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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 readings for thisweekend. These readings, especially the Gospel, together with this week’s poem, The Good, by Brendan Kennelly shape this particular rant. The readings at 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 gone to God I speak to her often. I guess even that immediate notion is one that some people may find strange. In fact it 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 reading, usually Dickens, Hardy or Bronte. However when it comes to popes, whilst I have a great love for John Paul Il, considerable regard for 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 vitamins as a buffer to the germs of winter, I find myself doing a few spiritual press ups as we step into the ‘month of 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 ‘say one for me.’ I was a little taken aback whenshe said to me, ‘ah sure Father, you don’t need them.’ Now I understand how 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 of course not nice to gloat, nor is it very Christian, most people acknowledge we are witnessing a right political mess when it comes to 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 funeral. This would be unusual in my life as a priest. It was a pleasant change to be celebrating weddings and baptisms as well,of course,as 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 in St. Patricks and St. Brigid’s. Though even a cursory glance at Kennelly’s words reminds us that to begin is actually part of who we 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.’ How sad would that be? Imagine our churches became old museums. Relics of a former day. Remains of yesterday’s glory. Imagine if the Gospels and Read more…