We are not far from one of my favourite times of year, the beautiful season of Advent with all its expectancy and joyful waiting. Before we get there we have the last few Sundays of the liturgical year including Christ the Universal King next week. However firstly, we have the Read more…
Today’s rant is best read after reading the poem Last Supper which we have included in today’s newsletter. In this poem I remember the last time I spoke with my beloved Mum, at least the last time I have spoken to her in her earthly existence, though since she has Read more…
A parishioner said to me last week, ‘when is the Roncalli Rant going to be about Roncalli’? So here goes! I look to Neil Young for music. My long infatuation with Katharine Hepburn is well known. My favourite American Presidents are Reagan, Clinton and Obama, in that order. I love Read more…
November can be a very difficult month and yet it also has the potential to be a most rewarding month, at least from a spiritual point of view. I am inclined to brace myself for November. In the same way that we might get the flu injection or take extra Read more…
The ballad of oul Fr Gilligan, (printed here in this newsletter), reminded me again, not that I needed reminded, of how human and broken we priests are. Just the other day a lady asked me to pray for her and I said I would, and I would like her to Read more…
Crashing out with no deal. No checkpoints. What about the backstop? This is all the language associated with the dreaded ‘b’ word: Brexit! There was a time when our neighbours were praised for their world renowned democracy and people spoke of the ‘mother of all parliaments,’ and whilst it is Read more…
I made a surprising discovery about my self in the past few weeks. This week saw the celebration of two funerals here in St. Patrick’s and St. Brigid’s. I was surprised and I guess happy that the month of September had come and gone and I had not celebrated a Read more…
Our poetry offering this week is from one of my favorite poets, the much loved Kerry poet, Brendan Kennelly. It’s likely he will be a regular guest in Pizza and Poetry. I was drawn back once again to the poem Begin, perhaps because I am trying to begin again here Read more…
In our Pizza and Poetry offering this week we have given the first three stanzas from the Philip Larkin poem, ‘Church going.’ Every time I read it I am caught by the lines: ‘Their parchment plate and pyx in locked cases And let the rest rent-free to rain and sheep.’ Read more…
Though I did not always see it, and I certainly was not always thankful for it, I have realised with the passing years that I was blessed in my parents, and indeed in their parents, my grandparents. Yes in all six of these special people I have much to be Read more…