St. Joseph’s
Mill Hill Missionaries
Spring 2022
Spring 2022
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Advocate
Fasting for Lent Pope Francis:
Spring 2022
Do you want to fast this Lent? Fast from hurting words and say kind words, Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude, Fast from anger and be filled with patience, Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope, Fast from worries and trust in God, Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity, Fast from bitterness and fill your heart with joy, Fast from pressures and be prayerful, Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others, Fast from grudges and be reconciled, Fast from words and be silent so you can listen.
Volume 62 No. 1
ST. JOSEPH’S ADVOCATE Published by: Editor: Printed in Ireland by:
CONTENTS
Mill Hill Missionaries Fr Jim O’Connell Modern Printers, Kilkenny
From the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cambodia: Mill Hill’s new mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Masters in Theology – Maynooth .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Devotion to St Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Knock Shrine – new statue of St Joseph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . My first journey home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Novena to St Joseph .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mill Hill Ordinations 2021. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jubilees 2022 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Personal stories - Jacinta van Luijk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Monks of Tibhirine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Easter – Song of the Earth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Obituary List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo credits: Fons Eppink, Glenn Diaz, Des McGillicuddy, Nuala Higgins, Gerald Doyle, Jacinta van Luijk, Daniel Foley. Front cover: Pakistan - Palm Sunday.
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MISSION OFFERINGS
All Postal Orders and Cheques to be sent direct to us at St. Joseph’s Advocate, Mill Hill Missionaries, 50 Orwell Park, Rathgar, Dublin D06 C535. Bank Giros to be sent directly to our Bank account. Details of the a/c available from our office: 01 412 7707 We are now in a position to accept donations by Credit or Debit Card. You can use this method by phoning our office: 01 412 7707 St. Joseph’s Advocate Email: Mill Hill Missionaries organisingmhm@gmail.com 50 Orwell Park Website: Rathgar, Dublin D06 C535 www.millhillmissionaries.co.uk Tel: (01) 412 7707 2
Spring 2022
Spring 2022
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From the Editor Fr Jim O’Connell, mhm
“Creation’s Urgent Call for Change” A few weeks ago, I heard a young mother on the radio saying that she was very worried about the future for her children. Her anxiety revolves around the awful effects of climate change on our world - planet earth. She has good reason to be worried – and so have we. The effects of climate change are already being felt around the world: more extreme weather events with storms, floods, droughts and famines; people in poor countries really suffering; huge fires in the USA and Australia destroying all before them; melting ice caps, rising sea levels; many species in the natural world at risk of extinction. The list goes on. It is good to see that world leaders are trying to do something - as we saw at the Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in early November. 2
For some time, Pope Francis has been appealing for action: “Care for the environment is a moral imperative to preserve God’s creation for future generations; we have inherited a garden; we must not leave a desert to our children.” The Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Farrell, published a pastoral letter in 2021 entitled: “The Climate Catastrophe – Creation’s Urgent Call For Change.” He writes: “Climate change now means that the survival of our planet as we know it hangs in the balance. Today in ways we never foresaw, and at a rate we cannot imagine, the God given abundance and variety of life is disappearing before our eyes. The Earth cries out to us. May we hear the cry of the Earth; it is a call to life for ourselves.” This call to life for ourselves is a call to change our ways. The first reading of the Mass on Ash Wednesday points us in the right direction: “It is the Lord who speaks – come back to me with all your heart.” (Joel 2:12) Coming Spring 2022
back to God with all our heart will bring about change in our relationship with God, with others and with all of God’s creation. This will help us to be more sensitive to what is happening with climate change and still live in hope for the future, with profound trust in God who loves us and our world so much that he sent his Son to be our redeemer. We live in a world that is being redeemed. Perhaps we can focus in on one area: “Today, species are vanishing at rates never before seen in human history.” (David Attenborough – BBC 2020) There are an estimated 8 million species of insects, animals, plants, flowers, trees, shrubs, birds, fish, etc. in the natural world. Scientists believe that up to 1 million of these species are now under serious threat of extinction. One third of some bee species are threatened with extinction. The bees (as well as other insects like butterflies, moths, flies, etc.) are very important for pollination of flowers, crops, plants, fruit and vegetables.
• • • •
Create an area for wildflowers in your lawn to provide food for pollinators. Plant pollinator friendly trees, shrubs and bulbs. Provide safe nesting places for pollinators: long grass, crevices in dry stone walls, etc. Eliminate the use of herbicides in as many areas as you can.
All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation.” (Pope Francis) The Novena to St Joseph is on pages 15-18. We have copies of the Novena available in leaflet form if any of your friends or a prayer group might like to avail of them.
Some people are taking action and we can all do something. There is an All-Ireland Pollinator Plan supported by over 80 organisations. Faith Communities also have a plan: ‘Actions to help Pollinators’. These are some of the simple actions to help pollinators: • Protect native hedgerows and allow them to flower in Spring, as they are a vital source of nectar and pollen for pollinators. Spring 2022
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CAMBODIA
- MILL HILL’S NEW MISSION
‘Food Packs’ distributed to the needy
Bishop Enrique, SJ, with Mill Hill Missionaries Fr Jacob and Fr Glenn - Cambodia
[In 2019, Mill Hill became involved in a new missionary outreach in Battambang, Cambodia. The Apostolic Prefect of the diocese is Bishop Enrique (a Spanish Jesuit). Below, you can read about his thoughts on mission and about the great work he is doing. But before that we have what our Mill Hill priests have written. The Irish Region of Mill Hill is providing financial support to the mission.] Fr Glenn Diaz mhm wrote: “We am very happy to receive the money from the Irish Region of Mill Hill, as we are now visiting families, especially the very poor families and those badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The donations will really be of great help to those in dire need. Rest assured that I will update you in writing 4
(with pictures) on how the money will be spent. Please keep us in your prayers. I extend our prayers and heartfelt gratitude to all the Irish people who are constantly remembering and supporting us through prayers and financial aid for the poor. I sent an email to the Mill Hill General Council giving an update on the development of the land purchase project with the money that came from the Irish Region through the General Council. I am also acknowledging with gratitude the receipt of more money from Ireland for the food packs distribution to the needy. Finally, we would like to thank you all for the generosity extended to us here in Cambodia and please continue to keep us in your prayers.” Spring 2022
Fr Jacob Chilka mhm wrote: “We distributed ‘food packs’ in the parish Mass Centre ‘Jesus Farm’. The elderly and the needy gathered together to receive the food packs. Encouraged by the spirit of our generous benefactors, we continue to serve the people of God. We thank our benefactors (Irish people and others) for all their support to us Mill Hill Missionaries in Cambodia. May God bless you all.” Bishop Enrique explains: “The Mission of Christians in Cambodia” “The image of the giraffe explains the mission of Christians in Cambodia - a gentle presence, not violent, but strong and vigorous. The giraffe has the biggest heart in the animal kingdom, even bigger than the elephant’s; it means for us a heart capable of love, strength and compassion. In addition, thanks to its size, the giraffe has a panoramic vision. It can look far in different directions; this is a sign of spiritual vision and the gaze of faith on life. It lives peacefully in the savannah with many other different animals. For us, this means knowing Spring 2022
how to remain in dialogue as a small Christian community in a predominantly Buddhist country, promoting peaceful coexistence between cultures and different faiths. The Catholic Church in Cambodia is a small community of 20,000 faithful out of 16 million total inhabitants of the country. In 2005, Catholics celebrated 450 years of the presence of the Catholic faith in the country. We are here to build the common good, to build an inclusive society and bring the joy of life in Christ, everywhere, to every man and woman. As believers in the Resurrection, as men and women of hope, we are bearers of a positive vision, of hope, joy and happiness”. “Their look of faith touches my heart” “The people believe the secret of happiness is that everyone takes care of the other, within the family and the village community. It is this testimony of faith that I receive from the poor. I believe I can meet God in people, especially the poor and the marginalized. He gives me the grace to see the sparks of His 5
Masters in Theology - Maynooth Fr Bawe Philip Shube was conferred with a Masters in Theology at Maynooth University on Saturday November 6, 2021. Fr Philip is a Mill Hill Missionary priest from Cameroon. The graduation ceremony was attended by two other Mill Hill priests: Fr Maurice McGill and Fr Des McGillicuddy.
Fr Jacob (left) and Fr Glenn (front) distributing food
presence. It is truly enlightening for me to go and visit remote villages. An elderly man told me about their difficult life, but he spoke with a serene outlook on the future. ‘We are together,’ he said, ‘ready to build the future and we trust in God.’ This is what I learn from them; their look of faith touches my heart.” ‘Bishop of wheelchairs’ The Bishop is known for his tireless commitment to assisting the most needy, destitute and vulnerable in Cambodia since he arrived as a missionary in Cambodia in 1985. He leads a community of around 5,000 Catholics in Battambang. He founded the “Arrupe Center” to promote development throughout the diocese with educational projects, professional
Fr Glenn (left) with the owner of the land being purchased
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training for adults, infrastructure and humanitarian aid. He reports: “We have founded schools for disabled children, centres for vocational training for women, hospitals to assist the sick, and centres to help the marginalized in society.”
Philip has been in Ireland for two years and will now continue with studies at Maynooth to obtain a Doctorate in Theology. His two years here covered most of the period of Covid-19 restrictions which has made things complicated and difficult for him at times. For much of the time, he had to continue with his studies Online while residing in St Joseph’s House. We congratulate Philip and wish him well on the road ahead. Fr Philip being congratualted by the President of Maynooth, Fr Michael Mullaney - with Fr Des (left) and Fr Maurice
In 1991, in Phnom Penh, he founded “The House of the Dove” for children maimed by landmines. Many of them have serious disabilities and need a lot of help that is provided in a number of programmes. In one of the programmes, they learn to build wheelchairs following the model used in the area of the Mekong - a wooden wheelchair with three wheels; this project has earned Bishop Enrique the nickname “Bishop of Wheelchairs”.
Fr Glenn paying the land owners Spring 2022
Spring 2022
duates
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Fr Philip wit
Fr Philip w ith Archbishop Eamon Ma rtin 7
Who would have ever thought that a free commercial newspaper would lead to a new found devotion to St Joseph? Some years ago while on holiday in Santa Cruz, California, and discussing where I could attend Mass, my friend Susan showed me the advert in their free weekly newspaper which read “Shrine of St Joseph Guardian of the Redeemer, Daily and Sunday Mass at 11am. Confessions at 10.30am.”
St Joseph’s Altar in Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar
DEVOTION TO ST JOSEPH By Nuala Higgins 8
So the following morning we set off to the Shrine for Mass, not for one moment expecting the profound and lasting effect it would have on me. The location alone is idyllic, a beautiful Pacific coastal setting with stunning views of Monterey Bay. Situated in the neatly kept grounds at the Shrine is a prayer garden with the seven sorrows and seven joys of St Joseph all sculpted in bronze. Pilgrims are invited to walk the winding pathway. A prayer card is provided to assist meditation on the life and virtues of St Joseph. The Rector of the Shrine was Fr Paul McDonnell OSJ (Oblates of St Joseph) who was very proud of his Irish heritage - his grandfather came to Pennsylvania from County Antrim.
“Guardian of the Redeemer”
The title “Guardian of the Redeemer” certainly struck a chord with me and set me thinking about St Joseph and his very important role as the earthly father of Jesus rather than a foster father. A guardian is someone who is strong, not just in heart and mind Spring 2022
“Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer, To you God entrusted his only Son.” (Pope Francis)
Holy Family sculpture - India
but also physically. Although often depicted as an old man with a grey beard and many years older than Mary, I think St Joseph must have been young because it is most unlikely that God the Father would entrust the upbringing and education of his Son to an elderly man.
for Joseph, Mary and Jesus. So there are many good reasons to believe that Joseph must have been young.
The demands on Joseph’s life certainly could not have been undertaken by an old man. From Nazareth to Bethlehem is a long walk - about 90 miles. I have been to the Holy Land and the terrain is very rough and the heat is intense and the dangers immense. Then there was the ‘Flight into Egypt’ with the infant Jesus and Mary, when they heard Herod was on their trail. They lived in Egypt for a number of years not knowing anybody. Life could not have been easy. On learning of Herod’s death from an angel in a dream, another long journey lay ahead Spring 2022
Like any good father, Joseph would often have held the infant Jesus in his arms. This wonderful scene is depicted in a magnificent stained glass window in the Church of St Joseph the Worker in Ozark, Missouri. Joseph is shown as a young man with a dark beard. It is a very meaningful scene, with Mary resting in the background. (See photo taken by Nuala herself). Although Joseph is the man who taught Jesus to speak and Jesus must surely have spoken with the same accent as his earthly father, there is not one single word spoken by Joseph in the New Testament. Jesus never once mentioned Joseph in his public life but maybe he is paying tribute to him when he said “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” 9
A powerful Intercessor
St Joseph is a powerful intercessor and we should not hesitate in taking our needs to him. St Joseph’s influence is very great when we ask him to intercede for us. The Son of God could neither refuse nor forget Joseph whom he loved and cherished as His earthly father. Our Blessed Mother Mary has often proclaimed his greatness. Joseph is present in the Marian apparitions at Fatima and Knock. In the Knock Apparition, St Joseph stood barefoot, his hands folded in prayer and his head slightly bowed towards Mary as if honouring her as the Mother of God.
Memorare to St Joseph Remember, O Most Chaste Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help,or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence I fly unto you, my spiritual father, and beg your protection. O Earthly Father of the Redeemer, despise not my petition, but in your goodness hear and answer me. Amen
Since 2013, St Joseph’s name appears in all four Eucharistic prayers for Mass – a just reward for the earthly father of Jesus who took such great care of the human nature, growth and development of Jesus. Pope Francis has certainly encouraged devotion to St Joseph with the designation of the Year of St Joseph which ended on Dec 8, 2021. The Pope also told us about his personal devotion; when he has a problem, he writes a note and places it underneath the statue depicting St Joseph asleep asking him to pray for (sleep on) his intentions and bring them to God, who on four different occasions sent an angel to speak to St Joseph as he slept. This devotion has become popular in recent times. 10
Knock Shrine - New Statue of St Joseph To celebrate the Year of St Joseph, Knock Shrine commissioned this beautiful new statue of St Joseph. Designed and sculpted by renowned Italian sculptors Ferdinand Stuflesser 1875 studios, it depicts St Joseph as he appeared in the Apparition at Knock in 1879 - a secure, gentle presence beside Our Lady, head bowed reverently toward her. The new statue was blessed during Mass by Archbishop Michael Neary on Saturday November 6, 2021.
‘On four occasions God sent an angel to St Joseph as he slept’
(Nuala Higgins lives in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Our thanks to Nuala for her article and the photo of the stained glass window and the Altar.) Spring 2022
Fr Richard Gibbons, Administrator, acknowledged the presence of two Mill Hill priests at the Mass; Fr Denis Hartnett and Fr Gerald Doyle are chaplains at the Shrine. He also thanked the Mill Hill Missionaries for sponsoring the statue. Interestingly, the place where the statue was sculpted, Tyrol in Northern Italy, is the home area of many Mill Hill Missionaries over the years. Saint Joseph is our Mill Hill Patron and his presence in the Apparition at Knock is very significant for us. Our official title is St Joseph’s Missionary Society. Our founder, Herbert Vaughan, pointed to St Joseph’s life of loving service and wanted his future missionaries ‘To Love and to serve.’ Our mission continues with over 120 young Mill Hill missionary priests from Africa and Asia. Spring 2022
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My First Journey Home By Fr Tony Murphy, mhm
nd (60 years) Jubilee this year)
(Fr Tony is celebrating his Diamo
my time, the ten was reduced to eight. That was how it stood when I had set out in 1962. “So you’ll be away for 8 years!” the neighbours said, “Ah sure you won’t feel till you’re home again!” My father was not well at the time. Saying goodbye to him was the hardest thing in my life up till then. In the meantime, the age of airtravel had dawned. Suddenly home seemed nearer. A journey that previously took weeks, now took just a day. In 1967, the eightyear stay abroad was reduced to five, and that made me eligible to travel almost immediately. The realization that I was going home was slow sinking in. I had become acclimatized to the life and routine in Uganda! “You will find big changes in Ireland!” someone said.
r, Fr Sean, - also Mill Hill
Fr Tony (right) with his late brothe
It was mid-December 1967 and I was returning home after my first sojourn on the missions. I had been away for five years, but actually I hadn’t expected to be going home so soon. The question of the expected length of missionary journeys abroad had been under review for some time. In the very early days, Mill Hill missionaries left their homeland for life. There are records of tearful farewells as young men parted from their 12
families, never to see them again in this life. Mind you, the lives of those early missionaries were often sadly short. A large proportion of them soon fell victim to repeated attacks of malaria, before finally going down with “Black Water Fever.” From that most dreaded one, very few recovered. It was partly due to this alarming loss of life that missionaries were given the option of returning home every ten years. Then, shortly before Spring 2022
‘My bag was overweight’ There had been changes in Uganda too. At Entebbe airport, all the personnel were Ugandan, all smiling faces and cheerful welcomes. Nevertheless, when I approached the desk I saw immediately that air-travel had its set-backs: my bag was overweight! The sum I would have to pay for the few extra kilos seemed enormous, and I had practically nothing in my pocket. I stood there wondering what
to do. A very portly man arrived and went through. No problem at all with his baggage! He walked past me, his new shoes groaning under his weight. “Not fair at all!” I thought. Then suddenly a man in uniform appeared. “What’s the matter Father? Over-weight? Is this your bag? Let us have a look!” I opened it there on the ground. “What’s this? A book? Put it in your pocket! And what’s this? A trousers? But you’re already wearing one, so you don’t need this! And a shirt, the same!” A few minutes later my suitcase lay there looking sorry for itself, various belongings, even my tooth-brush, scattered around it. But my friend closed the lid and brought the depleted bag back to the scales. “You see, Father!” he said. “It is just the correct weight! Now we can put everything back again!” Together we re-packed the bag and we lifted it in, careful not to touch the scales this time! ‘I would be home for Christmas’ Then we were in the air, and at last the realization began to register. I was going home! My father would not be there … but my mother would be, and the family. And Christmas was near. I would be home for Christmas! Down below was the Sahara Desert. And there was the Nile like a great snake, cutting through
‘Down below was the Nile River like a great snake’ Spring 2022
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Entebbe airport in times past
it. I had lived very close to its source as it flowed out from Lake Victoria. Many a Sunday afternoon I had sat and watched it flowing out of the lake, and setting off on its amazing journey to the Mediterranean. Then we were over that sea, and I must have fallen asleep, for the pilot was telling us about the Alps, pointing out the various peaks. At the desk in Brussels airport I was told that our plane had not arrived on time and I had missed my connecting flight to Dublin. Not to worry, I was assured, my relatives at Dublin would be informed, and I would be accommodated for the night at the Airline’s expense. ‘Ireland changed - but not all that much’ Next morning it was Dublin Airport. I entered a large hall, practically empty. There was a small office and as I approached, a girl looked up, “You must be Fr. Murphy? Your friends were here last night: your sister Bernie with a Donegal accent, your brother Billy, and a cousin called Eileen with a nice Kerry accent… and maybe others. Your 14
sister left me her phone number. Hang on and I’ll ring her. Yes, she tells you to stay where you are. She’ll collect you in half an hour.” I became aware of the cold! A young man wearing a badge appeared. “You look perished, Father! Where’d you come from? Uganda? It was warmer there, I think! Tell you what, my car is parked at the door. Come out and sit in it. I’ll switch on the heater for you.” So I sat in the warm car, thinking, “Maybe Ireland has changed, but not all that much!” My sister soon arrived and my brother. They took one look at me and said: “You need a couple of thick jerseys and a top-coat. Come on down to Cleary’s!” I was home! (Fr Tony’s final journey home from Africa was in 2009. He then spent eleven years as Chaplain at Knock Shrine, and is now retired, living in St Joseph’s House.)
NOVENA TO ST. JOSEPH MARCH 11 - MARCH 19 In addition to the nine day Novena of Masses, a Mass will be offered each day in March for the intentions of all our subscibers and benefactors. Please join the Novena by reading the short reflection for each day, and saying the Novena Prayer to St. Joseph.
Novena Prayer to St. Joseph
Ever glorious St. Joseph, good and faithful servant, God was pleased to place his own family in your care. We thank you for being such a wonderful example of humility and faith, of prayerfulness and courage, in your ordinary daily life. Through your intercession, may God grant us the blessing of living continually in his presence, and responding to his love in our daily lives. And when we have lived our days on earth, may God give us the great joy he gave you - that of entering eternal life in the company of Jesus and Mary. Most loving St. Joseph, accept our Novena prayers and obtain for us through your powerful intercession, the favours and graces we ask for in this Novena. Pause to call to mind your special intentions ...
Since coming home, Fr Tony spent 11 years as chaplain at Knock Spring 2022
St. Joseph, Pray for us. Add: Our father..., Hail Mary..., Glory be to the Father..., Amen. Spring 2018
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DAY 1 JOSEPH - THE PROTECTOR/GUARDIAN
DAY 4 JOSEPH - MODEL OF HOPE AND LOVE
When Fr. Herbert Vaughan founded the Mill Hill Missionaries (St. Joseph’s Missionary Society) in 1866, he chose St. Joseph to be the patron and protector of his missionaries. He wanted them to be in the care of this great saint. Joseph would look after them as he looked after Mary and Jesus in the ‘flight to Egypt’ and at all other times. He took Mary and their new born child to Egypt to protect the infant Jesus from Herod. Joseph was the ‘guardian of the redeemer’ (Saint John Paul II) on that ‘missionary journey’ to a foreign land and fulfilled his role as guardian or protector of Jesus and Mary for the rest of his life.
Joseph is an example of one who lived with a deep awareness of God’s Spirit in his heart and life, always noticing and responding to the movements of the Spirit. This was the ground of his hope and the source of his boundless love for Mary and Jesus.
‘Joseph took the child and his Mother and left for Egypt’. (Mt. 2:14)
Pope Francis sees St. Joseph as a protector to whom we can turn when we are struggling to cope with suffering or heartbroken with grief or weighed down with distress and loneliness. May St. Joseph be our protector on our journey through life.
DAY 2 JOSEPH - A JUST MAN
‘Joseph was a just man who always did what was right’ (Mt. 1:19)
What a predicament Joseph was in when he discovered Mary was pregnant. Joseph did not know who was the father of the child. He only knew that the child was not his. We can imagine how devastated he was when he discovered that the love of his life was pregnant before they came to live together. What was he to do? In the culture of the time he had no choice but to divorce Mary. It must have been heart-breaking for him but he was not going to make a fuss. Even before he received the Angel’s message that Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit, he had decided to act in a caring way. He was going to act quietly and thus save her publicity and disgrace. He was a caring, honourable man, a just man, a man of God. May St. Joseph help us to put our problems before God and trust in Him.
DAY 3 JOSEPH - A MAN OF FAITH
‘An angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph and said …’ (Mt. 1:20)
“If discouragement overwhelms you, think of the faith of Joseph.” (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) Joseph lived his life in the light of faith, always drawing strength and courage from his openness to God. He was a good listener. His heart was in the right place to discern God’s Will. We see this when Joseph had decided to divorce Mary quietly, but then received the Angel’s message that Mary ‘had conceived what was in her by the Holy Spirit’. He responded with the ‘obedience of faith’ (St. John Paul II) and took Mary to his home as his wife. “St. Joseph exercised his role by hearing God’s voice and being guided by God’s will in his daily life. He did this with faith and fidelity, with goodness and tenderness, as a strong and courageous man.” (Pope Francis) May Joseph lead us to a deeper faith and trust in God.
(Jesus said) ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled, trust in God and trust in me’ (Jn. 14:1)
“If anxiety has its grip on you, think of the hope of Joseph. If exasperation or hatred seizes you, think of the love of Joseph, who was the first man to set eyes on the human face of God in the person of the infant conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Let us praise and thank Christ for having drawn so close to us, and for giving us Joseph as an example and model of love.” (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) Through the intercession of St. Joseph may we grow in faith, hope and love.
DAY 5 JOSEPH – A CARING, LOVING FATHER
“Where did that man (Jesus) get all this wisdom?” (Mt.13:54)
“We can now see that Joseph must have played a decisive role in the formation of the youthful Jesus and his message. A key pointer in this area is the question of the contemporaries of Jesus: “Where did he (Jesus) get all this wisdom?” (Mt.13:54) Traditionally, Christians would be inclined to answer: “Well, Jesus was divine, so he knew everything.” That is not a good answer; St. Paul tells us that Jesus never took advantage of his divine nature and had to learn the same lessons as all of us. The better answer would be that he learnt it at home, from his parents Mary and Joseph.” (Hans Burgman, mhm) At home in Nazareth “Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature and in favour with God and with people.” (Lk. 2:52) It is clear that Joseph and Mary played a decisive role in the life of the youthful Jesus. “From the time of his betrothal to Mary until the finding of the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple and then back in Nazareth, Joseph is there at every moment with loving care.” (Pope Francis) May St. Joseph help us to experience God as a caring, loving Father.
DAY 6 JOSEPH - THE WORKER
“Isn’t he the carpenter’s son?’ (Mt. 13:55)
In 1955, Pope Pius XII chose May 1st as a special day to remember St. Joseph the worker. He described him as the patron of all working people. Joseph was dedicated to his work as a carpenter and Jesus, the carpenter’s son, would have learned the skills of his trade from him. For Pope Francis: “Saint Joseph appears as a strong and courageous man, a working man, yet in his heart we see great tenderness and a capacity for concern, for compassion, for genuine openness to others, for love. Joseph exercised his role as teacher of Jesus discreetly and humbly, but with unfailing presence and utter fidelity. I like St. Joseph because he is a tradesman who gets things done. Like many tradesmen, he might keep you waiting for a while but you can always rely on him.” Pope Francis said that he writes his problems on a piece of paper at night and places it under a statue of St. Joseph, lying down, asleep. He then sleeps well when he goes to bed! Joseph probably knew the hardship of unemployment when there was little work or no work for himself and Jesus. St. Joseph help us to be committed to our work and help those who cannot find work.
DAY 7 JOSEPH - THE FAMILY MAN
Mary said: ‘See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you’ (Lk. 2:48)
Some of the Saints were convinced that `the discovery of Joseph` is a personal journey to Nazareth, to meet Joseph in the intimacy of the Holy Family. We can be sure that he held the baby Jesus in his arms and sat him on his lap; that he often carried Him as a child. St. Francis de Sales found the thought of this closeness fascinating: “I find nothing sweeter to my imagination than to see the child Jesus in the arms of this great Saint, calling him daddy.” With Joseph everything is so simple and yet so profound, so ordinary and yet so special. He is a person we can feel at home with. He was the village carpenter, the family man who worked for his living. He was profoundly loved by God and experienced that love and lived it and shared it, especially in the home at Nazareth with Jesus and Mary. May St. Joseph help us to discover God’s closeness in the ups and downs of family life.
DAY 8 JOSEPH - PATRON OF A HAPPY DEATH ‘At death life is changed, not ended’
In the Autumn Issue of St. Joseph’s Advocate, we usually have a photo of a stained glass window that depicts St. Joseph on his deathbed. The text at the base of the window reads: ‘Saint Joseph, Patron of a Happy Death, pray for us.’ Jesus is holding Joseph’s hand and blessing him, while Mary is praying and grieving close by. Just gazing at the window can bring comfort when we have to turn our thoughts to death or perhaps find ourselves grieving the loss of a loved one. The same gentle, loving Jesus is with each of us all through life and at the hour of our death. We draw great comfort from his promise: ‘I am the Resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live; everyone who believes in me will never die.’ (Jn. 11:25-26). The preface of the Mass for the dead reminds us: ‘At death life is changed, not ended.’ St. Joseph obtain for us the grace of entering eternal life in the company of Jesus and Mary.
DAY 9 JOSEPH - LOVING SERVICE ‘To love and to serve’
‘To love and to serve’ is the motto that was chosen by Herbert Vaughan in 1866 for St. Joseph’s Missionary Society of Mill Hill. He pointed to the example of Joseph’s life of loving service and wanted his future missionaries ‘To love and to Serve.’ He saw in Joseph a model for missionary life. Later as Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, he wrote: “Of old it was said to the needy and suffering people in the kingdom of Egypt: ‘Go to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you.’ (Gen. 41:55). The same is now said to all needy and suffering people: ‘Go to Joseph.’ What was truly said of the first Joseph in the Old Testament as to his goodness and love is verified much more perfectly in the second Joseph – St. Joseph”. In 2016 the Mill Hill Missionaries celebrated 150 years of missionary service. Our mission continues now with around 120 young missionary priests from Africa and Asia and around 200 students preparing for the missionary priesthood. We celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph (March 19) with gratitude for the past and hope for the future.
Mill Hill Ordinations
Leonard Chia Mufua was ordained priest on 25th May 2021 in Christ the King Parish, FuliKom, Archdiocese of Bamenda by Andrew Nkea Fuanya, Archbishop of Bamenda. Leonard has been appointed to Loyoro, Diocese of Kotido, Uganda.
Peter Yong Ntein was ordained priest on 25th May 2021 in Christ the King Parish, Fuli-Kom, Archdiocese of Bamenda by Andrew Nkea Fuanya, Archbishop of Bamenda. Peter has been appointed to the Philippines. Malvin Nkebenya Ngi was ordained priest on 11th June 2021 in Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish, Fiango Kumba, Diocese of Kumba by Agapitus Enuyehnyoh Nfon, Bishop of Kumba. Malvin has been appointed to Parys, South Africa. Agbasoa Guylain Agbasoa was ordained priest on 18th July 2021 in Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral Parish, Diocese of Basankusu by Joseph Mokobe Ndioku, Bishop of Basankusu. Guylain has been appointed to Fundong, Archdiocese of Bamenda, Cameroon. Subrata Nayak was ordained priest on 29th June 2021 at St. Peter’s Inter Diocesan Seminary, Diocese of Rayagada & Berhampur, India, by Aplinar Senapati, Bishop of Rayagada. Subrata has been appointed to Vishunpur, India. Nikhil Kalagura was ordained priest on 27th July 2021 at Christ the King Parish, Ramanthapuir, Archdiocese of Hyderabad, India. Nikhil has been appointed to a newly opened Mill Hill Mission in Lurgi, Diocese of Ambikapur, India. Spring 2022
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e e s l i b u J l Mill Hil
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Fr John Ambrose - Diamond Jubilee
Fr. John Ambrose is from Ballycormack, Shanagolden in Co. Limerick. He went to the local primary school and then to St. Joseph’s College, Freshford, Co. Kilkenny, for secondary education. He spent two years in Rossendaal, Holland, studying philiosophy. On completion of his studies there, he went to St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill, London, to study theology. He was ordained in 1962. His first appointment was to St. Louis, Missouri, USA. After one year there, he was appointed to the Philippines, where he spent his life as a missionary. He worked in parish ministry - with a particular interest in catechetics. He is now retired, living in St Joseph’s House, Orwell Park, Rathgar, Dublin.
Fr Bartholomew Daly - Diamond Jubilee
Bartholomew Daly is from Mountcollins, Co. Limerick, the eldest of four children. Ever since he was a young boy, he wanted to do something that would help the less fortunate. After ordination at Mill Hill on July 8, 1962, he was appointed to the United States, to Mill Hill Headquarters in Albany, New York. In 1965, he was appointed to Kenya, to the Diocese of Kisumu, where he worked in Misikhu Mission, and later in Kaplong, Nakuru Diocese. After 5 years in Kenya, he was reassigned to the United States, this time to the Bronx. In 1974, he was appointed Rector of the newly opened Mill Hill residence in Yonkers, N.Y. In 1982, he was elected Regional Representative of Mill Hill in the United States and reelected in 1985. He was a delegate to the 1988 General Chapter. That same year he became pastor of St. Francis Xavier parish in the Bronx. In 1992, he was appointed Co-Vicar for Religious in the Archdiocese and pastor of Our Lady of Peace Church in Manhattan. He was also elected and reelected Regional Representative during this time. Barth is now in Mount Carmel parish in White Plains, with other Mill Hill priests. 20
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Fr Tony Murphy - Diamond Jubilee Fr Tony Murphy is from Ahascragh, Co. Galway. After ordination at Mill Hill on July 8th 1962, he was appointed to Uganda. There he taught at Nyenga Seminary. Later he set up a youth centre in Kampala City. In 1971, he was appointed to do further studies at University College, Dublin. He returned to East Africa in 1975, this time to Kenya, to teach at Tindinyo Seminary. In 1984, he volunteered for work in the recently re-opened Mission to Sudan. There, for ten years, he did pastoral work and teaching in Malakal and Khartoum. War, famine and sickness made missionary work difficult. After a period on sick leave in 1994, he was appointed to Buea Diocese, Cameroon, where he taught in Bishop Rogan College and did pastoral work. Later he was appointed to Bamenda to take charge of the formation of future Mill Hill priests. In 2005, he was back in Buea Diocese where he was appointed chaplain to Buea University. He returned to Ireland in 2009 and spent eleven years as chaplain at Knock Shrine. He is now retired, living in St Joseph’s House.
Fr Patrick J Molloy - Golden Jubilee Fr Patrick J Molloy is from Glencolumcille Co Donegal. He was ordained priest in St Columba’s Church, Glencolumcille on the 24th June 1972. His first appointment was to the diocese of Basankusu, Democratic Republic of Congo. After ten years, he was transferred to New York where he worked as hospital chaplain at the Bronx Municipal Medical Centre. In 1992, he became Vocations Director in Ireland, and later Rector at Dartry House. He returned to the USA in 2001 and was Rector at the Mill Hill House in Los Angeles, where he did Mission Promotion and served as hospital chaplain at Cedar Sinai Medical Centre. He was recalled to Ireland in 2006 to be Rector at St Joseph’s House for our retired missionaries. His term as Rector came to an end in 2021. He continues to live in St Joseph’s House. Spring 2022
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Fr Denis O’Connor - Golden Jubilee
Fr Denis O’Connor is from Kilmoyley, Ardfert, Co. Kerry. His father ran the family farm, while his mother ran a country shop. Denis was recruited for Mill Hill by Fr. Terry Lee, who visited the schools in Kerry in 1959. Denis followed the usual route of most Mill Hill people, going through Freshford, Dublin and St. Joseph’s College, Mill Hill, London. He was ordained on the 17th of September 1972, in Our Lady and St Brendan’s Church, Tralee.
He was appointed to the Diocese of Kisumu, Kenya, where he ministered in a number of parishes, spending many years in the parishes of Port Victoria and Sirimba. After twenty-five years of missionary work in Kenya, Denis was appointed to England, to work on mission appeals for APF-Mill Hill, covering a number of diocese. In addition to his APF-Mill Hill work, he was chaplain to St. Joseph’s Nursing and Care Home, which is run by the ‘Little Sisters of the Poor’. He is now retired in Mill Hill’s Herbert House, Freshfield, Liverpool, England.
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PERSONAL STORIES
- from Jacinta van Luijk - Mill Hill Lay Associate ◆
His first appointment was to Rome for further studies in theology. This was followed by two years in Kenya. In 1977, he travelled to Chicago, where he studied Spirituality and Pastoral Theology. He then was on the Formation Staff of our Mill Hill Colleges in London and Roosendaal, Holland. In 1988, he was elected Regional Representative of Mill Hill in Ireland. After his term as Regional, he was back in Kenya, where he spent twelve years working in the Formation of Mill Hill students and conducting retreats for local priests, sisters and teachers. He returned to Ireland in 2007 and since then he has been the editor of ‘St. Joseph’s Advocate’. He lived in our Mill Hill House in Kilkenny for ten years and now lives in St Joseph’s House.
[Jacinta van Luijk is from The Netherlands and is a Mill Hill Missionary lay Associate. She has worked in Kenya for over 40 years. She spent 18 years coordinating the Community Healthcare Programme in Pandipieri, Kisumu, which is now run by Sr. Bernadette Nealon, fmsj. Jacinta moved to Kitale 23 years ago and since then she has been the driving force behind the ‘Kitale Community Advancement Programme’ (KAP). Mill Hill Ireland has been helping with funds for the Programme. One section of the Programme addresses healing for young people who have serious problems with addiction, prostitution, drugs, violence, HIV/ AIDS. The following stories have been submitted by Jacinta. The names have been changed to protect identity.]
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Fr Jim O’Connell - Golden Jubilee
Fr. Jim O’Connell is from Scartaglen, Co. Kerry. His first contact with Mill Hill came through St. Joseph’s Advocate. In 1960, he began his secondary education at St Joseph’s College, Freshford. He went on to Dublin in 1965 to study philosophy, and then to Mill Hill, London, for theology. He was ordained in St. John’s Church, Tralee, on the 25th of June 1972.
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Jacinta in Kitale with Fr. Norbert Odunga mhm.
ANNE’S STORY:
When Anne was 16 years old she had a big quarrel with her materially poor parents and ran away from home. She had a friend, another girl, who seemed to enjoy a very pleasant life, and Anne asked if she could move in with her. Soon it became clear that the friend was well-off thanks to funds earned through prostitution and drug trafficking. Anne moved to a house in the neighbourhood which was rented by 14 girls engaging in these activities. She herself got involved in prostitution and also started to use and trade in drugs. After two years she gave birth, and left the baby with her mother. Sometimes, her work was dangerous, as for example the time that a client came with three friends, gang-raped 23
very encouraging to me and I really learnt a lot on how to relate with others socially, economically, and spiritually. I also improved my knowledge and skills on various aspects of life. I have been uplifted from one level of hope to another. I pray that God will continue to bless the KAP Programme very much and increase its capacity to reach and help many young people like me who are struggling with similar issues; then they will be able to make right decisions in life.”
Jacinta out and about in Kitale her and left her seriously wounded. During a visit to her mother the latter encouraged her to attend the KAP course. For one reason or another, she decided to give it a try. She was much touched by the lessons and sharing on HIV/AIDS, alcohol, drugs, violence and trauma. She told the director, “I do not want to continue with my life anymore in prostitution and trade in drugs. I’ve had enough. You have taught me how I can say ‘No”, and I am determined to stop”. She had herself tested for HIV/AIDS, and deleted all contacts of her clients from her phone. She also went to live again at home with her parents. “But it is not easy”, she said to KAP’s counsellor; “The withdrawal symptoms make me feel sick and weak. I feel so terribly guilty about what I have done with my life, and that of my child and parents. And I have no idea how to bring up my child.” The counsellor is helping her to address these issues. 24
ELIZA’S STORY:
“I am a secondary school student. I want to thank KAP for its help. I had issues in my life; my father was jailed in a claim that he was engaging in trafficking of people to Tanzania, a story that was aired in the national television. Stigma, discrimination, hate and all sort of abuse have been my life. I had split with my siblings who went to live with my relative upcountry, where they were also stigmatized being called children of a killer. I used to feel there was no hope and I felt hated and punished by life all through.
GOD BLESS KAP:
“I am a girl aged 19, being the third born in our family. My mother died when I was born and people told me I was cursed because of this. I lost hope in life and lived a meaningless life. I was angry with myself and everyone else. I trusted no one. I did all the negative things to end my life but God
kept on protecting me from harm for the KAP programme to come and save my life. I now have knowledge and skills for a new beginning. I have met friends to lean on in case of challenges. God bless KAP.” From 2015 until 2019, Mill Hill Missionaries Ireland provided some of the funding for the Kitale Programme (KAP). In 2019 and 2020, the Programme received substantial funding from ‘Misean Cara’ - through Fr Philip O’Halloran, mhm. The funds distributed by ‘Misean Cara’ come from the Irish Government and go to projects run by missionaries working with some of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities in developing countries. Jacinta and her team and those who benefit from the Kitale Programme are very grateful for the financial help they received from Mill Hill Ireland.
Jacinta addressing a women's group
Day after day KAP’s programme transformed my life. The selfawareness topic was an eye opener. My self-esteem was uplifted, I gained courage to speak and share my issues with facilitators who were very caring. I started accepting myself the way I am. I learnt that everyone has value if we value ourselves. The teachings were Spring 2022
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The Monks of Tibhirine By Fr Jim O’Connell, mhm
The 7 monks and the other Algerian martyrs - including the Bishop
The award-winning French film “Of Gods and Men” (2010) movingly portrays the true story of seven Trappist monks who were murdered in Algeria. The monks of Tibhirine in the Abbey of Our Lady at the foot of the Atlas Mountains knew they were likely to be killed if they remained in the monastery. It was during the Algerian Civil War, and they had been threatened by terrorists, but they decided to stay despite the danger. They had come to Algeria not to convert Muslims but to live among them and be friends with them. They had a simple life and did their best to serve the poor in the community around the monastery. Since 1938, when the monastery was founded, they and their Muslim neighbours had lived peacefully together. The monks called the Algerian army “our brothers of the 26
The monastery cemetery in Tibherine
plain” and the rebels “our brothers of the mountains” in hopes that one day there would be peace. But this was not to be and there was pressure on the monks to side with the Islamist guerrillas or the Algerian government. They managed not to back either side but knew they were in grave danger.
that the monks had been beheaded after the kidnapping. Others claimed the monks were killed by an Algerian air force airstrike and beheaded afterwards. Nobody knows exactly what happened. Their heads were recovered on the 30th of May and buried at the monastery. Their bodies have never been found. The two monks who were not kidnapped, Fr Jean-Pierre and Fr Amédée, escaped because they were at the front of the monastery when the guerrillas arrived. “There was no noise. There was nothing remarkable,” Jean Pierre said about that night of the kidnapping. He was the night porter at the main door of the Monastery, and would have been the first to encounter the kidnappers if they came in that way, but they entered through the basement. He was not aware of anything happening. It was hours later that he and Amédée found out what had unfolded after midnight. Some months after the monks were abducted, Bishop Pierre Claverie of the Diocese of Oran was killed along with
his driver. Seven people were convicted of these killings and sentenced to death. The Catholic Church of Algeria succeeded in having their death sentences commuted.
Their memory lives on In January 2018, Pope Francis declared the Bishop a martyr, together with the seven Trappist monks, and 11 other religious men and women from France, Spain, Tunisia and Belgium. They were beatified on December 8, 2018. Because of the film, “Of Gods and Men”, the monks’ story has become well-known. The Notre Dame de L’Atlas Monastery is now in Midelt, Morocco. In this city, in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, Fr Jean Pierre and Fr Amédée re-established a community after the killing of their fellow monks. A small number of monks from other countries joined them. There are lots of memories and reminders of the past in the new monastery. A painting in the abbey chapel depicts the slain monks from Tibhirine in prayer. A memorial to them shows their portraits. The
“No Noise, nothing remarkable” On the night of March 27, 1996, soon after midnight, around twenty men attacked the monastery and kidnapped seven monks. Two other monks escaped being kidnapped, but were unable to contact police until the next morning because the phone lines had been cut. Two months later, a fundamentalist Islamic group claimed Spring 2022
The monks as depicted in the film 'Of Gods and Men' Spring 2022
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monks who gave their lives for peace and friendship are gone but their memory lives on in the new monastery at Midelt. Fr Amédée died in 2008 and Fr Jean Pierre died at the age of 98 on November 21, 2021 – the Feast of Christ the King. Over the years, he had asked himself: “Why had the Lord allowed me to stay alive?”. He concluded that the Lord wanted him to witness to the events of Tibhirine and make known the experience of communion with the Muslims: “we lived this communion in prayer; we got up at night to pray at the same time when our Muslim neighbours were awakened for their prayers. The monastery bells rang and the Muslims never asked us to silence them. We respected each other in the very heart of our common vocation: to adore God”.
‘A Spiritual Testament’ Before the kidnapping and murder of the monks, the monastery prior, Father Christian de Chergé, had written a letter, which is now known as his ‘Spiritual Testament.’ He saw the monastery’s basic calling in Algeria’s Muslim environment to be ‘a praying community among a praying people’. For him, the Muslims were people of God too. In his Testament he wrote movingly: “My death, obviously, will appear to confirm those who hastily judged me naive or idealistic. But these must know that this is what I shall be able to do, if God wills: immerse 28
my gaze in that of the Father, to contemplate with Him the children of Islam as He sees them, all shining with the glory of Christ, filled with the Gift of the Spirit whose secret joy will always be to establish communion. When the time comes, I would like to be able to have that stroke of lucidity which would permit me to ask forgiveness of God and of my brothers in humanity, forgiving wholeheartedly, at the same time, whoever my killer might be. May we meet each other again in paradise, should it please God.”
Easter Song of the Earth [From: Horizons of Hope (page 122) - by Fr Daniel O’Leary]
Pope Francis kisses the hand of Fr Jean-Pierre in 2018
Painting in Midelt Monastery showing the seven monks who were martyred Spring 2022
(This article invites us to be aware of what is happening in the world of nature. With the coming of Spring, new life is emerging; it is taking place before our eyes with the appearance of snow drops, crocuses, and lots of green shoots, as they spring up from the damp cold earth. We can see God’s power and presence at work – that same power that we celebrate at Easter in the Resurrection of Christ.) On a dark chilly evening in early March, I was walking home through a small park in Crosby with my shopping. Impossible to miss, I stared at the sudden appearance of the crocuses - violet, white and blue - translucent in the shadows, staked out like a rosary between tree trunks. Overnight, from drab Spring 2022
patches of lifeless leaves and muck, something beautifully fragile and life-giving had soundlessly emerged. Pope Francis is sensitive to this phenomenon of early Spring. It mirrors something of Easter for him: “When all seems to be dead, signs of the resurrection suddenly spring up. It is an irresistible force. In the midst of darkness, something new always springs to life, and sooner or later produces fruit. On the land life breaks through, stubbornly yet invincibly. Each day in our world beauty is born anew. Such is the power of resurrection.” In his challenging book Nostos, Irish mystic John Moriarty reflects on the unexpected epiphanies he noticed around him as he walked through muddy patches in the meadow near his Kerry home. He wondered 29
how those ‘hints of heaven’ could emerge from such a drab place. ‘How could something so yellow as a buttercup come up out of soggy brown earth?’ he asked. ‘How could something so purple as an orchid and so perfect as a cowslip come up out of it?’ ‘Where does the colour and perfection come from? and what else is down there? What else am I walking on? To me to inhale the fragrance of a primrose, down to the soles of my feet, is a Eucharist. Only then can I walk beautifully on the earth without hurting it. Right here in our own hill meadow, I can walk in paradise.” God is always coming to be To walk in paradise in our own fields. Pope Francis asks whether we can carry this treasure of insight safely in our distorted perception – that heaven is here, always present, growing like the seed,
Easter - light and new life 30
struggling to flourish anew in an indifferent environment? God is always coming to be in everything that happens: “The resurrection is already secretly woven into the fabric of history.” Easter is not about escaping into heaven; it is about recognising this evolving earth as God’s body and our true home. Resurrection does not sweep us away to a painless place but reveals the redemption in our suffering now. The lost paradise is regained in the soil of our fields and in the seasons of our souls. There is no sin, loss, betrayal, shame or despair that is final. Somehow or other, in the end, all is harvest. The Spirit of Easter is utterly free, utterly beyond our control. It is the deepest meaning of all our experiences, of everything that exists. It is in the tenderness of touch. It lives in the darkness of despair, in the glimmer of hope. It parts the veil, it rolls away the stone, it changes the focus, and it transforms our way of understanding ourselves and our world – in this world. To quote Richard Rohr: “The Risen Christ meets the disciples back at their jobs, the women in their very human grief, two men walking along a road, and first of all a very human friend, Mary of Magdala. He does not leave this world. He re-enters it as it is and reveals its radiance.” Everywhere accessible but contained nowhere. God cannot be confined any more to people of a certain race or Spring 2022
religion. Where life itself is, God is. The energy of being is the breath of God. Incarnate in the heart of flesh, the divine heart beats. Easter Vigil celebrates two revelations In the words of Pope Francis: “There is no Catholic God. There is God, and I believe in the Incarnation. This is my Being. And there is a spark of it in everyone.” And in everything. When contemplated lovingly, a crocus in the mud can transform our understanding of God. The magnificent Easter Vigil celebrates two revelations – the first is God’s incarnate presence in nature from the very beginning, the second is the full, final and definitive incarnation of God in Jesus Christ. The stirrings of life in the darkness of the earth fills Pope Francis with a unique insight into the meaning of Easter energy. He senses the impulse that runs through all creation. Nothing that happens is unimportant or irredeemable. Resurrection is what we were created for. But we remain blind to its wonder, deaf to its transforming power. God’s energy flows through everything. The landscape does not change but our eyes do. We watch for the small hourly miracles deepened and defined against eternal meaning. Easter emphasises the utter earthiness of divinity – and the divinity of each daily act. Spring 2022
God's presence and energy flows through all of nature
Springing up from the earth - new life resurrection 31
OBITUARY LIST (Up until 20/11/2021)
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on the souls of: MEMBERS Canon John Fallon, Sister Bridget Roche, John Bartley, Margaret Bennett, Mary Bogue, Alice Brophy, Mary Brophy, Teresa Buckley, Dominic Anthony Burns, Kathleen Burns, Brendan Byrne, Carmel Byrne, Marcella Byrne, Mary Byrne, Nora Byrne, Paddy Byrne, Sheila Byrne, Bridget Cadden, John Carroll, Michael Carroll, Kitty Casey, Rose Claffey, Nora Coffey, Sean Conneely, Bridie Conway, Marie Cox, Garrett Clinton, Hugh Crean, Frances Cullen, Mary Cummins, Bernadette Curran, Brigid Daly, Irene Delaney, Anne Dolan, Anne Maria Donegan, Kathleen Donovan, Michael Christopher Donovan, Anne Downey, Eva Doyle, Nancy Duffy, Mary Frances Faul, Una Finneran, Nora Fitzgerald, Ethna Fleming, Betty Foran, Teresa Fox, Mary Fritz, Eileen Furey. Tom Gaffney, Mary Gahan, James Gallagher, Mary Gallagher, Mary Gavin, Marian Glynn, Patrick Grace, Mary Greene, Mary Griffin, Bridget Hanley, Phyllis Hanrahan, Bridget Hayes, Anne Healy, John Hearne, Bridget Hennessy, Maureen Higgins, Eleanor Hynes, Evelyn Hennessey, Mary Howard, Mary Irvine, Eizabeth Keane, Michael Keane, Brian Kearney, James Kearney, Gilian Keaveney, Elizabeth Kelly, Sr Philomena Kelly, Bridie Kenneally, Alan Kent, Josephine Kiely, Teresa Killian, Sheila Knightly. Nicholas Larkin, Ita Lawless, Michael 32
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Fr. Michael Gemanga, mhm. Read his story on page 22.
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“A saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Lk. 2: 10-11) Winter 2021
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