Mar 20, 2012
BHA's Atheist Bus Campaign
I remember living in our parish in St. Albans when the British Humanist Association’s bus advertising campaign came out. Eight hundred buses ran throughout the UK for a number of weeks with the slogan, ‘There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.’ As usual the ensuing debate, stirred up by the media, generated more heat than light. What struck me though was not BHA’s claim that there was no God, but that I should stop worrying and start to enjoy my life. This bit of hyperbole caused me some concern. It implied those of us who believed in God were a worrisome, scrupulous, miserable bunch. It was a fascinating observation, staggering in the extent of its arrogance. Perhaps as a priest I would have to be particularly overwhelmed with the burdens of faith, incapable of wringing the smallest atom of enjoyment out of life. Many people today believe that the life of a priest is too challenging and difficult. Traditionally parents would have encouraged their son to explore a vocation to priesthood and religious life. These days it seems they actively discourage it because they fear their child would be unhappy. (more…)
Mar 16, 2012
St Patrick, Apostle of Ireland
“Who am I, Lord, and what is my calling that you should co-operate with me with such divine power? Today, among the people, I praise and proclaim your name in all places, not only when things go well but also in times of stress. Whether I receive good or ill, I return thanks equally to God, who taught me always to trust him unreservedly.” Confessions of St Patrick.
When I went looking for some material on this post online today I was amazed at the amount of ‘Happy St. Patrick’s Day’ paraphernalia that I had to wade through. There are only so many dancing red headed leprechauns a man can put up with! But this isn’t a blog bemoaning commercialism. It’s about celebrating one man’s faith. It’s about looking at the example of his courage and his capacity for forgiveness. It’s about reminding us where we came from as Catholics and challenging us to live out this message in the future. (more…)
Mar 14, 2012
What do the vows offer to our world today?
Very often I’m asked “Should priests be allowed to marry.” “Only if they really love each other,” I reply. It’s an old joke in response to an increasingly popular question. The evangelical counsels or the vows, as they are popularly known, are seen by society at large as increasingly anachronistic. We live in a world that values money, sex and power above all, so we must ask do the vows of poverty, celibacy and obedience have anything to offer? (more…)
Mar 12, 2012
Flash Mob Outside Notre Dame de Paris in January
‘Flash mobs,’ said Fr. Jim, our resident artist and proud Kerryman. Thus started another lunchtime conversation in the community of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. We tend to follow a stream of consciousness approach to mealtime discussions, which is a polite way of saying that we go all over the place. Over mashed potato and bacon we could end up talking about how Ireland and Wales ( in deference to Fr. Roger – our resident Welshman by way of Australia ) are doing the Six Nations, the Republican primaries or just about anything really. (more…)
Mar 9, 2012
Prof. Richard Dawkins and Archbishop Rowan Williams
It was perhaps long overdue. The stage was set for a showdown between one of the greatest minds in the Church of England and Britain’s most famous atheist. Some even pitched the event as a philosophical / theological Frazer and Ali type match. The subject of the debate between Archbishop Rowan Williams and Prof. Richard Dawkins last February was the nature of human beings and the question of our ultimate origins. When all came to all though it was a pretty civilised affair, where biting invective was replaced by reflective banter. Afterwards The Guardian newspaper was at pains to state that there were no major punches landed between the two, which probably goes to show how well Archbishop Williams did!
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Mar 5, 2012
Students of Killinarden Community School along with Mr. Pierce Cuthbert, school chaplain, and Fr. Alan
Fourteen young people from the Community School in Killinarden received the Bronze John Paul II Award last Friday week. Starting in January last year Emma Jane Hearst, Kevin McCabe, Ciara Walker, Samantha Byrne, Shannon Corcoran, Shauna Holt, Jodie Curtis, Amy Ford, Shelly Buttner, Aaron McDonagh, Sarah Kilbride, Nathan Bracken, Keith Comerford and Carlee Chambers committed themselves to working for their community and helping out in their parish. (more…)
