This is what marketing people are identifiying when they go around asking the public anything from “have you ever shopped at Tesco’s?” to “who is Gay Byrne”? Brand – and name – recognition.
Her profile was a lot higher after the episode than before it.
And to give the lady her due, two points could be made in her defence: firstly, although she criticises the Catholic church’s position on a number of issues, she does, apparently, attend Mass.
Many of the commentators in the mainstream media – and others in the public realm too – have all sorts of strong views about religion, without ever darkening the door, as they used to say, “of church, chapel nor meeting-house”. At least Ms Madigan shows up.
Secondly, she did display audacity in stepping up to the plate. And audacity is always linked to leadership. She has demonstrated in this bold move that she has the capacity for leadership – a plus in a politician.
However, while she increased her profile and her brand, and showed initiative, she did not display much judgement by linking prayers with a polemic on ordaining women. A prayer occasion should not be a polemic or the substance of a debate.
And because of her prominent position in the abortion referendum, her authority to assume a spiritual role is weakened, if not nullified – as Archbishop Martin rightly pointed out.
Opportunistic
She will thus be open to the charge that she was being opportunistic in seizing a chance to take the stage. Moreover, colleagues may not always appreciate her showboating herself. In politics, you need trust as well as “brand recognition” and she may have to strive to earn that trust.
The other point that struck me was how seldom it is that a priest doesn’t turn up for a Mass. In all my life, I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed its occurrence.
It’s great to see the tennis ace Serena Williams [pictured] returning to Wimbledon with her six-month-old baby daughter. Motherhood has not stopped her from pursuing her calling as an outstanding, exceptional sportswoman. She’s a terrific role model for young women today.
In the past, tennis ace Billie Jean King felt she had to have an abortion to continue with her tennis career. Serena has shown that motherhood and professional sportswomanship are entirely compatible.
For athletes, to quote Yeats, “the only enemy is time”. Eventually, age slows a sports performance, and the moment arrives to hand over to the next generation: and how lovely, then, to have a next generation.
Poignant words, but they weren’t Irish!
“Our last hymn this morning,” announced the priest in our local Kentish church, “is No. 68”. And so the congregation arose and gave a full-throttled rendition of Faith of Our Fathers.
Great tune. Poignant words. Used to be sung at GAA matches until the 1960s.
And then, reading the words in the hymnal, I realised – for the first time – that the hymn is not Irish at all, and not about Ireland. It was written by an Englishman, Frederick William Faber [pictured], and it’s about England, and England’s Catholic martyrs under the Tudors, to which the line “our fathers chained in prison dark/Were still in faith and conscience free” applies.
Free
The penultimate verse explains the English context: “Faith of Our Fathers, Mary’s prayers/Shall win our country back to thee./And through the truth that comes from God/England shall then indeed be free…”
Faber did subsequently write a version for Ireland. But I suspect that that Hymn No. 68 is more frequently sung in English churches now than in Irish ones.
I like the last verse which extends a conciliatory hand: “Faith of Our Fathers, we will love/Both friend and foe in all our strife…”
Mind you, it’s a tough call to love some of our foes these days!
