Finding joy and freedom through Confession

Personal Profile

For those outside the Faith, the idea that confession may draw you into Catholicism will seem counter intuitive – let alone that it can be joyful or freeing. But that’s just what it was for Anita Sheahan, who now does faith outreach for St Mary’s Dominicans in Cork.

Though she grew up in a house that attended Mass weekly, Anita explains that “it was Catholic by name but we didn’t live out the Faith throughout the week”. Catholicism was not something important to her. But things started to change when she went to college, as she spent years searching for the meaning of life.

Medjugorje

”It was through a lot of difficult times in college and things that I started seeking out God,” Anita says. “But I was seeking him out in every place, but the right place, you know. I ended up being asked to go to Medjugorje by a neighbour of ours. He was inviting all of our family. I wasn’t keen on going somewhere quite religious at the time!

“I said yes because it was sold to me like a holiday, a sun holiday. I said, you know, a free holiday for my parents, they can do the religious thing, I’ll do my thing. I didn’t mind going to Mass every day, out of respect for them I would do that. But I found that as the week went on at Medjugorje, I was very curious as to what this faith thing was all about.

“There were a lot of young people there that were really, truly joyful and really free – and it was the freedom that really drew me because it felt like something I was really lacking. I was lacking in that real true joy which they seemed to have. They started talking to me about Confession and I can tell you that I was absolutely allergic to Confession, to the idea of it!

“But I had seen that real joy and freedom they had and on the other hand that fear, that resistance to Confession that I had. I had nothing to lose other than fear. I went and had an absolutely amazing experience speaking with a priest, he was lovely. It really changed my perspective and it really drew me back into the Church,” she concludes.

A combination of the kindness of the religious she met in Medjugorje and the witness of young Catholics drew Anita back to the Faith. When she came back from Medjugorje, she spent some time working, before joining the Holy Family Mission for two years. Here, she grew in understanding of the Faith through catechesis, Bible studies and prayer. She then began her new mission, going outward and teaching the Faith to others.

Faith

“My desire to share it with others, to share faith with others really grew – that’s what led me to Cork,” Anita says. “I’m working for the Dominicans in St Mary’s. Part of that work, a good part of that work, is managing and looking after Brew132, a Catholic café in the city. Brew132 is Hebrews 13:2: ‘Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so you may have shown hospitalities to angels without knowing it.’

Hospitality

“Brew is really about showing hospitality and serving,” she continues. “That same desire I have to give back really comes into Brew. You’re meeting people where they’re at. There are people who come in who have no faith, and that’s perfectly fine, they’re so welcome – and you have a conversation with them about absolutely anything. You’re smiling, you’re being kind and people come back. They come back because they’re meeting amazing staff and volunteers who are really being genuine, just being kind to people. That’s really what it’s about.”

“Through that, there’s a lot of evangelisation going on – it depends on who you’re meeting and where they’re at. I know with the lockdown and things, evangelisation is not the same as it would have been. You have to go with the flow at the moment. A lot of things are going online. We’re doing a lot of adult catechesis, we’re doing a lot of different programs for people 35 plus. But we’re also beginning again to do a lot with young people. We’ve the NET team as well in Brew who are doing amazing work, doing a lot of evangelisation online.”

Anita is effusive in her praise for the “silent witness” of staff, volunteers and benefactors of Brew132.

Having it as a nice little home for people to meet like-minded people of faith”

“The kindness of the volunteers and benefactors is amazing,” she says. “We’ve had wonderful people who have supported Brew which is going on two years now. I’m just thinking the volunteers have poured their hearts into Brew. The kindness of people who supported the mission, people who have being praying for Brew and invested in that way.

“Please God, once we can open up again and have people in again, we’ll have different evenings of game nights, music days and different ideas that we have for the cafe. Fostering that sense of community inside the cafe is what we’re about. Having it as a nice little home for people to meet like-minded people of faith.”