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…
According to those who know about these things it is one of the most stressful things you can do……. …………Moving House………. There’s no doubt there is something about it. It’s not just the physical effort of packing and lugging stuff downstairs and off to the new place and then when Read more…
‘It goes against my grain’, was one of my mother’s phrases. One of those sayings we now call a ‘bridism’! A bridism was either a phrase, unique to our mother, or at the very least, one that she used often. Against the grain was one such phrase. ‘Do you think Read more…
About this time thirty-five years ago I left home. Thus began an adventure that has taken many twists and turns. I have been a Brother, a teacher, a retreat giver, and now a priest. It has been very exciting and I have really enjoyed it. Of course there have been Read more…
There was a time when we all prayed for vocations. It was often billed just like that. ‘Let us pray for vocations’…. sometimes it went further and said ‘Let us pray for vocations to the priesthood’. Indeed now and again we said, ‘Let us pray for vocations to the priesthood Read more…
Believe it or not there are people who love talking about the devil. The seldom time I speak publicly about the devil there is a small group who are delighted and will implore me to do this more often. I, for my part, refrain from speaking on such a theme Read more…
I have been asked a few times to say a little bit about my practice of contemplative prayer. These are just a few private notes or observations on what I have tried to talk about. Let me say I am no expert in the area, if such a thing exists. Read more…
What a strange title? Indeed what a strange title for a column written by a Parish Priest in a Parish Newsletter. I agree it is a bit unusual as far as titles go and yet here in the Bunker I hope we can address topics that are of interest and Read more…
‘What is this Roncalli thing that they are talking about?’ ‘It’s a new thing. A fella said to me the other day he thought it was a new take away like Macari’s or Fuscardi’s, or maybe a pizza place, but it’s not, it’s something to do with the Church’. The Archbishop Read more…
‘Tell us this Father, do you believe in ghosts?’ It was an interesting question and drew me back years ago to two encounters I had with ghosts, one very real, the other not so much. The first of these happened about forty years ago on a small back road outside Ballycastle Read more…