Drawing Strength from Our Precious Past
When Pope St John Paul II visited Ireland in 1979, one of the places he wanted to go to was the ancient monastic site of Clonmacnoise. The Pope knew, that while the Faith in Ireland seemed robust at the time, great challenges would come – and he wanted to remind us of the deep roots of the faith on this island.
Speaking on that September Sunday morning in 1979, the Polish Pontiff said: “when we look at the works of Faith, we must give thanks to God. Thanks to God for the origins of this apostolic Faith in Ireland. Thanks to God for the saints and apostles and all who were the instruments for implanting and keeping alive this Faith, and who have done God’s will throughout the ages. Thanks to God for the generosity of Faith that brought forth fruits of justice and holiness of life. Thanks to God for the preservation of the Faith in integrity and purity of teaching. Thanks to God for the continuity of the message of the Apostles handed down intact to this day.”
The month of July brings to mind one of the courageous saints that we owe so much to in Ireland: St Oliver Plunkett, who was canonised in 1975. Archbishop Plunkett was found guilty of high treason in June 1681 “for promoting the Roman Faith” and was condemned to death.
Before his arrest, despite being on the run and with a price on his head, Oliver refused to leave his flock. He travelled the country for ten years, often in disguise and sometimes barely ahead of his pursuers. During these ten years he had done as much as any man since St Patrick to strengthen and preserve the Faith in Ireland.
St Oliver Plunkett is a powerful intercessor for us as individuals, our families, our parish communities and our country. He is also a reminder that we don’t get to choose the times we live in, but we are responsible for promoting the Faith in good times, as well as bad.
Sometimes we can be tempted to feel disheartened or even to despair when we reflect on the fact that many of our friends and neighbours no longer find consolation in the Faith that has sustained more than 70 generations of Irish people, since Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland in 432.
But St Oliver is a powerful antidote to such feelings and a reminder that God is calling us to be faithful in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.
This is my first edition of The Mirror as Editor. It is a humbling experience indeed to compile the various projects that you support so willingly and freely through your prayers and donations to Aid to the Church in Need, Ireland.
Regardless of whether we are providing subsistence aid for priests and religious, Mass stipends, training of seminarians, emergency relief aid during war and natural catastrophes or spreading the Faith, Aid to the Church in Need’s task areas are as diverse as they are urgent. We lend assistance and fund activities where Christians are persecuted, and the Church suffers hardships.
While we think of the persecutions endured on this island at the time of St Oliver Plunkett as historic memories, they continue to be a reality for many of our brothers and sisters. Close to 70% of the world population live in countries without full access to religious freedom, and 50% of the world population live in countries with outright persecution. The fundamental right of religious freedom is not guaranteed in more than 62 countries.
Through your generous support, ACN is able to continue supporting the spread of the Faith in challenging circumstances and ensuring that heroic and saintly priests, religious and lay pastoral workers can be there bringing God’s consolation to those who are most in need.
In The Mirror, I will continue to reflect this generous service – and I would really love to hear from you about things you’d like to see in this magazine, that I know is so precious to us all. Please feel free to email me,
Keep the Faith!