Recently I spent a few days in Rome with two friends who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful experience as the Eternal City always seems to tick so many of the boxes that make for a great holiday. My abiding memory of this recent trip will be one of ‘queueing’. We…
After 37 years as a priest, I realise there is one area of my life and ministry where I could be diagnosed with scruples. This scrupulosity occurs when it comes to what priest and parish have to offer and ensuring that every family and individual gets treated exactly the same. Whether they come to Mass…
My apologies if the tone of my contribution this month is a little depressing, but I hope there might be a more positive ending! In recent weeks I have been very conscious of people being filled with fear. Our TV news bulletins have been filled with images of terrified people caught up in natural disasters.…
Recently, a new community garden was opened in the centre of Rathdowney, Co. Laois. The garden is on the site of the old parish church and we hope it will be a place of gathering and celebration but also a space for contemplation and prayer. Among the entertainers who performed at the opening ceremony were…
Notebook Another First Communion and Confirmation season has come to an end. I will again beat my lonely drum in the hope that we might begin a serious and honest conversation around what is happening with these sacramental encounters in every parish in Ireland. Earlier this year we had four Confirmation ceremonies in the two…
Kieran O’Sullivan died on Saturday 16, April 2023. He was the local undertaker in Rathdowney, Co. Laois. Dear Kieran, I write this letter to you just two weeks after you have gone to the Father’s house where no doubt you have had a wonderful reunion with your parents Michael and Mai. Mind you, I presume…
Notebook I learned a new word this week and it is ‘presentism’. Basically presentism is the use of present-day standards to impose judgements upon historical figures and practices in the sometimes-misguided belief that the standards of our contemporary world are morally superior. I realised that this new word names and describes a trend which I…
Notebook Recently I turned on the TV and I happened upon a conversation between two children on a popular soap opera. I was intrigued and disturbed by the tone of the conversation but not fully understanding the context I had to do a little research. It seems that the girl’s pet chinchilla (which I have…
In the last 30 years I have worked in seven different parishes. They were a mixture of city, small town, and rural communities. The one thing they all have in common is the very strong presence of the GAA. The GAA is based on parish structures and the greatest strength of the organisation is that…
2022 has been dominated by the dreadful war in Ukraine. Russia and its leaders have isolated themselves in the eyes of the world. As this year draws to a close, I want to share a true story from that part of the world which both highlights a painful reality and also captures something beautiful from…