Homepage
All Souls! November 2nd, 2013.
All Souls! Feast Day, Saturday Nov.2nd 2013.
If we believe in the ‘communion of saints’ at all, we believe that we are all of us ‘one in Christ’, members of the Body of the Lord, not just with those presently living, but with all who have gone before us in all ages.
‘For your faithful people, life is changed, not ended.’ (From Preface at funeral Mass).
‘The threads that bind us together in life do not unravel with death’,- from the Catholic funeral liturgy used in Ireland.
A 91year-old woman whom I met while visiting during a Parish Mission said to me, when I asked her about her love for the Holy Souls: ‘The Holy Souls? Sure, don’t they need us, and won’t we need them!’
That’s ‘communion of saints’ in real life! The faithful departed are still one with us, and we with them.
‘Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.’
Seamus Devitt C.Ss.R.
Death of Fr. Willie Power, Redemptorist, Wednesday Oct. 23, 2013.
Fr. William (Willie) Power, C.Ss.R.
1922 – 2013
The death has occurred in Carrigoran Nursing Home in Newmarketonfergus, Co. Clare, of our Redemptorist confrere, Fr. Willie Power. He was born on 20/02/’22. He died on October 23rd, 2013. May he rest in peace.
Funeral Notice: Fr. William Power, C.Ss.R., late of Redemptorists, Mount St. Alphonsus, South Circular Road, Limerick, originally of Pallasgrean, Co. Limerick, and fondly remembered for his ministry in India and Dundalk. Died peacefully, in the loving care of the sisters and staff at Carrigoran House, Co. Clare, 23rd October, 2013. Deeply regretted by his nieces and nephews, extended family, friends and his Redemptorist community and confreres.
Lying in repose in the Redemptorist Monastery, Limerick from 3pm, Thursday, 24th October. Removal to Mount St. Alphonsus Church at 6.30pm on Friday, 25th October, followed by Mass at 7.15pm. Requiem Mass at 12 Noon, Saturday, 26th October, followed by burial at the new Redemptorist plot at Castlemungret Cemetery, Co. Limerick.
Fr. Willie was born in Pallasgreen, Co. Limerick on the 20th February 1922. In 1936 he moved to Limerick city to continue his secondary studies at the Redemptorist College, now St. Clement’s College. Five years later in August 1941 he entered the Redemptorist novitiate in Dundalk. Just over a year later he pronounced his vows as a Redemptorist on 8th September 1942. From Dundalk he, along with his companions Sean Mullin, Sean Kelleher, Francis Mullaghy and Finbarr Connolly, travelled to the Redemptorist House of Studies, Cluain Mhuire, Galway where he began his formal theological training.
Four years into his course of studies he was one of five students sent to Bangalore, India in 1946. Eight years previously the Irish Redemptorists had begun a new overseas mission in the sub-continent and now, that World War II was over, circumstances permitted the setting up of a House of Studies for the training of future Redemptorists. This Irish quintet joined the first group of Indian and Singhalese students to form the new student community.
Three years later on 11th June 1949 Fr. Power was ordained a priest in Bangalore. After his ordination he was engaged mostly in the preaching of missions and retreats in towns and parishes of India and Sri Lanka. Between 1956-1962 he held the post of novice master.
On his return to Ireland in 1974 Fr. Willie was for a time a member of the Mt. St. Alphonsus community then in 1978 he was appointed curate in our parish of St. Joseph, in Dundalk and here he endeared himself to the parishioners by his kind and pleasant manner. On returning to Limerick in 1983 he became Director of the Holy Family confraternity, a post he held for four years. His next appointment was chaplain to Milford Care Home and later chaplain to the Brother Stephen Russell House (Alexian Brothers) and he continued in this role even into his eighties, besides taking part in the ministry of Mt. St. Alphonsus Church.
Fr. Willie had been the senior member of the province by profession but he was three weeks younger than the oldest member of the province namely, Fr. Tony Mulvey who is now also the senior member of the province.
For the last number of years due to ill health he has been a resident in Carrigoran House, Co. Clare. Here he died peacefully on the morning of 23rd October in the loving care of the sisters and staff of the Home and his confreres Fr. John Goode and Br. Seamus Campion.
Mission Sunday: ‘I WANT A MESS!’ Pope Francis to the young people in Rio, this past July.
Today, October 20th 2013, is World Mission Sunday.
World Mission Sunday,- 'Launch out into the Deep!'
‘I want a mess!’
Click here for a BBC account of his meeting with young people at the World Youth Day in Rio, in July. He’s shaking us up!
He told a crowd of 30,000 young Argentine Catholics attending World Youth Day in Rio to “make a mess” in their dioceses, to “stir things up”, to shake up the comfort, self-satisfaction and clericalism of a Church closed in upon itself. “Don’t forget to disturb complacency, but please don’t water down the faith!” Francis said.
'Go! ... Do not be afraid!.... Serve!'
Pope Francis is urging our Church and all her members to go out and reach individuals in their needs. To the young people in Rio, he said: ”Go! Do not be afraid! Serve! Go and make disciples of all nations”.
“What is it that I expect as a consequence of World Youth Day? I want a mess. We knew that in Rio there would be great disorder, but I want trouble in the dioceses! … I want to see the Church get closer to the people. I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures. Because these need to get out!”
Kissing babies, shaking hands from the back of a Fiat and extending gestures of friendship with the poor or disabled are all meant to convey an openness to people on their own terms. Francis left aside traditional security protocols (which allowed a crowd to mob the traffic-trapped mini popemobile), he wandered into Rio’s slums, he accepted drinks from strangers on the street.
To the bishops gathered in Rio, he said:
“We cannot keep ourselves shut up in parishes, in our communities, when so many people are waiting for the Gospel. It is not enough simply to open the door in welcome, but we must go out through that door to seek and meet the people! Let us courageously
'On yer bikes!', starting today.
look to pastoral needs, beginning on the outskirts, with those who are farthest away. … Go and look for them in the nooks and crannies of the streets.” On yer bikes, Bishops! he was telling them. On our bikes, us too!, he tells us.
And in his special message for this World Mission Sunday, he says this: ‘The Church – I repeat once again – is not a relief organization, an enterprise or an NGO, but a community of people, animated by the Holy Spirit, who have lived and are living the wonder of the encounter with Jesus Christ and want to share this experience of deep joy, the message of salvation that the Lord gave us. It is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church in this path.’
First, let Jesus in! Then you will be transformed, and your life will light up with his radiance. A few friends, radiant with Christ, can do far more than you could ever dream of. Start now.
‘I want a mess!’ Getting stuck in day after day to the ordinary wonderful messiness of daily living,- that’s what the Master wants of each of us and of each community, young and not so young. He wants us all to be young at heart and spread the Joy of the Gospel.
‘We cannot keep such great joy to ourselves!’ The motto at the earlier World Youth Day in Cologne.
“Look towards God and be radiant!’
For more about ‘the messy, alluring grace’ of Pope Francis click here.
To find more quotes from Pope Francis to the young people of the world: click here and enjoy!
To hear about his words to 3 million young people gathered for Mass on Copacabana beach in July (Go, Do not be Afraid, Serve), click here,- and listen to the mp3 player during it.
For his message to the world for World Mission Sunday, click here. 
SOUL FOOD for Hungry Adult Communities: Oct.20th 2013, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C.
Soul Food for Young Adult Communities: Oct.20th 2013, 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C.
This Sunday’s Gospel is Luke 18:1-8: The unjust judge and the persistent widow. Find it in your Bible or missal, or click here for Mass Readings.
{See separate reflection (“I want a mess!‘) for this World Mission Sunday, and what Pope Francis said to the young people in Rio, in July. Click here.}
The Virtue of Stick-at-it-ness in Prayer:
“Oh, she’s doin’ my head in! Give my head peace! I’ll give her whatever she wants, just to get her off my back. I wish she would just leave me alone! Here you are, dear, it’s all yours. Now go away!”
Just imagine someone heard-hearted acting like that. You look for justice, and you can’t get it. Nothing seems to work. But along comes someone persistent, who will not take No for an answer, and just keeps on pestering, one way or another, until the hard-hearted man or woman gives in, not for the sake of any justice, but just to get this person off his or her back.
Well, if somone who doesnt’ care a fig about God or people, eventually gives in, can you imagine our heavenly Father who loves people, who cares passionately about every single human as if he or she was the Only One,- what would persistent asking not do, in this case? ‘Ask and you shall receive. Knock and the door will be opened.’
Does our heavenly Father 'reel us in' through persistent prayer?
Maybe in prayer, our asking and asking and asking has more to do with changing OUR hearts than God’s,- God draws us closer and closer to God’s own self by our continuous trusting prayer. God is reeling us in, like unwilling fish! God knows our needs before we ask, our worries are God’s care. And maybe at the end of our persisting at prayer, God’s self will be the real answer to all our prayer!
‘Never give up, never ever give up’ was Churchill’s motto.
Develop the muscle of Stick-at-it-ness in prayer!
Fr.Seamus.
‘Real Prayer is always insistent, courageous’- Pope Francis, Homily Oct. 10th 2013
This Sunday’s Gospel, of Oct. 20th 2013, is from Luke 18: 1-8. It is about insistent prayer. Ten days earlier, Pope Francis spoke about the same thing,- ’Real prayer is always insistent, courageous.’ He was speaking at the daily morning Mass in the St. Martha’s Residence.
Vatican City, Oct 10, 2013 / 05:13 am (CNA/EWTN News).- During his daily Mass homily, Pope Francis reflected that authentic prayer involves knocking “at the heart” of God with a strong, unwavering faith that he will respond.
“Do we pray…out of habit, piously but unbothered, or do we put ourselves forward with courage before the Lord to ask for the grace, to ask for what we’re praying for?” he asked during the liturgy at St. Martha’s residence Oct. 10.
Prayer “that is not courageous is not a real prayer,” Pope Francis emphasized. “The Lord says: ‘For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.’”
“But you have to ask, seek, and knock.”
The Pope drew his remarks from the day’s Gospel reading from Luke, where Christ urges the disciples to trust in God as a loving father who will give the gift of himself to those who ask.
“Do we get ourselves involved in prayer,” the Pope asked. “Do we know to knock at the heart of God?”
Reflecting on Jesus’ words – “If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” – the Pope responded that this “is a great thing.”
“The Lord never gives or sends a grace by mail: never! He brings it himself!”
What we ultimately discover in our asking for various things, the Pope observed, is that “the true grace” and answer to our prayers is God’s gift of himself to us.
“When we pray courageously, the Lord gives us the grace, but he also gives us himself in the grace: the Holy Spirit, that is, himself!” he stressed. “Who comes to bring it to me. It’s him. Our prayer, if it is courageous, receives what it asks for, but also that which is more important: the Lord.
“We ask for a grace, but we don’t dare say, ‘But come Yourself to bring it to me.’ We know that a grace is always brought by him: It is He himself who comes and brings it to us,” Pope Francis said.
“Let us not embarrass ourselves by taking the grace and not recognizing him who brings it to us, him who gives it to us: The Lord.”
Tags: Pope Francis, Daily Mass
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/real-prayer-is-always-insistent-courageous-pope-francis-notes/
Note: this Sunday, October 20th 2013, is also World Mission Sunday. See what Pope Francis has been saying about this, both to the young people in Rio during the Summer, and in his letter for World Mission Sunday 2013.
World Mission Day, Sunday Oct. 20th 2013:
For Pope Francis’ Message for World Mission Sunday, click here.
'Go out to all the world!'
‘GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS!’ - ‘GO, DO NOT BE AFRAID, AND SERVE!’ For Pope Francis’ Address to 3 million young people gathered on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day in July 2013, click here.
To the millions of young people gathered to be with him, Pope Francis offered three simple ideas: “Go, Do not be afraid, and Serve”.
Go– he said – during these days here in Rio you have enjoyed a wonderful experience,
'May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love' (Paul, in Ephesians 3).
meeting Jesus with others and sensing the joy of faith. But this experience – he said – must not remain locked up in your life or community, it must be shared and passed on so that everyone may know, love and confess Jesus. And he pointed out that Jesus’ message of love is not just for some, it is for everyone, and he urged the young people not to be afraid of bringing Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem most indifferent.
Go – he said – during these days here in Rio you have enjoyed a wonderful experience, meeting Jesus with others and sensing the joy of faith. But this experience – he said – must not remain locked up in your life or community, it must be shared and passed on so that everyone may know, love and confess Jesus. And he pointed out that Jesus’ message of love is not just for some, it is for everyone, and he urged the young people not to be afraid of bringing Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem most indifferent.
Pope Francis galvanized the young people by telling them that Christ’s proclamation is entrusted to them so that it may resound with fresh power. The Church needs you – he said – your enthusiasm, your creativity and the joy that is so characteristic of you. Do not be afraid – he repeated – Jesus never leaves you alone! And finally: Serve. Just as St. Paul made himself a slave to all – the Pope explained – “evangelizing means bearing personal witness to the love of God, it is overcoming our selfishness, it is serving by bending down to wash the feet of our brethren as Jesus did.”
If you follow these three ideas – Pope Francis concluded – you will experience the joy of faith. So: “go home and do not be afraid to be generous with Christ. He is counting on you! The Church is counting on you! The Pope is counting on you!”
‘…Dear young friends, as you return to your homes, do not be afraid to be generous with Christ, to bear witness to his Gospel.
‘…Bringing the Gospel is bringing God’s power to pluck up and break down evil and violence, to destroy and overthrow the barriers of selfishness, intolerance and hatred, so as to build a new world. Jesus Christ is counting on you! The Church is counting on you! The Pope is counting on you! May Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, always accompany you with her tenderness: “Go and make disciples of all nations”. Amen.
And at the end of an address to a large group of young people from Argentina, he prayed as follows, as he blessed a picture of Mary, and as he blessed a Cross that would travel around the country:
Lord you left your Mother in our midst that she might accompany us.
May she take care of us and protect us on our journey, in our hearts, in our faith.
May she make us disciples like herself, missionaries like herself.
May she teach us to go out onto the streets.
May she teach us to step outside ourselves.
We bless this image, Lord, which will travel round the country.
May she, by her meekness, by her peace, show us the way.
Lord, you are a scandal. You are a scandal: the scandal of the Cross. A Cross which is humility, meekness; a Cross that speaks to us of God’s closeness. We bless this image of the Cross that will travel round the country.
Fr. Seamus Devitt C.Ss.R.
Pope Francis’ Interview.
‘A Big Heart, Open to God.‘ To read Pope Francis’ 12,000 word interview with a Jesuit Magazine in Italy, click here. He shows the deeply compassionate face of the Church, and one in which we all have a major part to play, for the world.
Recent Publications, available from Esker.
Two recent publications may be purchased through Esker shop:
1: ’Life of St. Gerard Majella’,- a new and thoroughly researched life of this popular saint, Patron of Mothers: written by Fr. Brendan McConvery, C.Ss.R, and published in late August 2013.
2: ‘A Question of Conscience’, a new publication by Fr. Tony Flannery, C.Ss.R., giving an account of events that occurred over the past eighteen months.
Both are available by contacting the Secretary at info@redemptoristsesker.ie .
The Prodigal Son,- The Mother’s Version !
A PRODIGAL SON,- HIS MOTHER’S VERSION OF WHAT HAPPENED.
Hello, my name is Rachel. I’m bursting to tell you my side of that story.
Yesterday, one of my maid-servants and I went to the clothes room, and she helped me to take out that beautiful robe that was hanging in the press. It was hand-made, and hand-stitched with beautiful embroidery designs.
I wanted to air it for a day or two, and then to press it so it would look its very best. You see, I’m keeping it in the almost-vain hope that my son, my youngest son, would someday come back home to us. My heart is breaking for him, these past years since he left us.
Who am I? My name is Rachel. My husband, Abe, and I have two sons,- or at least we had! But one of them left us years ago, when still very young, and took all his belongings with him, and lots of money that my husband gave him- half the value of our property, in fact . And we haven’t heard a word from him, but we know that he is very far away.
There’s not a day goes by that I don’t think of him and pray for him. And my husband is just the same. Day after day, he sits for hours on the veranda, peering into the distance, examining every traveller that passes the road, in the hope that one day… one day…
And while he sits, I polish the sandals every so often, -the special ones that I keep for my son. I took out the best Robe yesterday, like I told you. We even have a gold ring in its special box, in a drawer in our bedroom, in case ever he might come back to us. In case ever…
We have an older son, and he’s a great help around the place. He does everything for his Dad, minds the cattle, tills the land, keeps the place ticking over. He’s just so faithful. The only thing is, he doesn’t like what his brother has done to Abe and me, and he’s angry with his younger brother because of it.
But what’s the noise? What’s the shouting? I hear Abe calling out! He’s shouting with delight! What’s going on? By the time I get to the veranda, there’s Abe off down the road, with his robes flying, his beard blowing in the wind; – he’s running,- at his age!!!! And then, I see- there in the distance is somebody walking slowly in our direction, his head bowed. But he looks like our young son. Is it, I wonder? And there’s Abe running towards him,- yes, it must be him! He looks wretched, he looks unkempt, his hair is wild.
Now Abe has reached him,- he’s throwing his arms around him, he’s kissing him, he’s hugging him. I’ve never seen the boy’s father so excited in all our married years. They’re chatting animatedly. They stand back and look at each other at arm’s length, and then they laugh, and hug again. Now, they’re coming towards us, the father’s arm around our son’s shoulders, their arms around each other. Abe’s face is beaming, and our son’s face is so shocked by the welcome. Obviously, he wasn’t expecting this kind of homecoming.
Next thing, the servants are running towards the two of them. Abe is giving them orders,- take him, bring him in, get him washed, get new clothes for him, get out the BEST ROBE,- oh, my gosh, amn’t I glad that I had taken it out and that I have it pressed and ready and sparkling. He’s calling to me ‘Get out that RING we had kept for him!’ but I’m stuck to the ground. My heart is bursting! I can’t wait, and I too begin to run towards my young son. The tears flow down both our faces, the hugs go on for ever. And then, all three of us, Abe, my son in the middle, and I walk,- we nearly dance!- back towards the house. He’s home! He’s home! We want the world to know.
And while my son, my welcome son, is getting washed and cleaned and dressed and robed, with new sandals and the golden ring, I rush off to the kitchen. Abe has already told the servants to bring the wheat-fattened calf and prepare it for a banquet. The musicians are called and told to get ready. The table is made ready, laden with every food we can prepare, with candles to celebrate.
And now, the celebration has begun. The lad is beaming,- his face is just radiant! He smells so clean, the sandals shining, the robe beautiful, the ring sparkling. And Abe’s eyes are sparkling too.
But where is my older son? Where is the lad’s older brother? I send servants to look for him, and they come back to tell me he is outside in the field, and is sulking,- he refuses to come in. He has heard the music, and has been told his young brother is home. But still he will not budge. He is angry. I nod at Abe, and the father goes out to him. I hear the argument from the kitchen door. ‘THAT SON OF YOURS…’ and the Dad is saying ‘THAT BROTHER OF YOURS…’ The Dad is so happy to have the young lad home, but the older lad just doesn’t want him back. ‘He has disgraced the family, he has let Mom and yourself down… he doesn’t deserve any welcome whatsoever.’ He just keep on referring to him as ‘THAT SON OF YOURS… ‘ I can see that he’s not going to budge!
The music goes on, the dancing continues; I am so happy that my young son is home to us. But my heart is heavy because his brother refuses to share our joy. Will he ever forgive him, as Abe and I have done so completely?
As I told you, my name is Rachel, and I am still grieving,- because now, one son will not welcome the other. Their Father and I love them both, greatly.
Maybe, one day… That’s my prayer.
Thanks for listening to my story,- I just had to tell someone. That home-coming was a God-send! I hope my other son’s homecoming, whenever it happens, will be a God-send too! We pray hard for it.
Thanks, a million!
Rachel.
Click here for this Sunday’s (Sept. 15 2013) ‘ Soul Food for Young Adult Communities’, on the same Parable.
Click here for ‘Soul Food for Hungry Adult Communities‘ on this same parable,- Sept. 15, 2013.
Death of Fr. Michael Browne, C.Ss.R. Sept. 5, 2013.
The death has occurred today, Sept. 5th at c. 4.30am, in Belfast of a dearly-loved Redemptorist priest, Fr. Michael Browne. Fr. Michael was ordained in Cluain Mhuire by Bishop Michael Browne, in 1961. The day of his ordination co-incided with Down’s first (?) All Ireland Football Success. The victorious team remained on in Dublin on the Monday, until Fr. Michael joined them after his First Mass in Galway; Michael had been class-mates of quite a few of the team, in their days in St. Colman’s College, Newry, and was a great footballer himself. They wanted to celebrate both events, together.
Fr. Michael Browne worked most of his priestly life in Belfast,- in St. Clement’s Retreat House, and later in Clonard Monastery in the early 1970′s in some of the worst days of ‘The Troubles’. He later spent some years in Cluain Mhuire Galway, from about 1976 to the early 80′s, as Vocations Director.
Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis!
Funeral arrangements for
Fr Michael Browne CSsR
Much loved brother of Rosemary and the late Aidan
and uncle of
Michael, Geraldine, Aideen, Catherine and Grain
Reposing at Clonard Monastery
from 5.00pm Thursday, Sept 5th
until Sunday evening Sept 8th
when he will be removed to Clonard Church
at 6.00 pm (prayers beginning at 5.30 pm).
Mass of Christian burial
on Monday Sept 9th , at 11.00am
with burial afterwards in Milltown Cemetery
A Redemptorist Ireland Website