A few words from Fr Joe

The simple words ‘thank you’ don’t seem like nearly enough when the gratitude you feel for the kindness and generosity of others has been absolutely overwhelming. But they are a start! During the past three weeks, there have been events to mark my 40th Anniversary of Priesthood in each of the three parishes which together make up the Trinity of Faith partnership. Each of them has given us an opportunity to pray together, share in hospitality, and reflect on the relationship between priests and their parishioners. On Sunday last the official partnership celebration was just fantastic. I know a committee representing all parishes was formed back in January and met month by month to prepare every aspect of the day. The animation of 5 choirs was masterful and the music on the day was magnificent. It was also possible to invite my family and friends, parishioners from previous appointments and some priest friends too. The hospitality was so generous and thoughtful, with an abundance of cake which was enjoyed by all. I received the most beautiful white vestment as a gift from you all and I will wear it with pride at special masses, weddings and celebrations in the years ahead, it will always remind me of the goodness, affection and care of the people here. My house is full of cards, greetings and gifts and I appreciate every one of them. My family came in great numbers with one brother and sister in law crossing the Atlantic to be here and many nephews and nieces travelling from across Europe. It was the first time since a family funeral in 2019 that we were all together and they join me in expressing appreciation for everything they experienced here. There is no doubt it deepened their understanding of how well I, and my brother priests, are supported by the communities we serve. So once again I say those simple words, thank you, to each and every one who shares the life of faith, prayer and praise of God here in the Trinity of Faith partnership along with me in such a joyful, uplifting and supportive way. Last Sunday was one of the happiest days of my life and I will cherish the memories for years to come.

When I was just a boy my dad was involved in organising a local event, The Kingdom of Mourne Festival. For the celebration, a shield was designed with a crest featuring first the majestic mountains of Mourne, then the Irish Sea which yielded both a harvest of prawns and herring for which we were famous and finally the tools of the men who worked with local granite which adorns buildings all over the world. There was a motto under the crest which read “Unity in diversity” which has been a sort of guiding theme throughout my life. I learnt early on that people are both different and the same, with specific identities formed by religion and shared identities relating to place. As the years have passed and horizons broadened skin colour, sexual orientation, race, social standing and of course religion have all been captured within this experience, unifying the diverse.

School and seminary studies, parishes and pastoral assignments, work in Ireland and overseas, mission trips and holidays with friends have given ample opportunity to explore difference and find the common values which allow different people to get along and prosper. I first approached this with the concept of community as the melting pot, where we blended together as one, and then learnt later the salad bowl was a more helpful analogy where everything while blended retains its identity.

I saw on the news during the week that 4,600 people became Irish citizens at 5 ceremonies in Killarney. They were drawn from 139 countries, that’s an amazing indication of the level of diversity that now exists in our communities, parishes and schools. The Minister at the celebration told the new citizens that this was not only a moment of welcome but also a shared commitment to the future, to new opportunities, to participate, contribute, and help shape the country in the years ahead. At various graduation ceremonies in the schools of the partnership during this past month I’ve seen that now ‘unity in diversity’ is an ordinary part of the lives of our young people. I admire them for their openness to diversity and am confident they will build an even better country in the years ahead.

My older brother and his wife celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary during the week. His wife is American and as it happens she is away in the States this month, where their daughter lives, while he stayed home. She has written a very thoughtful reflection and shared it on the family WhatsApp, stimulating a lot of memories of that time as you might imagine. Karen noted how many of the places that were at the centre of their lives in the Belfast of the 1970’s are long since gone, demolished, closed or redeveloped. Even hearing her speak about them draws me back to those very troubled times in the North, Belfast was burning, troops on the streets, riots, bombs and paramilitary activities constantly on the news. The H-Blocks were full, walls were built to separate communities and a terrible fear pervaded the city. My sister in law had come to Northern Ireland as a tourist, decided to stay for the summer and got involved volunteering at a church run project for children. It was in this most of unlikely of circumstances that they met, fell in love and developed the relationship that led to their marriage in 1976. He qualified as an architect and she as a social worker and contributed with so many of their peer group to rebuilding the devastated city, block by block and community by community.

When I look today at the destruction of Lebanon, Gaza, Iran and other places where conflict has shattered entire communities I see in them similar images to how Belfast looked back then. I can only hope and pray that there will be a generation of idealistic, principled, courageous young people, from many nations, drawn into the rebuilding that has to happen. Churches, community groups and local leadership united in Belfast to forge a better future for the children of the troubles. As we have seen recently that stability which was so hard won can’t be taken for granted, racism can creep into the space where sectarianism once thrived. So once again strong voices of reason need to speak against violence and lead people on the path to protect peace and promote integration.

On Wednesday evening my Ordination Class from 1986 met to have our common celebration to mark the 40 Anniversaries of our individual ordinations. We came together in the little church of St Brigid in Straffan for a Mass of Gratitude in which we also remembered the three classmates who have gone before us to God. During the liturgy Brendan Leahy, now Bishop of Limerick, preached the homily. He took three words, Gift, Realism and Conversion and using the recent teachings of Pope Leo, reflected back on our years of priestly ministry. Priesthood he reminded us, is a gift of God, not imposed, but planted in the heart and mind, which each of us has felt as a calling, and after 7 years of study, spiritual growth and personal discernment led to our ordination. This gift has been shared with the people we’ve been privileged to serve and sustained by God’s grace, their goodness and our own fidelity to that calling. Realism has rooted our ministry in the times in which we serve, with all the changes in faith and practice, all the failings of the church and the daily commitment to meeting the demands of ministry today. We become ever more aware, through living out our calling, of our own strengths and weakness, our highs and lows, our joys and sorrows, and we carry on, humbled and enlightened. And finally, Conversion, which he related to the constant challenge of responding to God’s invitation to holiness, both personally and as a family of faith in our local churches.

After the Mass we retired to local hotel for dinner and an evening of sharing memories, enjoying the company of one and other and hearing about how life is now. Everyone in the company was so positive about their parish, expressing much gratitude for the support, affection and witness of the people they are with on this journey. It was a surprisingly pleasant and uplifting evening, affirming of priesthood, ministry and faith. Each one of us remains hopeful about the future and willing to contribute to the church in Dublin, whatever may come.

During the week a radio interviewer doing a ‘vox pop’ asked people on the street if they could remember a song from the charts that was being played back when they did their Leaving Cert? It’s a good question, at a time when your head was full of information, crammed in, until you almost burst, of course a bit of music was both a distraction and some relief. I remember very well studying and listening to Boney M and their Number 1 hit,‘By the rivers of Babylon’ over and over again, it’s like an anthem of those exhausting days in June 1978. If you ever saw them on TV they were such an extraordinary group, Afro Caribbean, mad colourful costumes, and catchy repetitive music. I’m not quite sure why they were singing a religious song, straight from the Bible, making a people in exile almost sound cheerful! The line ‘How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land’ sticks in my mind. Was the world of my teenage years a more religious place, that even the music in the charts reflected faith? I’m not so sure, but maybe even then I was becoming attuned to the way that God’s presence can be found everywhere. A few years later, when I entered Clonliffe this song, drawn from Psalm 137, was often sung at evening prayer. In that context it made more sense, talking of a people in exile, hanging their harps on popular trees, because away from their own homeland, with their ‘tongue clinging to the roof of my mouth’ their songs fell silent and they ‘sat and wept. ’Like so many Irish ballads, exile and loss is at the heart of the message, and memory of better times sustains the people, and their hope that God is with them and in time all will be well again. Best of luck to all our students and maybe this week’s No. 1, “The Cure” by Olivia Rodrigo will be a lasting memory for them in years to come.

There is nothing like a few hot sunny days to lift the spirits of just about everyone. As many moved towards the beaches, parks and simple walks in the fresh air a very positive, upbeat vibe prevailed. Personally, I love getting down to the sea, not to swim, but at least to walk by the beach, listen to the gulls and watch the happy people. Seeing a mother and her teenage son walking towards me, deep in conversation, each holding a huge ‘99’ from Teddy’s, one licking, the other talking, in perfect synchronisation, just lifted my heart. Since Pope Francis launched his pastoral letter, Laudato Si, on our relationship with creation we have all become ever more aware of climate change, and how weather patterns shifting are a sign of something that also makes us cautious. This week the temperatures in Ireland were the hottest ever recorded our country, brilliant for a few days of shorts and tee shirts, but what is this telling us? Hotter summers, wetter winters and ever stronger storms seem to be our future. God has given us a beautiful natural environment, planet earth, and we are all responsible for how we treat it. Our generation of faithful Catholics are challenged to be spiritually aware of how important creation is and to look after mother earth as an expression of our relationship with God. Just as with every other aspect of living our faith it is the little things that we do which matter so much. Let’s hope for a bit more sunshine in the weeks ahead.

It is also ‘Exam weather’ and we all share in supporting our students beginning public exams in the days ahead and wish each and every one of them well.

On Wednesday morning, I saw a video clip of Archbishop Farrell speaking to Pope Leo at the end of his weekly audience. There he was in a line of Bishops, from all over the world, who formed an orderly queue, and then one by one they got to stand with the Pope for a short time. As they stepped forward, Pope Leo shook their hand firmly, and for maybe a minute or two they had his full and undivided attention. Naturally we couldn’t hear what was said, and without a lip reader to hand, it’s left to our imagination to work out what words were exchanged. Maybe Archbishop Farrell got a chance to mention that this weekend he has issued a very important Pastoral Letter to the Dublin Archdiocese. Like many of the Bishops in the line, our man has to deal with the changing church, the cultural shift away from Sunday observance, the aging and diminishing number of clergy, the falloff in funds and huge costs involved in sustaining the mission of the church. To all the challenges and problems of the present day he has to bring a message of hope, and a strategy for change that gives faith filled communities their very best chance to grow and thrive. It was lovely to see the senior church leaders chatting with each other as they waited in the line, then to see the quality of listening and respect in the encounter with Pope Leo and then I imagine every one of them walked away wanting to share with others what happened. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus maybe their hearts burned within them, as the encounter gave them encouragement and new strength.

This Pastoral Letter is accompanied by a document, “Process for the Modification of Parishes for Mission”

In the weeks, months and years ahead our Trinity of Faith Partnership, with its three parishes, will need to enter into this process as we discern our future. The letter and document are available on the Diocesan website and everyone is invited to read them

Last weekend a group of young singers from the Mount Merrion Family Mass Choir travelled to Cork to participate in the Choral Festival there. They were accompanied by adult leaders and some of the older teens. At the same time a group of 15 boys from Oatlands College headed off to Taize with two of their teachers, for a week of immersion in the culture and music of that special monastic community. On this trip, the young people willingly volunteer for ‘jobs’, our boys were on kitchen clean up, and yes can they mop a floor and make it shine! They encountered young adults from other countries, had an engaging conversation with Br Jean from the community and participated in the liturgy with the wonderful Taize chants. These are just two practical examples of good practice in our Trinity of Faith partnership where adult leaders make great life experiences possible for our younger members. A huge thank you to all of them. At the same time, we are moving through the First Holy Communion Masses with all the emotion and joy that they generate for the families concerned. It is fascinating to see the children with real excitement meet this moment of receiving the Eucharist for the first time with joy and reverence. Their innocence and openness is no different to that of all the generations who have experienced this beautiful ritual in the past. Their grandparents, who often travel great distances to participate, radiate love, affection, pride and joy and really make a huge difference to the celebration. In between the children and the grandparents are the parents and siblings, who in their own way share immense pride and satisfaction participating in their son or daughter’s special day. The schools and parish groups who have taught the Grow in Love program and presented the Do This in Memory Masses, are also so happy to see the completion of their work on such a happy day. With so much time and effort invested in providing this experience we have to hope that the children will find ways to deepen their participation in the life of parish and grow in faith. Hopefully some of them will sing in the family mass choir, or one day go to Taize! We wish them all every joy and blessing.

Perhaps you watched the video online of the Irish runner at the Boston Marathon who stopped to help another competitor in distress. If you want to see an example of a ‘Good Samaritan’ moment then this is worth looking at. The video on the BBC is so complimentary of Aaron Beggs, from Belfast, who was coming to the end of the marathon, with just 200 metres to run, when he saw Ajay Haridasse on the ground in front of him, obviously in distress. Aaron, like most runners, is a fierce competitor and was keeping an eye on his watch as he knew a ‘PB’, personal best time was within his grasp. Fortunately, he not only has the eye of a competitor, but also a compassionate eye, and this seems to be the stronger of the two. So he first thinks, I’ve got to keep going, to achieve the prize of that precious PB, but in a nano second his compassion for the man on the ground kicks in and he stops. On the video of the race you see the moment when Ajay first fell, tried to get back on his feet, stumbles back to the ground, tries to crawl forward, but all in vain. During those moments hundreds of runners went past, none stopped. When Aaron reached down to pick him up, it was immediately clear that he wasn’t going to manage this alone. Given the power of good example, another runner also stopped and now Ajay had support on both sides and was literally carried over the line. Aaron was interviewed many times and the images and words of compassion were carried by social media to millions of people. In this fragile and troubled world, with so much war and violence and inhumanity it is little moments like this, when compassion, kindness and decency are expressed, that we are reassured of the dignity of every person and the role of compassion. Well done Aaron and Robson for putting your neighbour first, for setting a standard that inspires many to imitate and makes the world a better place with this fragment of human kindness.

The first week of the summer term has begun already, full of sunny days and April showers. It’s hard to believe how quickly the school year passes and our thoughts and prayers are with those preparing for important exams in the weeks ahead. In the life of the Trinity of Faith parish partnership this is the time to prepare for First Penance and the celebrations of First Holy Communion which continue to have a special significance and meaning in the Catholic community for children and adults alike. I’ve spoken before of all the many ways children, parents, teachers and families prepare for this celebration in May. Already booklets are being laid out, soon rehearsals will follow, bouncy castles will be reserved and plans made for gatherings in homes and venues after the church service. Some will travel long distances to be present and all will hope for a sunny day, joyful celebrations and happy children. Again and again and again we have reflected on how best to build on the success of the Communion celebrations to enliven the regular Sunday Mass and children’s liturgies. No one seems to quite know why there is such a disconnect from making a First Communion to becoming a regular communicant sharing faith, worship and praise of God within the Mass. The whole message of Easter is rooted in the identity that the new Christians developed by gathering with each other, sharing their time and talents, their resources and most importantly of all listening to the Word and break the bread of the Eucharist. For those of us who are not the parents of children in the sacramental program we have an opportunity to share the joy that the gospel brings, the love we experience at the breaking of the bread, and our hope for the future of parish, partnership and church. If we receive an invitation, or just chat with those on this journey, please try and open up the conversation to its spiritual and religious significance. We need to reignite faith and practice to make our future secure.

I don’t know how many people were received into the Catholic Church during the Easter celebrations, but it seems this was a bumper year. France alone is said to have had 21,400 adults come into full communion with the Church, and most American dioceses have also report increased numbers. Here in Ireland too there seems to be an upsurge as some of those who weren’t baptised as children seek to become members of the Church and some of the new Irish are discovering the Catholic faith and are drawn to it. Some of those entering the Church speak of a spiritual hunger, deep in their hearts, which urges them to seek truth, hope and a manner of living that only comes in a faith community where God is worshipped and true love for others is expressed. Almost every one of those who follow the path of reflection and prayer speak of how they came to admire the Catholic faith, by the example and joy of a Christian they came to know. They speak of observing an inner peace in someone who could only describe that in terms of their relationship with God, following of Jesus and their prayer and worship within a community. It seems that good Christians make good converts, more than books, lectures, sermons or classes.

</br> None of us really knows how we influence others, inspire in them a longing to belong, to come to know of God’s love for us all. Yet without our witness to faith, our speaking about our faith journey, with all our struggles and disappointments, there just wouldn’t be so many catechumens finding joy in the sacraments they received at Easter. So please don’t tire of letting others know how and why your faith is central to your life, to your identity and your happiness.

</br> Rejoice be glad, for Christ is Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia

I heard a very interesting item on the radio on Monday morning. The segment dealt with ACCORD pre-marriage courses. The journalist headed to Navan and interviewed a course facilitator, two couples preparing for marriage and the priest who gave an input. The interviews were recorded during the break between sessions, and the happy hum of conversation in the back ground sounded both lively and happy. The facilitator gave an excellent summary of the course content, 8 modules, all dealing with aspects of the couple relationship and all with the aim of deepening love, communication and awareness. The couples were lovely too, clearly committed, one already had children, the others were hoping for a family, and all said the course was much better than they expected. They said they came a bit reluctantly, because it is a requirement, seeing it as a ‘box ticking’ exercise, but actually found it stimulating. They also said that the presumed it would be church and faith heavy, but thankfully everything they heard was positive and helpful. The priest answered the question, ‘what would a celibate man know about marriage?” by speaking about his own parents and their relationship. He also spoke about his observations of some of the couples he has married who he has remained close to, baptising their children and watching them grow in love. He used the “Prayer of the newly married couple” to bring the presence and love of God into the conversation. It was very uplifting to hear something so positive on the radio which might encourage any couple to participate fully in their marriage preparation course.

</br> We begin now the 50 days of Easter a time when the fullness of God’s love, revealed by the Risen Lord can be encountered, reflected on and allowed to sustain our living faith for the year ahead. I pray that his will be a blessed and joyful time for everyone and that the gift of peace might come to our fragile world. Happy Easter

I have strong childhood memories of Palm Sunday celebrations in our home parish. As we arrived at the church there were bunches of long, thin, cream coloured palm branches, or more accurately, leaves, with a very pointy tip. Everybody took one, and at the appropriate moment held them up for the Canon to bless. One of my sisters was expert at origami and she could always be relied on to use her sharp nails to split the palm down the middle, poke a hole in one half and with a deft flick of the wrist, she would pull one side through the other and hey presto a little palm cross appeared. During the long gospel, which I really didn’t like, I was prone to poke my other sister with the tip of the palm leaf, making her squeal, stop it! Then I would get hear a hiss or a snarl from mum or dad, threatening all sorts of punishments when we got home. All in all, I really found it all very long, boring and way beyond my comprehension.

</br> As the years have passed I’ve become enthused with the whole ritual of marking the entry of Our Lord into Jerusalem. I can imagine the crowds cheering his arrival into the holy city, and can see the donkey, the green palms spread like a carpet on the road, and feel the great excitement. Now I know it’s the beginning of this amazing week when the Christian community really reflect and pray on the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection. It is one of the great privileges of the priesthood to celebrate these liturgies, with the parish, during the coming days. I think those who never got beyond the boredom of childhood experiences have pretty much stopped coming and now we have congregations who really care about this week. Hopefully we will gather in good numbers, come early, take it all in, participate fully and make time for extra prayer and reflection. And of course, be good to your sisters!

St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the three churches of our partnership were very enjoyable, drew many words of appreciation for music, liturgy, preaching and atmosphere and lifted many hearts. A big word of thanks to everyone who made this day so special and with God’s help St Patrick will continue to encourage our efforts to live in and build up the Christian community in this area. His is a spirit that celebrates in good times and endures when the going gets tough. This day united us with the family and friends who share our heritage in countries across the world and brings them close in mind and heart.

</br> At the morning Mass in Mount Merrion, on St Patrick’s Day, a new initiative was announced, the launching of the project to re-roof, refurbish and refresh the Sports Hall in the parish community centre. For more than 50 years this facility has been used almost daily by a multitude of groups who need a hall for sports and recreation in the heart of the community that can be accessed at low cost. As part of our ordinary care of property the roof was surveyed in recent times and as we expected it was considered to be at the end of its safe and effective use. With the encouragement of the centre management committee and permission from the Archbishop we have taken the brave decision to undertake this work. Our goal is to make a good hall better, and prepare it for the next 50 years of service. The work will cost around €300,000 and we need to raise about €175,000 to fund the work. In recent years the community centre has built up some reserves, the parish of Mount Merrion was able to assign the proceeds of a bequest to the development fund and we have enough resources to get started in July. Before Easter I will write to all those who are registered with the three parishes and make an appeal for funds. We begin with a “Save our Slates” SOS message and ask everyone to sponsor a slate for just €20 and then those who can to gift us funds. We are so grateful to the past parishioners who first built the hall, and those who contributed to the redevelopment of the centre 25 years ago.

</br> I know we can rely on many of you to support this appeal and thank you in advance

This mid Lenten week is full of celebrations, Mother’s Day, St Patrick’s Day and the feast of St Joseph to begin with. Each of these days gives us a reason to have gratitude, thank God and count our blessings. Our mothers, here with us, deserve our deepest love and affection every day, but on this one occasion there is a collective expression of joyful praise for all that they mean to us. The cards, chocolates, flowers and treats are important, but it’s what they convey that really matters, admiration, appreciation, gratitude, pride, wonder and indebtedness to start with! All of this joy on the surface, seen through the prism of faith, remind us that mothers are a channel of God’s love in it’s deepest mystery. The mothers who stick by their children through thick and thin, forgiving our erring ways and always seeing the best in us, who nurture our gifts and talents, believing in who we are and what we do, that’s a God given gift that makes such a difference in life.

</br> I go to Our Lady’s Altar every Mother’s Day to light a candle for Julie, my mother, who I believe to be in heaven. When I see the flickering flame on the votive candle I give thanks for her role as a guiding light in the lives of each of her 7 children, and thank God for her life on earth and the faith that unites her with us still. I often hear my siblings say, when something really good happens in the course of daily life, ‘Ah that’s Julie looking after me’. I imagine they say something similar if they get out of a tight spot too! The role that every mother takes on of ‘looking after her children’ is lived uniquely be each one as they meet the challenge of brining life into the world and protecting their off spring every step of the way. We give thanks to God today for their part in our lives, well done Mum!

What a difference a little bit of sunshine and clear blue skies can make to our mood. Alongside the brighter, longer days, the arrival of daffodils and crocus flowers pushing out of the cold, sodden earth, really does herald the first days of Spring. Of course, we all know that March winds can be cold, that April showers can strike at any time, but it feels ok to dream of warmer summer days to come.

</br> When we mention ‘mood’ and how we feel, and accept that external things beyond our control do really affect our happiness and wellbeing, then maybe that explains why new conflicts in the Middle East can just get us down. Since last weekend the world feels different. Once again, our newsfeed gives a carefully curated glimpse of skies lit up, smoke bellowing from destroyed buildings, missiles and fighter planes streaking across the skies with their payload of destructive force raining down on cities, and citizens, ending lives and annihilating military installations, destroying schools and homes. We know the fear and distress of passengers transiting through the region, finding themselves caught up in the chaos, but we can scarcely comprehend the depth of pain in the families of those killed and wounded, displaced and abandoned, as they try to make sense of the new world order.

</br> Lent for believers is a time of recollection, repentance and the resolution to change, to become more like Christ and to build his Kingdom of peace, joy and love. We are told to ‘believe in the Good News’ and the power of the Gospel. So, we learn once more to pray, to petition, to hope and offer any help and assistance we can. The great powers of the world order have moved in recent time from aid, to arms, our spiritual power is to transform conflict into peace and reconciliation. Maybe when the dust settles and the weapons of war are silenced the light of the Risen Christ will guide us to his peace.

2nd Sunday of Lent </br> At six ceremonies, beginning this week, the Sacrament of Confirmation will be conferred on candidates from all the primary schools in our partnership. These are very enjoyable days of celebration, gathering in with the young people, their parents and sibling, grandparents and god parents, sponsors and friends. The church will be decorated with signs and symbols of the Holy Spirit, the vivid red vestments are a change from the Lenten purple and the music and readings resonate with the power that the Spirit brings. The candidates have all prepared well with their classmates and teachers, reflected in their comprehensive work books, artwork and prayers and participation in the liturgy. For those receiving the Sacrament the end of primary education is drawing close now, and their future move to post primary school is looming. It’s a bitter sweet time, great to complete their education here and maybe a bit apprehensive about the move to come.

</br> During my recent 6-day directed retreat the wise and insightful Jesuit priest who was guiding me, asked that I would spend a day thinking and reflecting on how God is actually active in the world. To prompt this reflection, he asked me to read Galatians 5:22-23. Here we find the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit listed, they are love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness and self-control, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. He wanted me to appreciate that God is alive in the lives of people who we all encounter when they put these fruits into action. He also wanted me to appreciate that when I was living these things then God was acting through me too. That is something I hope the candidates come to understand and live out, they have the power of transforming life using the fruits of the Spirit which dwells in them. We all have this power!

1st Sunday of Lent. </br> On Ash Wednesday a lady came into the sacristy to say a word of thanks for the homily she had just heard at Mass. While she was thanking me, I was trying to explain that I had in fact read out a piece from Pope Leo’s Lenten message, and that the credit was all his. I had prefaced the quotation by saying aloud the little phrase I often heard in school, ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’. I accept that sticks and stones can really injure you, but I’ve also found that words have been deeply hurtful too. When someone calls you names, gossips about you, tells lies, speaks unkindly behind your back, I think, and feel, that this is deeply hurtful and not at all easy to shrug off. So, what did Pope Leo say? He was inviting us all to abstain from “words that hurt and offend our neighbour. Let’s begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and can’t defend themselves. Instead let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media and in Christian communities. ” I was aware the Edwin Adogbo, born and raised in Cork, who won his first cap for Ireland on Saturday, suffered vile abuse on social media when the IRFU posted some warm words of congratulations. The lady who visited the sacristy was touched by the words of Pope Leo because her granddaughter has been subject to deeply hurtful gossip from other girls in her class at one of our leading schools. So maybe we can all take a lead from Pope Leo’s message and be ever more responsible for the things we say and express about others, so that even the unintended insult, put down or comment might be avoided and our words won’t hurt anyone this Lent and beyond.

Every year the Diocesan offices send us a form to record the numbers of baptisms, weddings, first Holy Communions and Confirmations which took place during the year. I was filling in this form for Mount Merrion during the week, we had a lot of baptisms, over 80, fewer funerals, less than 50, and over a hundred young people for Communion and Confirmation and zero weddings. It really hadn’t struck me that we had none at all until I wrote that ‘0’ on the form. Definitely during the year, we had a number of couples who came to us here to have their paperwork completed for weddings that took place in smaller churches, near popular wedding venues and it was a pleasure to meet them and chat through their hopes and expectations for marriage and family life. Yet not to have a single celebration of the sacrament of marriage in a parish church, that was something new for me. I guess it reflects a trend that we are all aware of, couples marry a bit later in life than before, organise their wedding themselves, rather than it being something the parents host, and they choose what is appealing to themselves and suitable for the circle of family and friends. Often the convenience of a single venue wedding, with a civil celebrant, informs their choice. If perhaps they have left the practice of faith slip away from their ordinary life then the effort of engaging with the parish, a priest, preparing a liturgy and resourcing it with music and flowers, is all a bit too much to ask. The sacraments of the church exist only to bring God’s powerful blessing into the lives of the followers of Jesus Christ. They remind us that God is present in the significant moments of life, with grace and hope, to support, guide and affirm our life choices. The sacraments bind us to God’s purpose and design for his family on earth, he has made a covenant with us, and in marriage we make a covenant with the one person we want to share our whole life with. I hope and pray that there will be sacramental celebrations of marriage in the year to come.

A few words from Fr Peter...You are the Light of the World </br> My Catechism teacher once said," you are the only bible some persons may ever read all their lives." It's always a great atmosphere at the service of Light as parents pass on the lighted baptismal candle to their children. The children boldly receive the candle promising to take responsibility for their faith. This is a huge promise but it can be lived out in very simple but meaningful ways. I am Light when I show kindness, when I share, when I tell the truth, when I offer help, when I follow God’s way of love and justice and put others first. Yes, we are like a house built upon the Hill-top. Let our Light shine forth in various good works for the world to see and glorify our heavenly Father.

He makes all things beautiful in its time: The persistent rain climaxing in Storm Chandra has been the dominant subject of conversation. Needless to say, it hasn't been a pleasant time with many counting various degrees of losses, but we trust and hope for better days. Indeed, it will be better. There are always positives in every situation. With so much rain, we hope for good harvests . Soon, the soil gets warm, and Spring sets in with dafidols and tulips displaying their beauty and shine. It always gets better, for God makes all things beautiful in its time.

Last Monday I believe was called “Blue Monday”, to reflect that it is just about the most depressing day in the whole year! It was the third Monday in January, with all of last month’s pay check long since spent, all the joy of Christmas gatherings, bright lights and holidays fading from the memory and of course it comes during a cold, wet, miserable few days.

</br>

Well I’m happy to say there were a number of things that really lifted my spirits on Monday and the days since. The first of these uplifting moments was attending the Prayer for Christian Unity Week, hosted by the Carmelite Sisters in Kilmacud. They had invited the Secretary General of AMRI, Gerard Gallagher to speak on the theme of ‘Hope’. Gerard was once upon a time a fellow seminarian with me in Maynooth, he left in favour of marriage and has worked his entire professional career for church related groups, especially with young people. His current role is to work with the Religious of Ireland, older and younger members, and to assist them with governance and oversight of their work, encouraging the religious and advocating for their work at home and abroad. It was a joy to hear him speak with such obvious regard and respect for the religious and to bring a huge sense of hope for the future. Congregations of Religious may be smaller in number but they still have a huge impact in the prayer and social ministries of the Church.

</br>Then I watched, and was very impressed, by some of the work done for Catholic Schools week by our local schools. Prayer, letters of Gratitude, Grandparents Day and many more activities reflected the serious intent of our young people to grow in faith and to know and love God day by day.

</br> On another evening, I attended a Finance Committee meeting and found two new members, parishioners with exceptional talent, stepping forward and taking on a role in an essential part of what it takes to make our parishes work. Hopefully their example will encourage others to volunteer.

</br> And lastly, I bumped into two ladies who have regenerated a baptismal team, under the guidance of their Parish Pastoral Council and intend to offer great support to the families with young children who are coming to begin their faith journey. Many ministry teams would benefit from a little regeneration and new members and it’s just brilliant to see the seeds of new growth.

</br> I could go on, there were many more marvellous moments in parish ministry this past week, all of these aspects of the life and ministries in our Trinity of Faith partnership of parishes really do affirm our common mission to carry on the work of the local church and to do it together, and always with a smile. No Blue Mondays here!

Last Sunday, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, was also the last day for my Christmas tree, decorations and lights. One by one the balls came off the tree, then all the little bits and pieces that I’ve gathered up over the years, mementoes of places visited, ornaments and gifts received, some odd little family heirlooms, were wrapped up and returned to the attic. I find great comfort and joy in those days when the house is full of light, life, good food and treats, visitors, cards and joy. January really can be a very testing time! But it is a New Year and all of us can use the quieter days of this month to look ahead into the months to come. If we made resolutions, brilliant, even if some have been broken already. Plans for the summer might be on our minds, places to go, people to see, new experiences to be enjoyed. When it’s not too cold, windy or wet, the odd walk in the park, by the sea, or in the hills can be a good tonic. Looking at the bare trees, the empty fields, in the watery winter light, is beautiful in some deep and moving way. We know that soon enough the earth will warm a little, buds will come on branches, snowdrops and daffodils, will force their way up, and their blossom will herald Spring. God’s creative energy transforms the bleak mid-winter of nature and can work powerfully in our lives too. Whether we simply repeat the familiar cycle of the liturgical year, from Ash Wednesday on, or adopt some new and creative aspect of the journey of faith, the divine will be moving in our hearts and minds. God wants us to grow, to be more alive, to deepen our connection to the Spirit and to each other in this community of faith. Let’s be alert to how we might be moved, from deep within our being, to make another wonderful year on the journey of faith, love and charity.

Around now we are used to hearing about the BT Young Scientist of the Year gathering in the RDS. This year there is new sponsor, the tech company Stripe, itself created by two brothers who won this competition when they were school boys. Regardless of the sponsor, the Young Scientist competition continues to dazzle and amaze us all. The young people who come from all over the country with their projects are just fantastic. They have bright minds, with the gift of thinking about the world we live in and a desire to contribute something to knowledge of how the world works. Some of them have projects which are very hard for the lay person to understand as perhaps they show detailed mathematical models that mystify us and need a lot of explanation. Others take some every day situation in the home, farm or school and try and create a solution, a better way to achieve some desirable end. I love the little snippet on the news when reporters, following after the judges, come to the stands and chat to the young people. Now instead of football jerseys, of club and county, they proudly wear their school crested jumpers, identifying where they are from and in which community their talent is being challenged and guided. It’s a proud moment for the contestants, their parents and families and the schools. In fact it is a proud moment for us all, as we lean in an listen to their explanation of how they identified their topic, did their research and brought this learning into the competition. Although there is no particular religious element to the competition I’m sure the young people are reflecting on the mystery of creation, appreciating the gift of their own keen minds and drawing on the learning of famous scientists from history. Well done to every one of them.

At the end of Mass most Sundays the celebrant says a brief word of thanks, this gentle acknowledgment of the choir, ministers, servers and all those present, simply affirms the contributions of one and all. Now that the year 2025 has come to an end can I extend that attitude of gratitude to each and every person who gives life to this parish. The sheer number of people involved, day by day and throughout the year makes it impossible to thank each of you in person. It never ceases to amaze me that parishioner have such an extraordinary range of skills and talents and how generous people are in sharing them with the community. Alongside the usual ministries which animate the Mass, look after the church, and the grounds are a whole lot of interpersonal relationships of care and compassion where we are neighbours and friends to one and other. From a quiet word, a warm smile, a handshake or hug, people really look out for and look after each other in powerful ways. When this kind and decent attitude also makes the stranger welcome, the young feel valued, the elderly respected we really do look and act like a Christian community. A little headline in one of the English papers in the past few days reported on a wellbeing survey and said that people with a connection to and involved in their Parish community were both healthier and happier. Personally I wouldn’t need a survey to know this is true as I see it every single day!

</br>This is a time when folks make New Year resolutions and imagine how something new could enrich their lives. There are always openings in the parish for volunteers. So many of our leadership groups, ministry groups and other parish groups mention how hard it is to get new members. If you have a gift, time and good spirit do please consider taking on a role which would enhance your commitment and be a blessing to others.

</br>Finally just a word of appreciation for our staff and our clergy, we have such a dynamic team across the Trinity of Faith partnership, everyone gives so much more than we can demand of them to keep these three churches and two parish centres humming along all year. Well done to one and all.

</br>Happy New Year 2026

I heard a little quote from Pope Leo early in December, he said “The joy of compassion is infectious. ” It struck a chord with me and I recalled it every time I witnessed compassion in the build up to Christmas. You can see joy written all over the face of someone who got a helping hand, freeing them from the anxiety of not being able to provide for their family. One example I noticed of this was when the vouchers were being distributed at Br Kevin’s kitchen. This spirit of compassion sent choirs out carol singing, volunteers bringing senior citizens together for parties, young people doing a sleep out in the city centre to raise funds for the homeless, and on and on and on. All these good works also bring a warmth to the heart of those who do all this selfless charitable work, they often feel that they got more out of it than those they helped. So where does compassion come from? Why do we have this urge to help others at Christmas time? Why does compassion bring infectious joy? I think you have to look no further than the crib. The birth in the stable of Bethlehem of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, displays God’s great gamble. He sends his Son into our world, in the simplest of circumstances, he shows the devotion of Mary, the support of Joseph, the welcome of shepherds and angels, and he asks us all to receive him into our lives. If we say yes to the Lord, and invite him in, there is only one place he will dwell, in our hearts, and then these hearts will be full of compassion. He will say to us when you visited the sick and the prisoner, clothed the naked, housed the homeless, looking after the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did this to me. Compassion always leads to Christ, and He is the source of our infectious joy.

On Monday evening, Mount Merrion will host the Advent Reconciliation Service for the Holy Trinity Partnership. For the past 20 years or more the usual format has been a penance service, with a visiting preacher, and a number of confessors and lasted about 45 mins to an hour. Last year a number of people chatted to me about the length of the service, in the middle of a busy time of year and with winter weather, they felt it was too long, and they were cold before the end. So, taking this into account and in consultation with some other parishes we are changing the format this year. We are simply inviting parishioners to “come and confess” anytime between 7.30pm and 8.15pm. There will hopefully be 7 priests available and all are welcome to come and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, take a moment for penance and prayer, and slip away. We hope this might suit parishioners needs, perhaps encourage parents to bring their children and take some of the pressure off confessions on Christmas Eve morning. We hope to have a quiet, reflective environment, a warm church, some gentle music and a peaceful, supportive gathering. Coming to confession should never be an ordeal and we hope to experience the healing love of Christ in this most blessed moment of Grace. Sometimes entering into the reflection about how well we are living our Christian life, recognising things that need to change and seeking reconciliation can be the greatest gift we give to those we love. Please come.

</br> Fr Peter Johnson CC.

Fr Peter went home to Nigeria in the summer to apply for a visa to return to Ireland as a Religious worker. After a long six months of patient waiting the visa has now been issued and very soon he will have a flight back to Ireland and will return to our partnership and carry on his excellent work. We look forward to seeing his smiling face again and enjoying his company.

At a funeral Mass recently the celebrant mentioned a picture of Jesus which had hung on the kitchen wall of their family home. This was an image much loved by his mother he told us, then he held up a copy of that image for us all to see. It showed Jesus, his head tilted back, mouth open with laughter, with bright eyes, it was really nice. I don’t think I had ever seen this picture before, or even thought of Our Lord laughing. The priest did quote his nephew asking Nan what Jesus was laughing at, and his mum responding, “My cooking!”

</br> I’m sure many of us who were listening immediately thought what is it in my life that might cause the Lord to laugh with me. There are so many things we do and say that make other people laugh, sometimes it is the joke we tell, other times how silly we are and we all know it is good to laugh, especially at ourselves. Humour often helps and in moments when we are laughing believing that Jesus joins in the laughter does establish another connection to our Lord, making him even more real in our lives.

</br> Afterwards I thought that I had in fact seen a smiling Jesus, at least when he was a baby. So many crib figures depict the Lord with his eyes open, taking in the world around him, and a smile on his lips. Babies often smile at the people who love them, pick them up, say sweet words to them. Babies who can’t speak their appreciation for food, love, being held and rocked, can at least smile, laugh, giggle. Many adults intentionally make the baby laugh by pulling funny faces, it seems we all find that response from a little child heart-warming, affirming and desirable.

</br> At the end of the homily we were told that his mother taught her children that this laughing Jesus had two requests of us all, to “Do this in memory of me” at the Eucharist, and ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’, to go out and be kind to others. Maybe the best faith formation happens in the kitchen, and when Jesus laughs.

My first primary school had just two rooms, two teachers, open fires and an outside toilet. It was up a lane behind the church, with just the graveyard between us and people coming and going to Mass. The principal was known as ‘The Master’ and seemed very strict to us, especially when we moved into his room where four classes were taught together. This was the Catholic school, of St Mary’s Parish, and a beautiful statue of Our Lady looked down on us as we worked. Small and all as we were the education was pretty good, and many of the pupils went on to achieve well in life. I was moved on from this little country school to the main Catholic school in the town for the last part of my primary education. In those times we had to take an exam called the ‘11 Plus’ and a pass meant you were streamed for a grammar school education, a pathway to a more academic secondary school. During these years I had my First Communion in the local church with the classmates from that school and my Confirmation in the town with the new school. We learnt our prayers, celebrated the feast days, went to Sunday Mass and integrated our faith development as we grew to maturity. There was nothing unusual at all about being a catholic family, practicing our faith, and participating in the life of the parish and wider church. Our priests were familiar visitors to our classroom and we saw and heard them at Mass and around the parish, in the shops, at games and occasionally at home. This vision of the Catholic school has continued and evolved as life has progressed. Now there is a survey from the Department of Education to discern the schools of the future, and the church leaders are really encouraging parents to participate. Whatever the future holds it is important that all the partners in education get to have their preferences heard. Please encourage those who can to take the time to express their sincerely held view.

During the past couple of weeks, I have been putting together the new Altar List of the Dead. It is such a joy to open the envelopes parishioners send in and to read the names recorded by yourselves. There is a huge variety in how long or short the list of names are. Some people simply mention one or two names, a spouse, a child, parents or grandparents. Others list generations of the family who have died often alongside neighbours and friends. I’m always touched when I see the names of priests and religious, who depend on being remembered by those they lived among and served, Fr Tony’s name is often mentioned. The overall feeling I get is one of connection, recalling the past, holding the memories of beloved people and the underlying expression of hope that they, and all the faithful departed are at peace. I mentioned at Mass recently that I had read a beautiful reflection on death by Sr Stan, now herself numbered among the departed. In it she quotes Peig Sayers, another wise Kerry woman, who when asked where is heaven, replied, heaven is just a few inches above the head of the tallest man! In this comment she captures a really important part of Irish spirituality, that the dead are not far away from us, that their closeness continues to console and sustain those who grieve them. Lighting a candle to remember them points us towards heaven and affirms our hope that God in his mercy will deliver them from death and carry their souls into the light of his presence for ever. May they rest in peace.

I had no idea that so many people owned Bernese Mountain Dogs, like the three beautiful hounds, Bród, Síoda and Misneach that our departing President shared with us during his 14 years in the Aras. On the day before he left the Phoenix Park for the last time a guard of honour was formed with a very large number of these dogs lined up as a very special tribute. The photographs reflected his joy, the excitement of the people gathered and showed how beautiful these dogs are. It was an expression of appreciation, affection and gratitude in a very Irish way. We love the President, he loves his dogs and the gathering of fellow citizens who share that passion was just a perfect farewell.

</br> As one first citizen leaves the Áras an Uachtaráin another moves in, and so we welcome President Catherine Connolly and wish her well in her official role. It was very moving on Tuesday November 11th so watch and listen as the pomp and ceremony of her swearing in unfolded in Dublin Castle. There was a small group of school children gathered to welcome her and wave as she stepped out of her official car, they had the front row seats, so to speak. One little lad, interviewed for the news, expressed his hope that she would do well, but as this was just her first day, she probably still had a lot to learn. . </br> As one first citizen leaves the Áras an Uachtaráin another moves in, and so we welcome President Catherine Connolly and wish her well in her official role. It was very moving on Tuesday November 11th so watch and listen as the pomp and ceremony of her swearing in unfolded in Dublin Castle. There was a small group of school children gathered to welcome her and wave as she stepped out of her official car, they had the front row seats, so to speak. One little lad, interviewed for the news, expressed his hope that she would do well, but as this was just her first day, she probably still had a lot to learn.

I went into a church to pray and saw these words on a banner, “In November we remember”. It was placed in a display of flowers and candles, along with a list of names of the parishioners who had died in the past twelve months. There were an almost equal number of men and women, I’m not sure of their range of ages, but the word ‘Baby’ was written alongside three of them. I discovered later that the eldest was just a few months short of 100

</br> No doubt in recent days the parish gathered the bereaved families and together all remembered their loved ones who had died during the year, each person precious to their family and none of them likely to be forgotten. I’ve no idea about their individual lives as I was just passing through, but I’ve thought a lot about the three sets of parents who had recently lost their precious baby. Every human life is important, however long or short, and grief can be an enormous burden to carry. The funeral of a child often reflects childish things, teddy bears and bright colours, pictures and knitted boots, all sorts of little souvenirs that mark the babies name and how much love and joy they brought into the lives of all who welcomed the news of their birth. To wait expectantly for a child to come into the world, then hear in the gentle voice of a doctor, of a condition not compatible with life, and then to all to quickly come to the end of life, brings with it such a roller coaster of emotions. Once at the funeral of a child I remember hearing a priest speak of a beautiful flower, the Day Lily, which lives but a single day, the blossom opens in the morning, with a great splash of colour, and by evening it withers and falls to the ground. It is perfectly formed, brings beauty and fragrance into nature, but its time is so brief. Is this a waste? No, not at all. Short lives matter too.

</br> In a sense, looking at the span of history, all human lives are brief. God gives us all a life on earth, and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus we’ve been given the promise of eternal life, an existence with God in heaven which will never end. This we call ‘hope’ because it gives us a new horizon beyond death, loss and sadness and points us to everlasting peace.

</br> This is why we never forget our beloved family and friends who have gone before us and who we trust will one day welcome us into this heavenly home.

In their Memory By Fr Peter Ewaoche Johnson

The season is here again when we remember our loved ones who have gone before us. It's a season of hope love and reflection. We recall with cherished memories the times of our loved ones, the love we shared, the struggles we navigated together, the sacrifices we made for each other. We rekindle our faith and hope in the resurrection. In their memory, we offer prayers that they share in the blessed eternal bliss in the presence of God, their maker. This noble act brings us healing and raises our hope . It reassures us that though they are no longer with us physically, spiritually they journey with us, and we hope to reunite with them some day. Remembering the dead makes us appreciate life more. It reminds us of the reality of death and the limitation of time. Time remains a prime factor in all we do but it is easy to undervalue its role in our life or take its gift for granted.

</br> Remembering our loved ones reminds us that we should make use of the opportunities we have to impart wisdom and make meaning out of life with the time we’re given. It inspires us to thank our maker for these opportunities and to desire to make good memories. It makes us reflect on the true essence of life: love, kindness and faith. It inspires us to reach out now when we can. It makes us realise the need to connect with our maker whom we hope to return to some day. As a faith community, remembering and praying for the dead celebrates our faith and belief in the communion of the saints, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. It gives us strength to know that some of our sisters and brothers of our faith community are now numbered among the saints in heaven. They remain a part of us as we journey on in faith. So, as many a time we light candles for the dead, offer masses for them, say quiet prayers for them, visit their graves with deep affections, we are affirming our faith. In their memory we pray, we hope, we trust in the words of the Saviour, "those who believe in me, though they die, will rise again." (Cf John 11:25). May the souls of all our deceased loved ones and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

Jesus, our model and master, summarises the missionary mandate in Luke 4:18 with the words of the prophet (Isaiah 61:1) as bringing the Good News to the poor, setting prisoners free, opening the eyes of the blind and liberating the downtrodden. The Gospel is good news indeed because it liberates cultures, gives insight into what makes for true flourishing and confronts social injustice with the message and acts of love that pursue fair consideration for humans and all of God's creation. As Fr. Joe attests, different milieu has had different challenges, hence mission has taken various models and approaches as history and society progress. However, the call on every baptised Christian to be a witness to the missionary mandate in belief and life has remained the same and everyone's contribution in every age is priceless. An African proverb puts it succinctly: it is the assembling of various bowls of water from different individuals that fills the earthenware pot to the brim.

</br> Mission in Africa today is targeted at building a self-sustaining church that can meet both spiritual and material needs of all especially the less privileged. The church is considered both a spiritual and a social organ of the society, a voice of conscience formation, justice and civilisation. This has been informed by the early Missionary Enterprise when missionary presence meant goodwill, provision of education, medical services and basic amenities like water. All community members today contribute within their reach to sustain missionary initiative. While some make little donations of money, many others offer land, skills, labour, time, food crops, security etc to enable the church carry out its missionary work. People form themselves into devotional and social groupings based on devotional preferences, age, gender, or profession and make their impact felt through those groups. Everyone gives their time, energy and resources in various capacities with so much joy and belief in God's providence. Here in lies the secret behind missionary success. The seemingly little sacrifices each one makes translate to huge advancement for the kingdom of God. Hence, Jesus likens the kingdom of God to a mustard seed which appears the smallest of seeds but grows into a big shrub when sown. The church and ministries we have today are products of the labours and sacrifices of many of our ancestors in the faith. As the month of mission draws to an end, God bless everyone living or dead who has contributed and still contributing in various ways to the growth of our church and the ministries we offer. Everyone is valuable and every service priceless. The ongoing Volunteer initiative in our Parish and Partnership offers great opportunities for everyone to bring in their mustard seeds in various areas as the spirit leads and enables. That is the missionary spirit and it is so rewarding and fulfilling. With our little seeds we spread the gospel of love, justice and peace that is the only antidote to hatred and evil in the world.

Lent seems like a long time ago, and most of us will have forgotten what sacrifices we made or alms we gave. A letter from Trocaire came in during the week to express thanks for our parish gift of alms. The Director explained that the Lenten campaign had made an enormous difference against the storm of poverty and climate change in Guatemala, giving families there a future. He used the expression “Today your generosity stands beside them.” It was a powerful reminder of why we fast, give alms and help those in need as an expression of our faith and in gratitude for our own good fortune.

</br>Another expression of this desire to be of support to those who suffer came in a request from one of my sisters in law to contribute to a fundraiser. She is walking 100km during this month as part of a community initiative to raise money to send medicines to Gaza. She isn’t a young woman anymore, but she is determined and generous. So, she puts on her boots, and either alone or with a neighbour or friend, they set out to walk, regardless of the weather, to make this goal, doing a bit every day.

</br>The Mission Sunday appeal is yet another channel of being able to make a difference elsewhere by giving something here today. Read Pope Leo’s note in this newsletter, he speaks as a missionary and his words ring true with all the experience we have with Irish men and women who built up the church in so many parts of the world.

</br>A final word from Trocaire, “Thank you Fr Mullan and all your parishioners for your steadfast heart for humanity.”

October is the month of Mission and Mission Sunday is marked next weekend. This is an opportunity to support the Pontifical Mission Society and assist the church in the developing world. Last year the parishes of Ireland donated €1.4m to this worthy work and no doubt that money has been used wisely. The idea of Mission is rooted in the concept of evangelisation, which means to bring the word of God and Good News of salvation to those who haven't heard it. For evangelisation to thrive people need a well organised and resourced church. Catechists have to be trained, programmes written and a people given a place to gather and learn together. In the developing world, this model of church, rooted in Synodality, continues to become imbedded in communities everywhere the Catholic church is present.

</br>Here in Ireland we are not a young church, we have had centuries of coming to know the Gospel, from the time of St Patrick right up to the present moment. We have had his missionary church, bringing the first proclamation of the Gospel, we have had the monastic church with its centres of learning, beautiful manuscripts and wonderful liturgy. When that phase in our development died off we had the rise of the diocesan and local parish communities, where with pride and purpose our ancestors built churches, schools and all the charitable organisations that have sustained us for 150 years.

</br>But now we have a church with a new mission, the proclamation of the Gospel in the digital age, in a time when technology abounds and channels of communications saturate our daily life. Our mission today is to bring that essential truth and teaching, arising from the life and ministry of Our Lord Jesus Christ and present it to the minds and hearts of a new generation. Those who find the Lord, build His church, create living communities of faith and all love of God and love of neighbour to animate their lives day by day. We can be that people.

Wednesday October 1st was the Feast Day of St Therese, made all the more special this week as it was also the 100th anniversary of her having been declared a Saint in 1825 by Pope Pius XI. Much has changed in that 100 years. I relate to that change because my dad was born on the same day that this wonderful woman was canonised. As I think through his life, growing up in Armagh after the First World War, losing his dad (aged 36) when he was just 4 years old, his schooling, graduating as a dentist, marrying my mum and fathering 7 children, I see so much transformation in our world. Yet there are things that are constant, which by remaining the same remind us of universal laws and truths that abide and are handed on from one generation to the next. The God my dad loved, and the prayers he learnt at home, taught me, and I pray now remain the same, 'Our Father who art in heaven.......' The values of integrity, honesty, respect, fidelity, truth and justice, drawn from the New Testament, taught in the catechism and lived out day by day, they too remain unchanged.

</br>This awareness can help all of us to be drawn to the teaching of St Therese, who like my grandad was never old, not so highly educated, but is now a Doctor of the Church and a Saint with untold wisdom. The universal appeal of St Therese comes from the simplicity of her 'Little Way.' She just wanted all of us to do every day acts with great love, and trust in God. She taught that holiness is achievable not through grand gestures but through simple, humble actions performed with good intentions. She taught us to trust in God's mercy, to make small sacrifices and to love not judge. I don't know if the people who've influenced my faith journey were devoted to St Therese, but they certainly lived like they followed her way, every single day.

Last Sunday was my first time to attend a 'Memory Walk' event. To mark National Alzheimer's Day walks were organised all over the country, with our local walk being held in Deerpark. From the many emails received and sent in the weeks leading up to the day, I came to realise that a lot of work goes into making moments like this happen. I imagine that most of those who pour time and effort into making the arrangements have a loved one who lives with memory loss. This was certainly the case here and infused the whole event with a sensitivity, compassion and goodwill that was really remarkable. The National association no doubt sourced the bright purple tee shirts, buckets and signs, but the volunteers must have come from the families who gather round abeloved person whose memory is fading. I'm not sure where the thought came from to offer everyone making the walk a candle to carry and come and place on tables in the church, but what a positive initiative. It was a pleasure just to be there, watching and listening to family groups, couples, dog walkers and friends, full of joy as they came in from the fresh air, rosy cheeked and bubbling with chat, into the serenity of the church. This simple act of striking a match and bringing a candle alive with light and heat, and assembling a collage of flickering flames, all representing a living person, with this extra dimension to their lives, was deeply moving. Then the company in the Community Centre was really enjoyable, everyone chatting to strangers, introducing mum or dad, making real the compassionate connections that dealing with memory loss affords us. Full marks to everyone who came, walked, talked, shared the light and enjoyed the company.

"May the Lord who has begun this good work in you, bring it to completion." I heard these words from the Rite of Ordination last Saturday as Archbishop Farrell embraced Fr Ciaran during the Mass at which he became a priest. Later in the week I listened again to the Archbishop as he spoke about the life of Fr John Murphy on the day of his funeral. Fr John, often referred to as 'Murph' was a native of Mount Merrion and Parish Priest of Clonskeagh from 2001-2010. It was a privilege to be present at the beginning of a priestly life and to hear the hopes and aspirations expressed about the ministry that lies ahead for Fr Ciaran. The formal liturgical language suggests that he will preach, teach and sanctify, among the people he serves in the years ahead.

</br>It was also very moving to be present at the final Mass of a warm and caring pastor. The view of priesthood at the funeral was all about the experience of Fr John in his ministry, with his quick wit and enduring humour, he did all that he could to bring the Lord to the people entrusted to his care. Quotes from the tributes written on RIP.ie gave many expressions of appreciation for his ministry, from Mount Street School in 1971 right up to the end of his life in Newtownpark Nursing home, 52 years later. The homilist, a classmate, mentioned that 36 young men entered Clonliffe in 1964, setting out on a shared journey of seeking their Lord and master and he referenced how much has changed in the years since. Fr Ciaran was until Saturday one of 4 men on that some journey in Dublin now. I wonder what will change in the culture of church and the experience of priesthood in the next 52 years, what will he see in his lifetime?

</br>To Fr Ciaran we promise our support and prayers and hope that he will be happy and fulfilled in his ministry. To Fr John we express our appreciation for his life and commend his gentle soul to the love and mercy of Our Lord.

I stood at the altar for a moment at the beginning of a daily Mass during the week and felt a deep peace. The sun was shining in through the open doors, from outside came the happy sound of the children on a break, playing in the yard, in front of me faithful parishioners gathered to join hearts and minds in prayer. I had read the scriptures earlier and was moved by the call to have compassion and challenged by the radical Gospel preaching of Jesus, to love our enemies, to turn the other cheek. It was good for all of us to be present at this peaceful moment in the midst of our busy days and with all the pressures that the world around us brings to daily life.

</br>Earlier that same morning the news was chilling, one commentator saying we’ve never been closer to war since the end of world war two as we are at this moment. A young American influencer had been shot in Utah and the news feed was grappling with the reality that people can become so radically opposed to others with a different view point than their own that they commit acts of violence. There was news of drone strikes in Ukraine and devastation in Gaza among many global conflicts. Listening to all that news left me feeling something between despair and anger.

</br>The Gospel message and Christian discipleship are full of hope, with a message affirming God’s love for our world, especially the poor and broken hearted, and an assurance that all will be well. We have a duty to ensure that this message is heard, to show by our lives that it converts and inspires and that ultimately peace will prevail. We must never lose hope.

Week of 7th August Next Saturday Deacon Ciaran Egan will be ordained in Harrington Street church by Archbishop Farrell. Br Ciaran has been on pastoral placement here in the Holy Trinity Partnership for almost a year. During his time with us Ciaran has baptised many babies, assisted at Mass, preached often and led prayers. He has also visited schools, supported the sacramental preparation and participated in meetings with families before funerals. Through all of this pastoral activity he has exuded spiritual calmness, with a prayerful disposition and always been attentive to the people he has met. We might all remember him in our prayers in these final days of preparation for a huge day in his life, as he gets ready for the ordination ceremony. These are also important days for his religious community in the Oratory, for his family and friends, as they too show solid support for him now and during the priestly life that lies ahead. We wish him long and happy years in ministry.<b>

Last Sunday the Bishop’s Conference launched an initiative to invite people to return to Sunday Mass. We have all seen the huge fall off in regular Sunday worship which accelerated during the Covid crisis. The importance of gathering with our family in faith, hearing the Word and sharing in the Eucharist cannot be underestimated, we need one and other, we need the spiritual nourishment, we need to be together if we are to grow in faith. For those of us who are dedicated to the Sunday Mass the request is that we make every effort to invite those we know who have stopped coming to join us once again. I’m sure we also need to be ever attentive to how we participate at Mass, really striving to make the most of this precious time and to deepen the bond with those we meet in church.

Front page pictures in daily papers often catch in a single image a life event that we can all relate too. Images often triggers memories, touches our hearts and brings us back to a time in place in our own lives that we can never forget.

</br> This week many photographs were taken, at home, in the school yard and in classrooms capturing an image of a child’s first day at school. Is there anything more evocative of who we are and where we’ve come from than the experience of where we went to school? For the Junior infants it is exciting, scary, confusing and emotional. They are aware of their own feelings in this new and strange environment, but are probably a bit confused by the tears and fears of their mum and dad! The classroom becomes a new space in their lives, the teacher’s voice guides, encourages, corrects, inspires. The other children will be classmates, friends, partners in tasks, team mates at sport and companions on the journey to and from school. The uniform connects them to a whole school community and from this day on a huge chunk of their lives will develop in this space.

</br> As a parish, we have a strong connection to the local Catholic schools. We recognise their name, we admire the principal and staff and we try to support them in every way we can. They are part of our faith community and we want the children to deepen their knowledge of our religion, to prepare for and celebrate the sacraments, to participate in the Sunday liturgies and to share their hopes and dreams with us. We want to support the children and their families as they grow in faith, we want them to feel welcome and important when we gather. We welcome their artwork, music and prayers when they come and we promise to pray with and for them. May God bless and protect our children, their families and all who make school life rich and rewarding.

I had a sales call during the week. The caller began by saying “I see you are the moderator of a few parishes” and then he made his pitch. He was delighted that by talking to me he was able to kill three birds with one stone, as you might say! His call was timely because although I had no interest in his product I have been thinking a lot during the summer about our Partnership of Parishes, Clonskeagh, Kilmacud and Mount Merrion.

</br>I’ve been reflecting on what is going well, which is very uplifting, and looked at the pinch points which make for stressful moments. We have great levels of activity in all three parishes and there is no doubt that each parish community identifies strongly with the local church and seeks to have most, if not all, their needs met in the familiar environment.

</br>For the individual parishes to thrive we continue to rely on healthy levels of volunteering, active ministries, and generous financial support. For the liturgies in each parish to be credible we need decent levels of attendance and participation. During the last 6 years we have come to realise that we do need to work together and sometimes find that the service, or liturgy we need, means travelling to one of the other parishes in the partnership.

</br>When I mention stresses or pinch points we have a few issues to address. The most obvious one is finding priests to celebrate the liturgy when one of us is absent for holidays, sickness, retreat, or other commitments. There simply are fewer and fewer men available to call on, and therefore at times it is necessary to combine Masses in one church and ask parishioners to travel, or attend online. The second issue is declining congregations, and we will have to make judgement calls as to when to let some liturgies go in the hope that we have decent congregations when we gather. The third pinch point is finding people to volunteer onto the key parish committees, the Parish Councils, and Parish Finance Committees.

</br>As we move into the month of September, using the Building Hope resources provided by the diocese, we need to have some meetings to address these issues. Last year a group was formed from the three parishes and given the task of reflecting on a name and logo for our partnership. They have met often and worked hard and now have given us the fruit of their labour. The name chosen is <strong>Trinity of Faith</strong> and the logo is displayed below.

<img src="https://trinityoffaith.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mount-Merrion-Kilmacud-Clonskeagh-1-1-scaled.webp" alt="Trinity of Faith Logo" style="max-width:200px; width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:8px;"> </br>The Trinity Symbol, in yellow, captures the spirit of the three communities working together, and symbolises Divinity, Light and Hope. The Cross which overlaps the Trinity symbol is the core Christian sign and points towards the centrality of faith and the unity we share in the redemptive love of Jesus. The circular arrangement of the names of the three parishes around the symbols indicates our intention to work together with unity of belief, life and practice. The symbol and text are placed in a strong border circle for strength and visual unity. We are deeply indebted to those who undertook this task and did it so well. Hopefully we can adopt this logo and name and begin to use it next month.

On Wednesday morning, I saw a video clip of Archbishop Farrell speaking to Pope Leo at the end of his weekly audience. There he was in a line of Bishops, from all over the world, who formed an orderly queue, and then one by one they got to stand with the Pope for a short time. As they stepped forward, Pope Leo shook their hand firmly, and for maybe a minute or two they had his full and undivided attention. Naturally we couldn’t hear what was said, and without a lip reader to hand, it’s left to our imagination to work out what words were exchanged. Maybe Archbishop Farrell got a chance to mention that this weekend he has issued a very important Pastoral Letter to the Dublin Archdiocese. Like many of the Bishops in the line, our man has to deal with the changing church, the cultural shift away from Sunday observance, the aging and diminishing number of clergy, the falloff in funds and huge costs involved in sustaining the mission of the church. To all the challenges and problems of the present day he has to bring a message of hope, and a strategy for change that gives faith filled communities their very best chance to grow and thrive. It was lovely to see the senior church leaders chatting with each other as they waited in the line, then to see the quality of listening and respect in the encounter with Pope Leo and then I imagine every one of them walked away wanting to share with others what happened. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus maybe their hearts burned within them, as the encounter gave them encouragement and new strength.

This Pastoral Letter is accompanied by a document, “Process for the Modification of Parishes for Mission”

In the weeks, months and years ahead our Trinity of Faith Partnership, with its three parishes, will need to enter into this process as we discern our future. The letter and document are available on the Diocesan website and everyone is invited to read them.