XXV

Most people were sad when they heard the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth recently. It was one of those “Where were you when you heard?” moments. The Queen celebrated her silver jubilee in 1977 at a different time in Anglo-Irish relations. At any rate, she went on to have a golden, diamond, and platinum jubilee since then. 25, 50, 60, and 70, has come along in our lifetimes and while 1977 is only 45 years ago, most of us remember it especially as it was the year of Saturday Night Fever, and Star Wars, and ABBA’s hugely successful tour of Australia.

It’s been 25 years since I stood here in this church and Bishop Jim Moriarity, now passed on, ordained me priest in the presence of many of you. The theme of his homily was “A priest for the year 2000, a priest for the new Millennium. The Millennium, the year 2000, we wondered then, didn’t we, what that might mean as we watched them place the “Time in the Slime.” That was the clock ticking down to the year 2000, but even the millennium clock couldn’t survive the waters of the river Liffey! We were worried too about the millennium bug, and would the computers crash and what would happen to the planes flying in the skies when the clock struck twelve across the world on Dec 31^st, 1999, into Jan 1^st, 2000? A lot of water has flowed under O’Connell bridge since then. We have had the Euro, 9/11, President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth laying a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance. A pope resigning, a Latin-American pope who chose a name like no-other in 2000 years. We had Roy Keane come home from Saipan, and now we wonder will Oasis reform? When I was ordained priest, Fianna Fail were elected to Government and Leo Varadakar was doing his Leaving Cert. Who knew that one day that Fianna Fail would be in Government with Fine Gael?

But let us go way back to the ancient ones who walked this holy ground in the 5^th century. One of them was a monk called Kevin who spent his early life and learning and who was ordained to the priesthood here in this area. Long before Dunnes Stores, or the Community Centre, or the Cuckoo’s Nest, or the Summer Project, or the Cycle Rally, St. Kevin, captivated by his love for God and his desire for solitude, left here to cross the mountains to settle in the monastery of Glendalough.

I could be wrong, but I don’t believe there was another monk or priest who left this area till I did in September 1987. My going away followed some summers of breakdancing, and discos, and dates, and some of you are here, and off I went to the Capuchins and their Franciscan habit and Padre Pio who had me spellbound, and I really had no idea why at 18 years of age. Perhaps if I had waited for a few years and not have gone so young, many of you may not be here, and maybe something else would be happening here today. But I did join, and for a while it was very tough, and awful leaving my family, and tough leaving Kilnamanagh, and especially all of you.

So, the boy from Kilnamanagh grows up to be a priest for the 21^st century and in the intervening years, I have been a school chaplain for ten years, a hospital chaplain for three years, and a parish priest for twelve years but all the while a brother in community in our Cork and Dublin Capuchin houses.

It all started for the Franciscans, nearly eight centuries after St. Kevin, when St. Francis of Assisi knelt before a cross in a little ruined church in down in the valley below the town of Assisi and he was inspired in his prayers to “Go and repair my church which as you can see is falling completely into ruin.” He thought of placing blocks and stones on the broken walls of the church he was kneeling in but soon after his followers, the first Franciscans came, he learned that it was a different rebuilding programme God wanted him for; to build up the church using living stones, people. Today, there are Franciscan brothers and sisters all over the world and the work is as vital today as it was in Francis’ time, so much so, that our Pope has taken the name Francis. Our lives revolve around the call to be lesser brothers and sisters to everyone in fraternity, and prayer to all – especially those most in need, the poor, the homeless, the refugee, and our mother Earth, our common home – the environment.

The call to serve for me, like the other friars and sisters and all in ministry, comes from Jesus. He has set a fire in our hearts and while there are struggles in all our lives, the joy that comes from following Jesus Christ can radiate so that other see it come through and becomes the building blocks of a vocation. Vocations are home grown and come in normal ways and while our world may not understand this, I would argue that priesthood and religious life prayerfully well lived is crucial for society in the 21^st century. I couldn’t do this if I didn’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ which fuels all that I do.

And like everyone, I have my moments, and I have been supported by you all and you are so important to me.  I have shared happy days and sad days with you along the way. I have officiated at weddings in your families, I have baptized your children, and even grandchildren now! I have offered the funeral Mass for some of your loved ones. In all this and more, I have been the privileged one.

As I touched on, it hasn’t been easy. A lot has happened in the church in those intervening years and there has been huge suffering and for most that suffering is a daily cross.

Moving is something that we friars and clergy must do every few years and both we and our people face upheaval when we have to go to new places. You have a new PP; Fr. Frank arrive here in the summer for example. I have recently changed from parish ministry after twelve years to a new ministry with Padre Pio Prayer Groups, and Vocations Ministry.  Following the Lockdown and on the back of the years in parish pastoral ministry and involvement in some diocesan projects, I have been quite tired. But when the move came, this change hit me pretty hard. Why I am saying this is for you all to hear that I thank God for each one of you and the friars are consoled by the friends that God gives us.  We friars are called by God to follow Jesus Christ in the way of Francis of Assisi in the Church of today. He doesn’t leave us alone; he gives us great support. Yes, there are challenges and sometimes the light is dim, and I wonder where God is. But in comes people like you – all of you. And Jesus says through all of you, “I’ve got your back.” “I love you.” “I will not leave you alone.”

So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, mile búiochas…

To friends older and newer, thank you for your love. Even if I might not see some of you a lot, I know you are there, and I value your friendship and I ask you to keep in touch and let us meet now and again. For my part, you are always in my prayers.

To the friars, I said this in 2013 when I was 25 years in the order, I don’t know how you put up with me, I really don’t. I made Perpetual Profession of Vows in 1994 and that day I said I would be a friar for life. I hope I won’t let you down. (That’s another reason for celebrating today, the next milestone for me won’t be till 2038!) I am sorry for being a pain sometimes and causing you hassle along the way. And I’m sorry for being impatient with you as well, and sometimes being a big baby.

To the Poor Clare Sisters. I thank you for your prayerful support from day one.

To my family of origin; Dad, Mam, Kevin, Gráinne, David, Aoife, Lorna, and Clodagh. And now, Tracey, Sam, Louise, Jane, Helen, Peter, Orlagh, and Ross. To the Aunties Deirdre, Maureen, and Uncle Paddy, and the cousins, everyone knows what you mean to me. I would wither away if I hadn’t you, I would die.