The winner of the giveaway is Florencia Bolognesi. Please send me an email with your address, and I'll get your copies mailed out.
For those of you who didn't win, I'll be holding another giveaway soon.
The Underworld on Amazon
Hi everyone,
The Underworld is available on Kindle at Amazon. Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Underworld-Fallen-Star-ebook/dp/B005FBA98C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312125201&sr=8-2
The paperback and NookBook aren't in the system yet, but I'll post the link when they become available. I'll also be posting the winner of my giveaway in just a little bit.
The Underworld is available on Kindle at Amazon. Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Underworld-Fallen-Star-ebook/dp/B005FBA98C/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312125201&sr=8-2
The paperback and NookBook aren't in the system yet, but I'll post the link when they become available. I'll also be posting the winner of my giveaway in just a little bit.
Khan Tunic at San Diego Comic Con and Prop Store items.
The second Khan costume in 4 months has hit the market and it is the iconic (A term very over-used by a certain person) version from which Ricardo Montalban showed off his very real pecs! Certainly this is the most desirable villain costume from the Star Trek movies and since Star trek II is one of the best science fiction movies of all time, the costume is the a legitimate Holy Grail for any Star Trek collector.
This is NOT the costume that was previously sold by Profiles in History at the Bob Justman Auction in 2002. That costume sold for $ 25,000 or so (don't have the exact # unfortunately), but also had boots, his necklace and the bandolier type piece that you see across his chest. This costume, being sold 9 years later, has a price tag of $ 35,000.
Now, the Khan "reveal" wrap and visor display that was sold at Profiles in April originally sold at the Bob Justman auction in 2002. It sold then for $ 25,000 . It sold for $ 32,500 at profiles in April, which was the opening bid and the bottom range of the estimate. If someone has specifics on either of these, please let me know.
So is this Star Trek costume priced right? I think so. This is certainly more desirable than the visor/wrap. And while this is not as complete as the one sold at the Bob Justman auction, it is still probably the most desirable non-TOS costume out there, with the exception of maybe Kirk's ST II:TWOK Maroon. And we know that went for $ 37,500 at Heritage last Fall. (But probably an aberration since I was the under-bidder and absolutely deluded to bid that much. I blame my friend Jack for egging me on!). If the more complete Khan from the Bob Justman auction were to hit the market, it would probably be a $ 40-50,000 costume. So $ 35,000 for a less complete one would make sense.
It will be interesting to see if the Khan piece sells. The two other big pieces from the collection that Prop Store was consigned, The Finnegan costume and the Uhura uniform mini-dress, have both sold already in private sales.
Good Hunting!
Alec
'They all ate as much as they wanted.' Sunday Reflections, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 31 July 2011
The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, Tintoretto, 1579-81
Readings (NAB: Philippines, USA)
Gospel, Matthew14:13-21 (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland)
When Jesus received this news he withdrew by boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But the people heard of this and, leaving the towns, went after him on foot. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them and healed their sick.
When evening came, the disciples went to him and said, 'This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food'. Jesus replied, 'There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves'. But they answered 'All we have with us is five loaves and two fish'. 'Bring them here to me' he said. He gave orders that the people were to sit down on the grass; then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing. And breaking the loaves handed them to his disciples who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected the scraps remaining; twelve baskets full. Those who ate numbered about five thousand men, to say nothing of women and children.
Soiscéal, Matha 14:13-21 (Gaeilge, Irish)
San am sin nuair a chuala Íosa faoi bhás Eoin, , chuaigh sé i leataobh as sin i mbád go dtí áit uaigneach ar leithligh. Ach fuair na sluaite scéala air, agus tháinig siad amach as na cathracha á leanúint dá gcois. Ar theacht i dtír dó, chonaic sé slua mór agus ghlac sé trua dóibh agus leigheas na hothair a bhí leo.
Nuair a bhí an tráthnóna ann, áfach, tháinig na deisceabail chuige agus dúirt siad: “Áit uaigneach é seo agus tá sé deireanach feasta. Mar sin, scaoil uait na sluaite go dtéidís isteach sna bailte agus bia a cheannach dóibh féin.” Ach dúirt Íosa leo: “Ní gá dóibh imeacht; tugaigí sibhse rud le hithe dóibh.” “Ach,” ar siadsan leis, “níl anseo againne ach cúig builíní agus dhá iasc.” “Tugaigí chugam anseo iad,” ar seisean. D’ordaigh sé do na sluaite luí fúthu ar an bhféar; thóg sé na cúig builíní agus an dá iasc, agus, ar dhearcadh suas chun na bhflaitheas dó, bheannaigh, bhris, agus thug na builíní do na deisceabail, agus thug na deisceabail do na sluaite iad. D’ith siad uile agus bhí siad sách, agus thóg siad suas an bruscar fuílligh, lán dhá chiseán déag. Timpeall cúig mhíle fear a fuair an béile, gan mná ná páistí a áireamh.
During my seminary years in the 1960s I sometimes came across this statement - though never from any of my teachers: 'You can't preach the Gospel to an empty stomach'. Today's gospel tells us clearly that Jesus took pity on those who had followed him that day, even though he needed time to be alone to come to terms with the news he had just received of the murder of his cousin John the Baptist. He then fed five thousand men, 'to say nothing of women and children' with the help of the apostles. In the very act of feeding all these people and healing the sick among them Jesus was bringing the Good News to them.
The Gospel isn't something separated from our lives. It is God's love experienced and shared. In my most recent post, 'Feed my sheep' fine - but 'feed my cat'?, I shared the charming story of Bishop-elect Thomas Dowd of Montreal who was once asked as a matter of urgency by a patient in the hospital where he was working to feed his cat. Father Dowd doesn't tell us anything about the man's faith but he saw the priest as a person who would do this act of kindness for him. That was his pressing need at that moment.
The pressing need of the vast throng that had followed him was for something to eat. There is a lovely detail in St Mark's version of the raising of the daughter of Jairus. While everyone is rejoicing at her having come to life Jesus, surely with a smile on his face, is aware of the pressing need of the 12-year-old who had just come through a deadly illness. He says, 'Give her something to eat' Mk 5:43).
St John, in his version of this event, one of very few to appear in the four gospels, has Jesus speaking about the Eucharist. As this gospel is read to us in this in the liturgy of the Word we are drawn to to thank God for the gift of himself that he offers us in every celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. do we really believe that it is Jesus the Risen Lord whom we receive in Holy Communion? Do we really believe that we are receving the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ, as so many of us learned in the catechism when we were children? Do we really believe that the same Jesus who fed the thousands, with only five loaves and two fish, and the help of the apostles, is now giving himself to us as the Bread of Life?
In 1993 when I was parish priest in the relatively remote province of Surigao del Sur on the east coast of Mindanao a six-year-old boy was brought to the local government hospital on the verge of death from starvation. He was being taken care of by his 11-year-old sister, not by an adult. I discovered that their mother was dead and the siblings had been divided up among relatives. Fortunately, the boy slowly recovered and I was able to get the children into an SOS Children's Village where they grew up and were well taken care of. But I'll never forget one day when the boy's sister, who had missed some years in school, came to visit me and, pointing at Somalia on a world map on the wall said, 'There are many children like my brother there'. Very few in the parish even knew where Somalia was but this girl from an utterly deprived background made the connection between here brother and children suffering from the famine in that country at that time.
Sadly, famine once again has hit that troubled land. The gospel today and our receiving the Bread of Life in Holy Communion calls us to make a similar connection between Jesus the Bread of Life whom we receive, Jesus who fed the thousands, and the needs of those who are hungry anywhere, whether it is for food so that can they simply live or for some other expression of God's love for them.
May I ask you to continue to pray for all the members of the Church in Ireland, which is going through a grave crisis. The next International Eucharistic Congress is scheduled to be held in Dublin next year. Irish missionaries have brought the faith to every continent, have brought the Bread of Life, Who prepares us for the Eternal Banquet to which He invites each one. The people of Ireland now need the prayers of those who have received the gift of the Faith and the gift of the Bread of Life through Irish missionaries. May the Eucharistic Congress be a true moment of grace for the Irish Church.
'Feed my sheep' fine - but 'feed my cat'?
Tigresa and Whitey, two of my three cats
As a priest who loves cats I couldn't resist this story from the blog of Bishop-elect Thomas Dowd, soon to be auxiliary bishop of Montreal. I'm simply and shamelessly copying and pasting from his blog, Waiting in Joyful Hope. I don't know if he's distantly related to me. My maternal grandmother was Annie Dowd from County Meath, the 'Royal County'.
Post for July 25, 2011
Christopher Curtis, in his recent article on me in the Montreal Gazette, includes this quote: “The job can be a lot of things. When I worked for a hospital, I was on call and you would get everything from a multiple victim car accident to a guy who is sick and needs you to feed his cat.”
In case you were wondering about the reference to a cat, it is from an incident that took place on March 7, 2006. My older posts are still in archives for the moment, but I thought I’d fish this one out and repost it (with just a bit of editing to help it make sense). Enjoy!
I was sick, and you
Today I got a call on my pager, 15 minutes before I was going to leave the hospital to teach downtown. Calling the ward desk, I was told that a patient wanted to see me. Could it wait till tomorrow, I inquired? No, it was urgent, was the response. OK, then, I headed downstairs right away.
The nurse let me to the patient’s room. He was quite upset to be stuck in the hospital. I asked him what he wanted to talk about, and it turned out he didn’t want to talk about anything. He wanted me to feed his cat.
Excuse me?
It turns out that this unfortunate gentleman really has nobody here in the city to help him, and by now his cat was 4 or 5 days without food. He did not remember the number of the superintendent of his building, either, so he had nobody to call. Could I head over to his apartment and explain things to the super, and maybe be let in to feed that cat?
Well, this sure wasn’t part of the job description. Running through my head were the words of advice I had received time and time again: “Don’t try and rescue everybody out there! You have to distinguish between what is essential, and what is merely important! There is only one Saviour, and you are not him!”
But on the other hand, this situation involved a starving cat. And I’m a cat person, so I felt for the poor thing. So I said ok, with a rolling of my eyes towards the Lord, who by now (I am sure) was having another one of his divine belly laughs.
Things, it turned out, were not as simple as all that. The super is new there, just recently moved to Canada from Romania, and he could not find the proper key. So it was back to the hospital to get the key (and permission to use it, witnessed by a staff member), until I finally managed to get in the door and feed the poor cat. Boy, was he happy to see me!
It turns out that there is actually a deeper lesson in all of this. At one point, as I was heading back to the hospital, I asked the Lord what the point of all this was. And the Lord answered, in one of those moments of clarity that you just know is a divine response. “Tom,” He said, “if I had asked you to do something extravagently important for this man, something heroic, you would have done it without question. Yet now, when I ask you to merely show him a very simple kindness, you are full of doubts and questions and annoyance. Does that make sense?”
“He who is faithful in small things shows himself worthy to be trusted with greater things. It’s not the big things that count, but the little things, done with great love.”
So I fed his pet, and even pet it for awhile. I also took care of a couple of other things for the man (returned some rented DVDs, etc.) Tomorrow I will see him again, and I’ll talk with the doctor/social worker/whoever about the need to help him put some structure in his life. I know I can’t take all this on as some sort of long-term responsibility — but in the meantime, I can at least feed the cat.
Lifesite news sees hope in three recent episcopal appointments in Quebec.
Please pray for Bishop-elect Dowd and for a renewal of the faith in Quebec.
Teaser From The Underworld
Hey guys,
July 31st is only a week away, and I’m starting to get excited. So to celebrate my excitement I thought I’d post a little teaser from The Underworld. I hope you all enjoy it.
“Just one second before we take off” Alex said to Nicholas. Then he turned to me, giving me this strangest look ever.
“What?” I asked, confused.
Still looking at me weirdly, he leaned in toward me.
I wasn’t sure what he was going to do at first—kiss me. Yeah, that thought flashed through my head until I realized that he was heading for my ear not my lips.
“Make sure and be careful around Nicholas.” His breath was electric against my ear, and I had to try very hard not to gasp. “Faeries are tricky. He’ll twist things around and try to confuse you if you’re not careful.”
So you’re a Faerie, too, I thought, but out loud I nodded. “Okay, I will.”
July 31st is only a week away, and I’m starting to get excited. So to celebrate my excitement I thought I’d post a little teaser from The Underworld. I hope you all enjoy it.
“Just one second before we take off” Alex said to Nicholas. Then he turned to me, giving me this strangest look ever.
“What?” I asked, confused.
Still looking at me weirdly, he leaned in toward me.
I wasn’t sure what he was going to do at first—kiss me. Yeah, that thought flashed through my head until I realized that he was heading for my ear not my lips.
“Make sure and be careful around Nicholas.” His breath was electric against my ear, and I had to try very hard not to gasp. “Faeries are tricky. He’ll twist things around and try to confuse you if you’re not careful.”
So you’re a Faerie, too, I thought, but out loud I nodded. “Okay, I will.”
The Shuttlecraft Galileo - Part II
The Shuttlecraft Galileo - Part II
By Steve Thomas
The final design of the Shuttlecraft shows a sleek craft that does not allow occupants the headroom to stand up fully (unless you’re under 5-1/2 feet tall). This was intentional as the shuttle was intended to be a compact vehicle, kind of like a mini-van. However, for “The Galileo Seven” episode, it was elected to build (also by AMT) a stand-up interior for best dramatic effect. The rear compartment is larger and even included a magical second hatch not seen on the exterior!
Compare these screencaps with Leonard Nimoy (6’-1”) inside the interior shuttle set, and Mark Leonard (6’) outside the door of the mock-up.
These are the drawings of the finished shuttle by Franz Joseph (Schnaubelt), of the infamous “Star Fleet Technical Manual” and “Constitution Class Blueprints.
The Galileo model kit actually came out in 1974, 5 years after Star Trek was cancelled! The entire line of “Star Trek” models would prove to be very profitable for AMT!
In the series, the Galileo was “destroyed” in “The Galileo Seven” episode, but returned in “The Doomsday Machine” (#35-presumably), “Metamorphosis” (#38), “Journey to Babel (#39) and “Immunity Syndrome” (#47- where it was destroyed again). It appeared as the “Galileo II” in the third season episode “Way to Eden” (#75). It was easier and inexpensive to paint “II” on the mock up than re-letter a new name and designation; but because of the continuity overlook of its second destruction, it should have been “Galileo II” in “Metamorphosis” and “Galileo III” in “Way to Eden”.
POST CANCELLATION
After 3 seasons, Star Trek was canceled in 1969. Paramount donated the shuttle mock up to “The Braille Institute” in Los Angeles, where it was used as a plaything for the young students. However, because of safety concerns, they sold it to Roger Hiseman of Palos Verdes, who wanted it for his older son. For whatever the reason, Mr. Hiseman kept the shuttle in his front yard, where it was considered an eyesore by his neighbors.
They petitioned that it be removed, and luckily for the owner, a man named Stephen Haskins bought the shuttle from him. Mr. Haskins paid about $8500 to restore the Galileo and in 1986, it was unveiled and displayed at the California “Creation” Convention celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Star Trek”.
When not on display, the Galileo was stored in the open (!), uncovered and exposed to the elements. She was restored twice more, but ultimately left to ruin, physical damage and at some point, it was even filled with sand! Here she rots amongst old RVs and busses in California.
HER SECOND RESTORATION
In 1989 for $3000, the Galileo was purchased by Lynne Miller of Akron, Ohio. Her plan was to restore the shuttle once again; ultimately to display it at the National Air & Space Museum alongside the shooting model of the Enterprise. To help raise money for the project, she displayed the shuttle at the “LaGrangeCon” convention in Cleveland, sponsored by the Akron chapter of the “Starfleet International” Star Trek club “USS LaGrange” and Vulkon conventions.
Commemorative t-shirts were sold to raise funds, and con attendees could see the Galileo and the beginnings of her restoration under a tent outside of the con hotel.
Members of her restoration team included Tim Gillespie and William “Buck” Krause. They along with Lynne are members of the USS Lagrange. Here’s a video put together by the “Galileo Restoration” team, documenting her condition before her transport to Ohio, and showing the start of her restoration.
Here are pictures of the Galileo kept and worked on in a hangar at the Akron-Canton Airport in 1992. The 2nd pic shows prop-maker Ed Miarecki (l) visiting with restoration team members Buck Krause (c) and Tim Homa (r).
HER 3rd DEMISE
In 1993, the owner and her restoration team had a falling out and parted ways. Not much was known as to the condition of the Galileo after the parting. She was moved from the Akron airport as the hangar property was sold and the hangar demolished. After that, the Galileo’s location was a mystery.
In 2009 on the “Hobbytalk” forum, Phil Broad, who is a Galileo aficionado with an excellent site dedicated to the shuttle, “Cloudster.com”, related these details about the Galileo:
“The woman who owned it had it moved to a sand blasting company in Akron, Ohio. She wanted to have some work done on it but eventually it became clear to the owner of the company that she was not coming back, they never heard from her again and could not reach her via the phone number she left with them.
The mock up sat in their storage yard for over 5 years with no one coming forward to claim it. Finally, I was contacted by a local fan who stumbled across it by accident when he went to that company and who suggested that it needed to be "rescued". Well, he was right but there were so many issues and costs involved that I could not see any practical way to do it.
Last year the company went out of business and their property was cleared out, the Shuttlecraft disappeared at this time. It is not known if the original owner came and got it or if some other fans rescued it or if it was bulldozed. More than likely it was demolished.”
With this discovery, I contacted Tim Gillespie of the restoration team and who lived near the yard, to try to find out more. Tim went out to the yard, and verified that it was no longer there. I’m hoping it may have been taken by someone who recognized what it was, or possibly that it was reclaimed by the owner. Attempts to date to find the owner have failed. At this point I believe once the owner is found, she will be able to reveal if she still has it, sold it, or if it was abandoned and left for trash. I and many others hope it wasn’t trashed.
Recently, on Doug Drexler’s blog “Drexfiles”, Tim Gillespie posted the following in response to a poster who suggested her restoration was “mishandled” by the “USS LaGrange” club. He also supplies details about how the restoration team and owner Lynne Miller parted ways.
This may be a bit late but I want to clarify something concerning the USS Lagrange and the restoration of the Galileo Shuttlecraft.
The Galileo was the sole property of Lynne Miller. Although some chapter members assisted Lynne from time to time and two of our members were handling the actual restoration, all the decisions regarding the shuttle were in the hands of Lynne. As club president at the time (and knowing Lynne as I did), I insisted that anything regarding the shuttle was done purely at Lynne’s discretion and not as an “official” Lagrange project. Lynne was a very difficult person to deal with and when the inevitable problems arose (and they did) I didn’t want any fingers pointed at the chapter. To suggest that the Lagrange “mishandled” the Galileo is completely wrong. We neither owned it nor did we make any decisions regarding it. Whatever happened to the Galileo was completely the responsibility of Lynne Miller.
Personally, I haven’t seen Lynne Miller since 1998 when I left Trek fandom for good. If I had to guess, the Galileo no longer exists or it is in such disrepair that it is no longer salvageable. It was not something you could move around easily and required constant upkeep. Bill and Tom, when they gave up the project due to problems with Lynne, had completed most of the restoration of the main hull. Bill Krause is probably one of the most talented and meticulous people you could ever hope to meet and I assure you what they did with the restoration was first class. However, if this thing has been hauled around from location to location and left outside for any length of time without proper storage, it’s just not going to hold up. You have to remember that it was a prop – meant to be used on a soundstage and then discarded. It wasn’t built to withstand California sandstorms and Ohio winters. The guys did the best they could with it under difficult conditions but God only knows what has happened to it in the last 13 years. I know how much such an iconic piece of Trek history means to many out there, but actually owning this white elephant, if it exists, would be a huge, major undertaking – a veritable money pit, if you will.
Sorry about rambling on so much, but I get a bit touchy when someone disses the’ol Lagrange (not to be confused with the ‘current’ Lagrange).
A NEW DEVELOPMENT
Before completing this article, I thought to see if there might be more recent aerial photos of the Galileo in that yard…then I found this aerial view on Bing:
This appears to be a more recent view of the yard. It shows the shuttle covered in a tarp in another location behind a truck! The yard where she was has been cleared. If this view is more recent then the “Google Earth” or “MS Virtual Earth” views, then it’s very possible the Galileo survives! Either the owner has her or someone else. There may still be “possibilities”!
WHITHER GALILEO?
An attempt is now underway to locate the owner to learn the fate of the Galileo. If she was not destroyed then there is the chance that a prominent “Star Trek” prop collector/dealer and businessman will buy her and (hopefully) see to her final and complete restoration! And if the worst is confirmed, I personally hope that this businessman will consider approaching AMT (now “AMT/ERTL”) to build a new Galileo…the “Galileo II”
SOURCES
Star Trek screencaps – http://www.Trekcore.com
Matt Jefferies drawings - "Forgotten Trek" Frank Ottens http://www.ottens.co.uk/forgottentrek/
Matt Jefferies pic - Mattjefferies.com
Gene Winfield pic and quote - http://www.c-we.com/piranha/GeneWinfield.htm
Thomas Kellog pic - Drexfiles.com
Thomas Kellogg shuttle drawing - "Forgotten Trek"
Jefferies shuttle 3-d model - http://redspar.smugmug.com/3d-Models/Matt-Jefferies-Shuttle-3d/7003916_MNWiB#507218130_QYpdD
AMT shuttle construction pics - Phil Broad
http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STShuttlecraft/GalileoTop.htm
AMT Galileo, Klingon & Enterprise model box covers - Internet
Shuttle blueprint drawings - "Star Fleet Technical Manual" by Franz Joseph (Internet)
Galileo in Roger Hiseman's yard - from Roger Romage
Galileo at Creation Con - Gerald Gurian http://startrekpropauthority.blogspot.com/2008/10/galileo-shuttlecraft.html
Galileo in junk lot - Phil Broad
Galileo at "LaGrangecon" - Greg Tyler - http://www.trekplace.com/article11.html
Lament for the young Norwegians slain on Friday
Altar of Oslo Domkirke (Oslo Lutheran Cathedral)
Above is the altar of Oslo Domkirke where a special service was held this morning for all who were killed last Friday in Norway. The vast majority of the more than 90 slain were young people.
Here is a video of Grex Vocalis, a Norwegian choir under the direction of Carl Høgset, singing When David Heard that Absalom was Slain, music by Thomas Weelkes (1573-1623).
When David heard that Absalom was slain he went up into his chamber over the gate and wept, and thus he said; My son, my son, O Absalom my son, would God I had died for thee!
Based on 2 Samuel 18:33, Authorized Version (King James Bible): And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
Jesus himself would be reported by many today to the police
Christ Blessing the Children, Nicolaes Maes, 1652-53
Three bishops have come out in support of Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny's speech in the Dáil (Irish parliament) last Wednesday. Patsy McGarry quotes the bishops in an article in yesterday's Irish Times, Kenny reflected anger, says bishop. Bishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor, which includes Belfast and is the second largest diocese in Ireland in terms of general and Catholic population, though Catholics are in a minority, said the Taoiseach had 'accurately reflected the dismay and anger felt by many, many Catholics in Ireland'. He was further quoted as saying he was 'shocked and devastated by the content of the Cloyne report and by the failure to implement the basic national guidelines imposed by the church within that diocese. Let me state once again that the protection of and care for our children is our absolute priority. The events described in the Cloyne report simply should not have happened'.
Mr McGarry's article quotes Bishop John McAreavy of Dromore who said that the Taoiseach's address 'accurately reflects the deep anger of the people of Ireland at the contents of the Cloyne report and underlines the huge challenges ahead for the Catholic Church as a whole'.
Auxiliary Bishop Gerard Clifford of Armagh is quoted as saying that while he was 'taken aback at the force and wide sweeping nature of the Taoiseach’s address in the Dáil' he acknowledged 'the reason for the intensity of feeling expressed given the awful findings of the report'.
Whether it has any significance or not I don't know but the Diocese of Down and Connor and the Diocese of Dromore are the only two of Ireland's 26 that are totally within Northern Ireland, over which Mr Kenny's government has no jurisdiction, while Armagh is one of a number that is partly in Northern Ireland and partly in the Irish Republic.
Kathy Sheridan wrote in yesterday's Irish Times about how the Cloyne Report has affected priests in Ireland, The fearful Fathers. The article begins, Angry, isolated, paranoid and ageing, many of Ireland’s ‘ordinary’ Catholic priests feel failed and abandoned by the church hierarchy. But where were the ‘good priests’ when they were needed? Ms Sheridan quotes Fr Brendan Hoban of Ballina, one of the leaders of the Association of Catholic Priests, which has about 500 members, about ten percent of the country's priests, presenting a pastoral dilemma: 'A woman comes to the door who may have psychiatric problems . . . What do I do? Take a chance by letting her into my front room? There is no doubt that priests have withdrawn, that they’ve become ultracareful and ultrasensitive on how they might be compromised'. Irish parishes, unlike those in the USA and the Philippines, for example, don't usually have an office. Priests meet people in their presbytery.
I'm not sure how fair Kathy Sheridan's question is: But where were the ‘good priests’ when they were needed? I was ordained in December 1967. I know that we must have touched on the question of the abuse of children in moral theology classes in the seminary but it was never part of my experience or awareness until the 1980s when reports about abuse by priests began to emerge from North America. I had never heard a whisper of it growing up in Ireland. I remember reading Irish author Walter Macken's novel published in 1962, The Silent People, set in the time of the Great Famine in Ireland of the 1840s, where a pre-adolescent girl is abused by a neighbour and the horror when this was discovered. As a child I remember clearly the canonisation of St Maria Goretti in 1950. I'm not sure to what extent I really understood what she went through.
One of the great joys in my life is my involvement with a home for girls here in Bacolod City, Philippines, where most of the girls have experienced abuse, mainly from family members or close relatives. This morning I celebrated Mass there followed by a simple celebratory lunch in gratitude to God for a group who recently passed the Social Work Licensure Examination. One was Sr Jenemer Torio TC, Director of Holy Family Home. Three others were young women who have been in the home for some years. One of them, Richelle Verdeprado, came second in the Philippines. Her background is simply one of poverty and she is now employed by an NGO in Manila that is fighting the trafficking of women. I am conscious that the sense of joy I find there would not be possible in the Ireland of today or in North America or in other English-speaking countries.
The appalling reality is that Jesus himself would be reported by many today to the police: 'Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.' And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them (Mark 10:15-16).
The Underworld Cover
Hey everyone,
I'm finally posting The Underworld cover. I've had the photo for the cover for awhile, but I'm not familiar enough with Photoshop to make the changes I wanted to do. But someone I knew came through for me and helped me out, and I think she did a great job. (Thanks Jeanie!)
So here is the cover. And don't forget that The Underworld will be out on July 31!
I'm finally posting The Underworld cover. I've had the photo for the cover for awhile, but I'm not familiar enough with Photoshop to make the changes I wanted to do. But someone I knew came through for me and helped me out, and I think she did a great job. (Thanks Jeanie!)
So here is the cover. And don't forget that The Underworld will be out on July 31!
Hanito - honey toast from pasta de waraku
I had the honey toast from pasta de waraku ytd for dessert. It's supposedly from shibuya (not that I recall seeing any of these there when I went there last yr). It's a generous thick toast sliced into 9 cubes for easy consumption. I think it's partially cos I like those Hong Kong style thick toasts but this is even better cos it comes with a layer of honey spread on top and there's so many different choices for toppings.
We shared the mixed fruit Hanito cos it looked like it had the most ingredients on top.
This is probably the best thing I've eaten from pasta de waraku (don't particularly like the pastas).
Mega full even after sharing the dinner set. Comes with corn soup (creamy and sweet)Salmon teriyaki was quite well done but I didn't like the overly sweet teriyaki sauce. Those little fried bits in the middle are tofu. Spicy prawn carbonara was really quite spicy cos they use those really tiny chilies.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
'The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.' Sunday Reflections, 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, 24 July 2011
Girl with a Pearl Earring, Johannes Vermeer, c.1665
Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)
Gospel Matthew 13:44-52 (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland)
'The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.
'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.
'Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
'Have you understood all this?' They said, 'Yes'. And he said to them, 'Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom things both new and old'.
Soiscéal, Matha 13:44-52 (Gaeilge, Irish)
San am sin dúirt Íosa lena dheisceabail: “Is cosúil ríocht na bhflaitheas le stór a bhí i bhfolach i ngort, agus an fear a d’aimsigh é d’fholaigh, gur imigh le barr áthais ag díol a raibh aige gur cheannaigh an gort sin. “Nó fós, is cosúil ríocht na bhflaitheas le ceannaí a bhí ag lorg péarlaí breátha. Tharla aon phéarla amháin leis a bhí róluachmhar, agus d’imigh agus dhíol a raibh aige gur cheannaigh sé é.
“Nó fós, is cosúil ríocht na bhflaitheas le heangach a cuireadh san fharraige agus a ghabh gach uile shórt. Ar bheith lán di, tharraing siad aníos ar an gcladach í, shuigh siad síos ansin ag cnuasach gach tairbhe i soithí agus ag caitheamh na dramhaíola uathu. Sin mar a bheidh i ndeireadh an tsaoil: rachaidh na haingil amach agus scarfaidh siad na drochdhaoine ó na fíréin agus teilgfidh siad san fhoirnéis tine iad. Is ann a bheidh gol agus díoscán fiacla.
“Ar thuig sibh na nithe sin uile?” “Thuigeamar,” ar siad leis. Dúirt sé leo: “Sin an fáth, gach scríobhaí a bhíonn ina dheisceabal de ríocht na bhflaitheas, gur cosúil é le fear tí a thógann amach as a stór nithe nua agus sean.”
Ag Críost an síol
Ag Críost an síol, ag Críost an fómhar;
in iothlainn Dé go dtugtar sinn.
Ag Críost an mhuir, ag Críost an t-iasc;
i líonta Dé go gcastar sinn.
Ó fhás go haois, ó aois go bás,
do dhá láimh, a Chríost, anall tharainn.
Ó bhás go críoch nach críoch ach athfhás,
i bParthas na ngrás go rabhaimid.
(Translation by Thomas Kinsella)
To Christ the seed, to Christ the crop,
in barn of Christ may we be brought.
To Christ the sea, to Christ the fish,
in nets of Christ may we be caught.
From growth to age, from age to death,
Thy two arms here, O Christ, about us.
From death to end — not end but growth,
in blessed Paradise may we be.
In the summer of 1961 the Archdiocese of Dublin held a special congress. In the foreword to a booklet, St Patrick's Achievement, Archbishop John Charles McQuaid wrote, The Dublin Congress of the Patrician Year has one purpose: to express to God our gratitude for the gift of the Faith . . . It is by a singular grace of God that we have been enabled to retain the Faith throughout the centuries.
When I entered the Columban seminary in Ireland that year there were more than 190 studying there for the missionary priesthood. Many other seminaries in Ireland had similar numbers.Today the Columban seminary and all but one of the others are closed. The Church is reviled by some and seen as irrelevant by many others, especially young people. There are many reasons for this. One is the failure of Church authorities to the abuse of children and adolescents by a small number of priests. I would say that the vast majority of people, including priests, were unaware of anything of this kind until it began to come to light in North America in the 1980s and in more recent years in Ireland. But there is a perception that even now some Church leaders are not prepared to take the necessary steps to punish those involved and to make sure it never happens again.
The first two parables tell us what someone is ready to pay when he discovers a treasure. Vermeer's painting shows us why a person would want to own a precious pearl, not to hide it away but to use it to enhance the beauty of a human being made in God's image.
But sometimes we can sell the field with the treasure or the pearls for a pittance, with utter disregard for the value of what we are throwing away. There is much historical evidence of whole communities losing the gift of the Faith, for whatever reason. The whole of Saharan Africa is one example. Modern Europe is another. Quebec in Canada and Ireland are two very recent examples of places where the faith has to a large extent ceased to be a factor or a formative influence in the lives of people.
As a missionary in the Philippines I have a fear that what has happened in my own country since I came here 40 years ago may happen here too. When I left Ireland bishops were still very powerful figures of whom politicians were afraid. We boasted of our 'Spiritual Empire'. There was some truth in that and there was a sense of gratitude to God too. There was enormous growth in the missionary dimension of the Church in Ireland in the first two/thirds of the last century.Churches were packed every Sunday and, at least in Dublin where I grew up, on weekdays during Lent.
Perhaps the boasting about our 'Spiritual Empire' led to hubris and a lack of gratitude for the precious pearl of the Faith that St Patrick had, through God's grace, brought to us.
In recent weeks the bishops and the State in the Philippines have been at odds over vehicles given to seven dioceses by the Philippines Charity Sweepstakes Office, a government agency. While the bishops concerned have all returned the vehicles and were treated with deference when they appeared before a Senate committee you have to ask if they have lost much of their moral authority. The Philippine bishops are at odds with the government over proposed Reproductive Health legislation, aspects of which are contrary to the Church's teaching. Will people listen to them if they perceive that some of them have been too cozy with politicians?
Like last week, there is a sting in the tail of one of the short parables. The net catches some fish that are of no use. These will be thrown out. Jesus is reminding us that it is possible for us to reject him.
The Irish hymn above prays, 'i líonta Dé go gcastar sinn - in nets of Christ may we be caught'. Will I be among the fish put in a basket or will I be thrown back into the sea as useless? Will my community be among the fish put in a basket or will we be thrown back into the sea as useless?
If we constantly express to God our gratitude for the gift of the Faith and remember that It is by a singular grace of God that we have been enabled to retain the Faith throughout the centuries I don't think we have need to fear.
'Today, that Church needs to be a penitent Church'
In the Dáil (Irish parliament) yesterday Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny made a blistering attack on the Vatican during a debate on the recently issued Cloyne Report that criticised former Bishop John Magee and his Vicar General Monsignor Denis O'Callaghan for the way they handled allegations about the abuse of children by priests of the diocese.
In his speech the Taoiseach spoke of some of the effects of clericalism: Clericalism has rendered some of Ireland’s brightest, most privileged and powerful men, either unwilling or unable to address the horrors cited in the Ryan and Murphy Reports. This Roman Clericalism must be devastating for good priests.... some of them old... others struggling to keep their humanity....even their sanity........as they work so hard.....to be the keepers of the Church’s light and goodness within their parishes...... communities... the human heart.
Mr Kenny identified himself as a practising Catholic - and he grew up in County Mayo in the west of Ireland, a place where the Catholic faith was particularly strong and that produced such figures as Fr John Blowick, co-founder of the Columbans: As a practising Catholic, I don’t say any of this easily. Growing up, many of us in here learned we were part of a pilgrim Church. Today, that Church needs to be a penitent Church. A church, truly and deeply penitent for the horrors it perpetrated, hid and denied. In the name of God. But for the good of the institution.
The Prime Minister spoke of the supremacy of the law of the State: Where the law - their law - as citizens of this country, will always supercede canon laws that have neither legitimacy nor place in the affairs of this country.Both the Cloyne Report and the Dublin Report criticise bishops for not having implemented canon law. If they had held canonical trials for priests accused of abusing minors quite probably much subsequent suffering would have been averted. And there is no intrinsic conflict between the law of the state and canon law. The state can put a priest in prison but cannot laicise him. The Church can do the latter, as it has done in many instances.
Mr Kenny acknowledged what the Church has been doing: I must note the Commission is very positive about the work of the National Board for Safeguarding Children, established by the Church to oversee the operation by Dioceses and religious orders. The Commission notes that all Church authorities were required to sign a contract with the National Board agreeing to implement the relevant standards and that those refusing to sign would be named in the Board’s Annual Report. Progress has been in no small measure to the commitment of Ian Elliott and others. [Note: Ian Elliott, appointed by the Irish bishops, is a Presbyterian.]
He also acknowledged the failure of the State in some instances: Just last week we saw a case of the torture of children, within the family, come before the courts. Just two days ago, we were repulsed by the case of a Donegal registered sex offender…and school caretaker…
Full text of speech. A video of the Taoiseach's speech, with the text, is available here. [I'm not sure how long RTÉ will leave the link there.]
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, interviewed on RTÉ's Six One News on TV after Mr Kenny's speech asked What sort of a cabal is in there and still refusing to recognise the norms of the church? He was referring to officials in Ireland and in the Vatican. A video of the interview by Bryan Dobson is here. [I don't know how long it will be available.]
Both Mr Kenny and Archbishop Martin are saying things that need to be said. What has been happening in the Church in Ireland has done enormous damage not only to victims of priests but to the faith and trust of good people.
[For non-Irish readers of this blog: the 'Six One News' is so called because it starts at 6:01pm, after the Angelus bell is played. Some want that to go.]
Blu Kouzina
I'm post a very good call (one of my best actually) and I'm now trying to clear up my back logged posts. And I'm also extremely pleased cos I managed to drink my favourite antioxidant juice drink (recommended by cel, who has warned me that I must not blog where this particular drink is cos it's always sold out in the evenings).
Blu Kouzina is a rather new Greek restaurant along Bukit Timah Road. I'm a noob when it comes to Greek food - somehow there aren't many Greek restaurants in Singapore and I think the most I've been to is the Mediterranean restaurants which I didn't particularly like cos I've always found the food too salty.
The restaurant is prettily decorated in the country's colours and they're very generous with the water, and glass bottles of chilled water are provided so you can drink as much water as you want. I think it's a really smart move as it saves the waitstaff lots of time refilling cups especially when the restaurant is busy.
The Tzatziki (Greek yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and olive oil) was a cooling and refreshing start to the meal, and tasted great with the warm pita bread. I love all these dips (just like hummus and Baba ghanoush) with pita bread.
Feta cheese and spinach samosas (I can't remember the fancy Greek name cos I can barely pronounce 80% of the dishes in the menu) which didn't have much feta. Won't be ordering this again cos I don't like the pastry and there was no feta.
There are quite a few beef mains in the menu. The server highly recommended the fish (but it was for 2-3 people and there were only 2 of us) so we settled for the lamb. Acc to hungrygowhere, the grilled fish is supposed to be very good so I will endeavour to try it the next time. The grilled lamb ($28? was delicious) - tender roasted lamb chops which are simply marinaded, with a drizzle of olive oil and no other distracting sauces. 
It came with a grilled capsicum stuffed with flavoured rice.
The food here is tasty, simple and good though prices are slightly steep (just like most of the other restaurants along Bukit Timah).
They have alfresco seating (both outdoors and indoors) as well as an air-conditioned area on the second storey. We booked late and ended in the indoor alfresco seating, which was quite unfortunate cos it was a hot and humid evening.
Blu Kouzina is a rather new Greek restaurant along Bukit Timah Road. I'm a noob when it comes to Greek food - somehow there aren't many Greek restaurants in Singapore and I think the most I've been to is the Mediterranean restaurants which I didn't particularly like cos I've always found the food too salty. The restaurant is prettily decorated in the country's colours and they're very generous with the water, and glass bottles of chilled water are provided so you can drink as much water as you want. I think it's a really smart move as it saves the waitstaff lots of time refilling cups especially when the restaurant is busy.
The Tzatziki (Greek yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and olive oil) was a cooling and refreshing start to the meal, and tasted great with the warm pita bread. I love all these dips (just like hummus and Baba ghanoush) with pita bread.Feta cheese and spinach samosas (I can't remember the fancy Greek name cos I can barely pronounce 80% of the dishes in the menu) which didn't have much feta. Won't be ordering this again cos I don't like the pastry and there was no feta.
There are quite a few beef mains in the menu. The server highly recommended the fish (but it was for 2-3 people and there were only 2 of us) so we settled for the lamb. Acc to hungrygowhere, the grilled fish is supposed to be very good so I will endeavour to try it the next time. The grilled lamb ($28? was delicious) - tender roasted lamb chops which are simply marinaded, with a drizzle of olive oil and no other distracting sauces. It came with a grilled capsicum stuffed with flavoured rice.The food here is tasty, simple and good though prices are slightly steep (just like most of the other restaurants along Bukit Timah).
They have alfresco seating (both outdoors and indoors) as well as an air-conditioned area on the second storey. We booked late and ended in the indoor alfresco seating, which was quite unfortunate cos it was a hot and humid evening. Overall, the food's good, service quick and efficient just that those people who are driving beware - carpark lots are pretty hard to find and you'll have to park in the nearby residential estate which is already crowded with patrons of the nearby tzechar restaurant Forture and the bar. Do make a reservation - the restaurant looks packed nearly every day...
Blu Kouzina
893 Bukit Timah Road
Tel: +65 6875 0872
Blu Kouzina
893 Bukit Timah Road
Tel: +65 6875 0872
The Shuttlecraft Galileo - Part I
The Shuttlecraft Galileo
By Steve Thomas
September 8, 1966…or “Stardate: 6609.8” if you will. A date that marks the television premiere of what would become an American icon in science fiction: “Star Trek”. So much of what came from that show is such a part of our society and of our planet, that’s it’s hard to imagine what things would be like if “Star Trek” had never been.
The iconic starship “USS Enterprise” was the ship that took our imaginations on a great ride. And aboard each version of the Enterprise there have been shuttlecrafts; and of them, the equally iconic “Galileo NCC-1701/7”.
HER REALIZATION
In episode #13 “The Conscience of the King”, Kirk takes Lenore Karidian to the observation corridor that overlooks the hangar deck and refers to the shuttles there.
Though mentioned, the production couldn’t afford to build a shuttlecraft, which is why the transporter was so prominent. Transporter effects were inexpensive versus shuttle effects. In “The Enemy Within” (#5), Sulu and his landing party could’ve been easily saved by shuttle when the transporter (and apparently all transporters) was damaged.
Episode #14 “The Galileo Seven”, finally revealed this previously unseen aspect of the Enterprise. Production designer Walter “Matt” Jefferies, who designed the Enterprise, was asked to design a shuttlecraft. What he came up with was craft that was sleek, smooth and curved.
Its curvilinear lines were evocative of her mothership, but such lines also made it too costly to construct. Jefferies also sketched ideas for other vehicles like this “Space Dock Utility Craft” (look familiar?):
WHO DESIGNED HER?
 |
| Gene Winfield |
“We built the [Star Trek] shuttlecraft, full-size shuttlecraft that was two separate units,” Winfield said. “One would be a complete exterior, full size. Then we built the complete interior. This interior had what we called ‘wild’ walls. What you do is you make the walls in four-foot sections on wheels so you can put up one wall and they could film the actors sitting on the seats and whatnot.
 |
| Matt Jeffries |
Note that he says “built” the shuttle, not “designed” and built. There apparently was some connection with AMT and/or Gene Winfield with industrial designer Thomas Kellogg. He is known for designing the Studebaker “Avanti” – its front end styling similar to the Galileo’s front end). Here is his shuttle design:
It should be noted that in an interview, Matt Jefferies says that Winfield designed the shuttle, but Thomas Kellogg’s obituary also states the he designed the shuttle. I believe it was a collaborative effort, with Jefferies “utility vehicle” selected as a base design by Kellogg, who was working under Winfield; and Jefferies putting the finishing touches on that design. Winfield’s department constructed the finished design.
Were Jefferies original design built, the Galileo would’ve looked mostly like this 3-D model by Vance Bergstrom:
HER CONSTRUCTION
AMT’s offer to build the shuttle allowed the production to go ahead with “The Galileo Seven” episode. Here are pics of the Galileo under construction at AMT Phoenix.
Part II Tomorrow!
Archbishop of Dublin on Cloyne Report
SIXTEENTH SUNDAY 2011
Homily Notes of
Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin
Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland
Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, 17th July 2011
Only a few months ago, here in Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral, we celebrated a liturgy of lament and repentance reflecting on the shattering facts regarding the wide-ranging abuse of children by priests and religious in this diocese and about the manner in which the Church in this diocese responded to that abuse. [This liturgy wasn't a Mass].
It was for me a moment of hope. The liturgy had been prepared by survivors of abuse and survivors took part in the carrying out of the liturgy. Courageously, men and women who had been abused spoke out about their hurt and their hopes. It was a moment which I know brought healing to many and gave them renewed strength in themselves and some sense of renewed hope in the Church which had not believed them or had even betrayed them. At that liturgy I saw many faces that I knew in tears; I watched others whose names I will never know sit alone in silence and sadness.
My first thoughts on reading the Cloyne report went back to that liturgy and to those who organized it and took part in it. I asked myself: what are they thinking today? Are they asking themselves if that entire liturgy was just an empty show? Were they being used just to boost the image of the Church? Were their renewed hopes just another illusion about a Church which seems unable to reform itself? Was their hurt just being further compounded?
As I reflected, the first emotion that came to me was one of anger:
anger at what had happened in the diocese of Cloyne and at response – or non-response - that was made to children whose lives had been ruptured by abuse;
anger at the fact that children had been put at risk well after agreed guidelines were in place which were approved by all the Irish bishops;
anger at how thousands of men and women in this diocese of Dublin must feel, who have invested time and training to ensure that the Church they love and hope can be different would truly be a safe place for children;
anger at the fact that there were in Cloyne - and perhaps elsewhere - individuals who placed their own views above the safeguarding of children, and seemingly without any second thought placed themselves outside and above the regime of safeguarding to which their diocese and the Irish bishops had committed themselves.
Paradoxically, appealing somehow to their own interpretation of Canon Law they had put themselves even above and beyond the norms which the current Pope himself has promulgated for the entire Church.
Some years ago I was criticized in some Church circles for speaking of strong forces still present in the Church which “would prefer that the truth did not emerge”. “There are signs”, I said, “of subconscious denial on the part of many about the extent of the abuse which occurred within the Church of Jesus Christ in Ireland and how it was covered up. There are other signs of rejection of a sense of responsibility for what had happened. There are worrying signs that despite solid regulations and norms these are not being followed with the rigour required”.
Much has, thank God, been undertaken within the Catholic Church to address the facts of the past and to improve safeguarding procedures. The Catholic Church in Ireland is a much safer place today than it was even in the recent past. [Until I began to read in the 1980s about abuse by priests I had always presumed that the Church, especially in its bishops, priests and religious, was a safe place].
Much is being said, on the other hand, that despite words the Church has not learned the lessons. Both statements are true. At our liturgy of lament and reconciliation I stressed that that event was only a first step. “It would be easy for all of us”, I said, ”to go away this afternoon somehow feeling good but feeling also ‘that is that now’, ‘it’s over’, ‘now we can get back to normal’”. I repeat once again what I said on that occasion “The Church can never rest until the day in which the last victim has found his or her peace and he or she can rejoice in being fully the person that God in his plan wants them to be”.
That is a challenge not just for bishops and Church leaders. It is a challenge for all. Obviously in this diocese it is a challenge to me personally. I know my own inadequacies and I do not wish to present myself as being better or more expert than anyone else. Like all of us, I need to have the courage to address my responsibilities with the utmost honesty day by day.
All of us need to have in place systems of verification and review which help us to identify mistakes made or areas where more can be done or things can be done better. We need to continue to build a cooperative climate where all the institutions of the Church work in a constructive way together and with the institutions of the State, which bears the primary responsibility for child safeguarding in the country.
I thank the priests and lay persons in this diocese who have committed themselves to implementing our child safeguarding policies and I appeal to them not to be become frustrated or indifferent. The Church needs you. The children who frequent our Churches need you. Parents need to be reassured by your presence. Public recognition is due to the mobilisation within the Church of so many volunteers who are in the front line in our parishes and organizations in child safeguarding.
Those priests who have ministered untarnished and generously over years – indeed for an entire lifetime - should not be made scapegoats and objects of hate. Priests deserve recognition for the good they do and they need the support of their people. I appeal to those priests who have become demoralised and half-hearted not to give in to cynicism but to heed the Lord’s call to renewal and conversion.
However, those in Church and State who have acted wrongly or inadequately should assume accountability.
What is at stake here is not just the past, but the future of our children and our young people and the need to foster a healthy environment across the board in which our upcoming generations are cherished and can grow to maturity. This is a huge challenge and cannot be addressed in a patchwork manner. The early results of the most recent census indicate that there will be a significant growth in the numbers and the proportion of children and young people in our population in the coming years. This will inevitably require significant investment.
While recognising the challenges of our current economic crisis, our long-term economic planning cannot overlook the need to provide not just protection but also vision, hope and opportunity for this future generation. The Proclamation of 1916 contained a vision of solidarity and inclusivity which dreamt not just of the freedom for Ireland’s people, but also of their welfare; it hoped for “equal rights and equal opportunities for all its citizens”; it dreamt of a society “where all the children of the nation would be cherished”. These are perennial goals for our nation which must at all times be a clear focal point for future economic and social planning.
The same proclamation and vision of those who founded our republic recognised that religious and civil liberty of all was to be fostered. A republic is not indifferent to the faith of its citizens. A republic respects the specific rights of believers. It recognises the role of believers in contributing to the common good as they journey with others in search of that hope to which we are all called as human beings and believers.
Great damage has been done to the credibility of the Church in Ireland. Credibility will only be regained by the Church being more truly what the Church is. Renewal will not be the work of sleek public relations moves. Irish religious culture has radically changed and has changed irreversibly. There will be no true renewal in the Church until that fact is recognised.
The Church cannot continue to be present in society as it was in the past. That is not to say that the Church will be renewed by that changed culture or should simply adapt itself to the vision of that new culture. The Gospel reading reminds us that the Church lives its life in the midst of different cultures and indeed with the presence of sin in its own midst.
As believers we know that in the long-term Christ who sows the good seed in our midst will work tirelessly to see that those forces “that provoke offence and who do evil” will not prevail but will face judgement on their lives. It would however be false to interpret the Gospel reading as if we should simply sit back and allow good and evil to grow together in the hope that in the end the good will win out. It is reminding us that fidelity to the message of Jesus is the way in which we will ensure the victory of the good.
The Gospel reading cries out: “Listen”, anyone who has ears”. Rarely more often than in our day are we as believers called to listen, to take note, to be alert and on our guard, so that the virtuous life will shine through us in our world. To do that we must renew ourselves and, as the second reading reminds us, allow the spirit of God to put into our lives a goodness and a love that cannot be summed up in our words. It is only then if we love good that we will drive evil away from us. ENDS.
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