Peter Harte is pictured with his daughter, Ava and his father-in-law Peter Canavan following Tyrone's victory over Mayo at Croke Park last year.
Photo: Ray McManus/Sportsfile The ultimate goal of marriage to Tyrone star Peter Harte’s mind is “to get each other to heaven”.
Speaking recently in Drumragh parish, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Mr Harte said that just as you’re trying to get your spouse to heaven in marriage, you’re trying to get your children there too.
Faith
“Our challenge now for Áine [Mr Harte’s wife] and myself is to try and pass that Faith on to Ava and other children that maybe we’re blessed with. Trying to replicate the routines, the traditions, and most importantly, the love that we felt growing up, trying to provide that safe and secure and supportive environment and I think that’s what having good faith does, it always makes you realise that there’s more to yourself in this life,” Mr Harte said.
“That’s the goal for all of us, so you have to live your life in a certain way to do that. Just to have that always in your mind is important, because life gets so busy and there’s so many things come up that if you just keep reminding yourself that, that there’s an end goal in sight,” Mr Harte told those assembled.
The best witness to faith that Mr Harte has seen comes from those who “live their faith, that come to Mass, that say their prayers, that stand up for what’s right”.
“Simple wee things, like how they interact with people, how they pray, going to Mass. If it’s wearing the brown scapular and if it’s openly talking about God,” he said.
One of his favourite things about his job as a teacher is that children “really take you on” with their questions about the Faith.
Regenerate
“They’re really intrigued to learn more and it’s probably something on us that we really need to regenerate that with children – plant the seeds, immerse them in their faith again. That they catch it as well like we were lucky to.”
Read Jason’s full interview with Peter Harte here.