This Week's Newsletter
Publishedon Thursday 19th September 2024
A Few Words From Fr Joe……
During the week, I sat down at the laptop and logged into the livestream of a funeral. The deceased was Fr John Byrne OSA. As often happens at funerals John’s life story was shared with appreciation, affection and humour through the contributions of his brother priests, his family and friends. John was just about to turn 90 and had lived more than 60 years as an Augustinian Friar. During his life and ministry, he had held high office in his congregation, been an exceptional educator and had the odd run in with the Bishops when seemed to be overly zealous in promoting the role of laity in the church. John came of age with the Second Vatican Council and embraced the spirit of that great era in the life of the Church. He centred his gifts and talents on encouraging, educating, listening to and supporting women and men who wanted to be better informed about their faith and involved in the life and ministry of the church.
Talking about the funeral later in the day with a parishioner in Mount Merrion they were quick to recall, with real appreciation, that Fr John with his colleague Bernadette Toal had come to give Adult Faith Formation Courses here and that they were well attended and received. Another person remembered going to the Orlagh Retreat Centre where they had enjoyed exceptional inputs at various courses.
These conversations led onto a chat about the various men and women, religious and lay, who over the years have offered so many people the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the scriptures, liturgy and pastoral life of the church. One person reflected that it seemed a pity to them that the education of the laity was more for information than empowerment. They felt that the church was happy for people to know more, but not to do more.
Now we have moved into the era of Synodality, a time when we are to discern where the Spirit of God is leading the church. We are to listen attentively to every voice and work together to find a future that we can all embrace. This may now be the time of empowerment, and yes if may have taken the near total collapse of vocations to the religious life to stimulate change, but change we must. This is a moment to reawaken all those people who have opened their hearts and minds to knowledge and spirituality, who have sat at the feet of people like John and Bernadette and say now is the hour. With baptism as our common heritage, and discipleship of central calling we are church, God’s people, pilgrims of hope.
Fr Joe Mullan, Moderator Clonskeagh, Kilmacud & Mount Merrion Parishes
Downloads:
Click on a link to download...
- 9 Feb 2025 Clonskeagh ParishSL.pdf
- 5 Jan 2025 Clonskeagh Parish.pdf
- 22 Dec 2024 Clonskeagh Parish.pdf
- 8 Dec 2024 Clonskeagh ParishSL.pdf
- 10 November 2024 Clonskeagh Parish SL.pdf
- 1 Dec 2024 Clonskeagh ParishSL.pdf
- 15 Dec 2024 Clonskeagh ParishSL.pdf
- 19 Jan 2025 Clonskeagh Parish SL.pdf
- 2 Feb 2025 Clonskeagh Parish SL.pdf