BACK FROM MY TRAVELS:
As I indicated in my recorded message on Thursday, my visit to Ireland went smoothly and provided me with an opportunity to catch up with many of my confrères in that Province, where they are having to respond to the same challenges that confront us here in the United Kingdom. At the same time, it is always good to share experiences and learn from one another, and I enjoyed the opportunity to have a number of thoughtful conversations which have helped to clarify my thinking and my expectations.
For example, when it comes to Shrine Ministry, what the Irish Redemptorists have developed over the years could not simply be replicated here in Liverpool. In Dundalk the Novena to St Gerard, leading up to the Feast on the 16th of October, began in the 1930s and remains part and parcel of the life not only of the town but also of the surrounding countryside. Prior to the pandemic there were ten sessions each day and an estimated 10,000 people attended each day. Since the pandemic they have reduced the number of sessions to eight, but thousands of people continue to attend the nine days. It is recognised that an intriguing phenomenon of the event is that for many people this is their one contact with the church throughout the year.
It surely suggests that people continue to value the need for God and our spiritual selves continue to need nurturing. I guess the challenge for us is to find ways of tapping into that yearning among Liverpudlians today?
