On the day of writing this, April 19th, I am remembering that it was on this day back in 2005 that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Benedict XVI. I remember it well. There were about fifty of us seminarians gathered around a television in Maynooth, eagerly awaiting the news of the new Pope who would lead the Church after the long papacy of John Paul II. As it dawned on our group, who had been actually elected, eighty per Read more…
As a direct result of last week’s newsletter, and the discussion of what it means to be resurrection people, a number of you raised the issue of how difficult, in fact, it is to be hopeful. I have a lot of sympathy with this position. This difficulty of retaining a hopeful attitude can be true in a general way. Given the daily vicissitudes of life, we can become emotionally drained. Sadly there is a great Read more…
I have been reflecting in these post-Easter days on what exactly we celebrate? Or, at least, what are we supposed to be celebrating? I mean apart from the Easter eggs…oops sorry I know there’s a move to stop calling them ‘Easter’ eggs, lest we offend those who do not believe in Easter…( sounds a bit mad Dougal, what do you think?).. Apart from the eggs, and the odd Easter bunny, or if you want to Read more…
Wow! You certainly have bombarded me with loads of questions. I am of course, very grateful for your interest. To begin with, why rumblings, and secondly where is the bunker? Maybe even a word on revolution. The bunker is where I am writing from. It’s general location is in Ireland, which from a religious perspective, I see as a small little island on the edge of Europe, at a time of great spiritual darkness. The Read more…
Dear Friends, Many thanks for your comments about our new Newsletter, and my sincere thanks to Tony Flynn and the team at Liturgical Publications of Ireland for all the hard work in bringing it to the parish. It seems to me that there is no time like the present, for me to proclaim my desire for a new revolution. After all we are commemorating that key and beautiful moment in our history when we courageously Read more…
Dear Friends, Many thanks for your comments about our new Newsletter, and my sincere thanks to Tony Flynn and the team at Liturgical Publications of Ireland for all the hard work in bringing it to the parish. It seems to me that there is no time like the present, for me to proclaim my desire for a new revolution. After all we are commemorating that key and beautiful moment in our history when we courageously Read more…
My Friends, Welcome to our beautiful new newsletter, and welcome to the Bunker, and the first of the rumblings. What an exciting time. There is huge uncertainty politically and of course the slide into the post Christian Era continues apace. Somebody said the other day, that it was a very difficult time to be a priest, but I must disagree. In fact it is a very exciting, and rewarding, time to be a priest. This Read more…
Having at times been critical of a lack of leadership, I feel it is important to speak on the upcoming referendum. You know me well enough to know I will not be advising you on how to vote. Hopefully you would resist that. I would however, urge you to spend time in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to give us the gifts of right judgement and courage. I was tempted to keep quiet. I Read more…