I heard someone at a wedding Mass introduce the Scripture passage to be read as: “A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Theologians” – I smiled! In fairness, the reading was perfectly delivered, and the message was a solid and apt addition to the celebration. I wondered afterwards what might St Paul…
Recently we had a gathering of the priests of our diocese. On the final morning, we had a presentation, given by Prof. John Feehan, who may well have retired from UCD more than ten years ago but certainly is living life in its fullest understanding to this day. It was a wonderful and powerful presentation…
Who is Richard Lawrence? Now, that’s a question that I hadn’t imagined ever needing to ask myself! In August, I travelled to the United States on what turned out to be a holiday. For 25 years, I have had the great joy of going there every summer to spend a few weeks in a parish…
I just celebrated a wedding Mass. By any standards it was a ‘big wedding’ with around 250 people in attendance. It was heartening to look down the church and see so many people gathered to celebrate and share the day with the young couple and their families. I like days like these. At Holy Communion,…
Dear Notebookers! I am not exactly sure who you are. Well, that is not altogether accurate, since I spoke with a priest friend in Raphoe last week with whom I had not been in contact for a while. “The only place I see you”, he told me “is on the back page of The Irish…
Notebook Recently I spoke at the novena in the Parish of Graiguecullen/Killeshin and it was an honour to be asked. I realise now that I spoke for about twice as long as I was intended to speak! I might not be there again! I should have left out a few bits but, as the song…
The Easter season is a call to awareness of the early days of the Church and to be Church in our day. There are countless and powerful stories around healings in the name of Jesus. Difficult stories too, about persecution of those who preached the word and ended up in prison, faced rejection or were…
Recently our bishop, Paul Dempsey, wrote a pastoral letter for Lent. He was encouraging the work of parish pastoral councils throughout the diocese. Some weeks earlier, he celebrated Mass in the cathedral in Ballaghaderreen, where parish pastoral councils from around the diocese were commissioned. It was a wonderful occasion with more than 300 people in…
Last week, a phonecall changed the course of the day. A friend told me he had gone to see An Cailín Ciúin the previous evening and encouraged me to go. I said I would. Later, speaking with another friend, I mentioned this to him and wondered if he’d be free to go along with me.…
Dear 2023, A few years ago, I wrote a letter to your older sister, 2020! I wondered what she had in store for us and hoped that we might be able handle whatever she had to offer. I wondered about the months she held in her hand and what they might bring. I asked her…