Saturday 29 August 2015

FATHER CONNOR McCARTHY BELFAST

FATHER CONNOR McCARTHY, BELFAST

Fr Conor McCarthy
I have just watched the newly ordained Down and Connor (27) priest celebrate the 6.30 pm Mass at St Peter's Cathedral in Belfast.

He came across as balanced, gentle and unassuming and his homily was extremely good for an "L" learner priest.

Watching I was reminded of my own priestly beginnings - forty years ago next June.

It also reminded me of my 5 years of service in St Peter's from 1978 until 1983 and how much I loved the people and my work there - even thought it was at a very different time (The Troubles) than I hope Connor McCarthy has ever to endure.

I was reminded of how absolutely full of the "First Fervour" that I was and how, over the years my enthusiasm took such a knocking from the Institutional Church and from various power hungry bishops and cynical priests.

Thankfully I have never, to date, lost my faith or sense of vocation and I want to be a priest at least as much today as when I entered the seminary in 1970 - 45 years ago. 

If I had to start all over again - I would. But, I would not want to! I would not want to have to face my little boat into such stormy waters again. Thats a journey that is enough for one life time :-)

I sincerely wish Connor McCarthy well and I hope that he has not been spoiled already and that his emergence out into the truly awful clerical world will not hurt or crush him.

He will need all the grace that God can give him and all the guidance the Spirit can provide him with. 

He will also need the love and support of his family and a few good friends. 

As he enters the garden of ministry may he be preserved from the foxes, the wasps and the poisonous plants that abound there!







26 comments:

  1. Is the newly ordained Fr Mc Carthy musical? If so he couldnt be in a better place. He could easily find himself being shown a thing or two by the Cathedral Dean. He might even learn how to hit a high note !!

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    1. Fr Connor, I believe, is a very fine celloist.

      The Dean on the other hand is an officiado of the flute and the organ.

      Of course one instrument never made an ochestra.

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    2. I hope Fr Connor is only visiting the cathedral. I cannot believe that even Noel Treanor would put Fr Connor under the Dean.

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    3. Anonymous at 20:31: I'm sure the "Dean" would just love to have Fr McCarthy under him.

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  2. Pat,
    I'm glad to see you have not lost your sense of humour, with regard to the "These plants can kill scenario", but I also take on board the serious point you raise.
    In my opinion Down & Connor in 2015 is a toxic place in which to live out Priesthood, and I have good reason to state that proposition.
    If Conor McCarthy can remain a decent priest/human being into the future it will be a great grace for those he serves, and a testament to his own integrity/spirituality.
    I wish him well.

    LUX.

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  3. Where is the Dean ? Is he still 'learning' to be a better priest/human at Heythrop College, London ?
    I miss his homilies on the internet - who else can turn Holy Mass in St Peter's into a Durufle concert, with such ease. What a guy ? Hugh if you are reading this, please know that all Durufle fans want you back asap.

    PAX.

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  4. If Fr McCarthy is posted to the cathedral will he be there for a while and if so what is the situation with Fr Ciatan Dallat?

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    1. Father Dallat is hovering in the Glengormley area.

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  5. Is Fr Dallat 'hovering' or 'hoovering' in the Glengormley area ?
    Has he started his 'rehabilitation' course yet ? Heythrop College, London, still has a few places available in the Autumn term, for D&C clerics with issues.

    PAX.

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  6. Fr Conor is a great lad and, indeed, truly a fine musician. May God keep him safe from the malign forces still at work in this diocese. I do not believe Bishop Treanor would expose him to the "Dean" and he may well be part of the rescue plan for St Peter's Parish from the fiasco that has held sway there for too long.

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  7. Bishop needs to grow a pair of swingers and clear Kennedy and McClinton out of St Peter's, send all them wee lads packing back to sing in all the different Parishes thay all come from and put proper priets in St Peter's again.

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  8. Contributor @ 21:40 I echo your thoughts with one proviso : Bishop Treanor is not in my opinion, someone who can judge situations wisely in relation to parish assignments for clergy. On a number of occasions , not least in St Peter's parish, he has made dreadful decisions concerning clergy, often ignoring behaviour which warranted immediate action. ( Dunloy a few years ago also springs to mind !)

    D&C cleric.

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  9. Hopefully at long last the bishop will do something about the cathedral parish and the goings on there. Not only do the dogs on the street know about what's happening but every time two dogs meet on Albert street the emulate it !!!!!

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    1. There's many "dogs" out there not close enough to know the goings on you refer to. So why not post them here to create an impetus for change?
      That also applies to other "goings on" elsewhere. So please do provide more info.

      I think Pat's blog provides a useful forum,( clearly absent elsewhere) to publicise issues of concern relating to "the RC church". I just wish so many of those "faithful worshippers" who regularly attend church and "pay their dues" were more aware of the residual malignity within the RC church structure to the point where would arise a forceful demand for change.

      By change, I mean movement away from the RC church's infantile preoccupation with sexuality on to the much greater concerns now facing humanity.
      Pope Francis's June encyclical "Laudato Si" made a tentative start in recognising the imperative to treasure and preserve the environment. However, the forthcoming October synod of bishops (consisting of older celibate males, ie RC bishops ), will inevitably be preocupied with focussing on the private personal behaviour of individuals, (concerning which they have no relevant personal experience).
      Yet they will make pronouncements on issues like homo sexuality, abortion, birth control etc,(again as I've said, with no experience of the reality of the issues), with no focus at all on the much greater very real pressing issues now facing humanity.
      As I've read the gospels, Christ made no mandated pronouncements on inter personal issues concerning how people enjoy the human instinct of their inherent sexuality.

      So it's no wonder at all that so many thinking persons see the RC church as completely unaware of, unsympathetic and irrelevant to the vital concerns of humanity nowadays. That they vote with their feet is gining momentum.
      MourneManMichael

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  10. The bishop must read this blog or at least someone close to him must and report back. Even among the clergy tittle tattle he must know about. St. Peter's. The fact that he has done nothing about it up until now shows he either has no leadership skills, has no or little ability in problem solving , has no balls or frankly,my darling Hughie, he just couldn't give a damn !!

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    1. As previously commented in 22:36, the Bishop was made aware of what had happened in Dunloy a few years back - severe abuse of power at its very best and thats only for starters. It seems the only way accountability and action takes place is when the media is brought in to tell yet more scandel within our church. Unfortunately the innocent party as a result of being forced to go public is often the one who suffers the most by other church goers who cannot bear to hear the truth.

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    2. What happened in Dunloy

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  11. If we think Noel is inept perhaps I should remind readers of this blog that there is an emeritus bishop in Derry ️and formerly of Raphoe whose inactivity in dealing with child abuse in his diocese was exposed a couple of years age. The prelate concerned Seamus Heggarty retired " on serious health grounds" a couple of days before the damming report was released. Remarkably he is still alive. Perhaps readers in Raphoe or Derry could put some of Seamus history into the public domain here Dalrada Dick

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  12. Concerning Seamus Heggarty. The personification of the abuse of power run mad. A member of a wealthy Donegal family was a school teacher in a number of schools in the Gaeltacht area. Master McGinley abused boys on many occasions until eventually he was caught, prosecuted and jailed. On the evening he was jailed guess who was entertained to dinner in his family home in Falcarragh. None other than Bishop Heggarty That sent a message to the wealthy family that despite the activities of their brother ,who wrecked and destroyed the lives of many children, they were still part of the Bishop's brigade and their euros would still be accepted on the plate on a Sunday. Fek the abused kids and their families. when the stuff about Heggarty all comes out it will show just how corrupt the Roman Catholic is and was in rural Ireland and what a ba++++d he is.

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  13. The details contained in 15:57 contribution about + Seamus would qualify as another GUBU Moment. GROTESQUE, UNBELIEVABLE, BIZARRE, AND UNPRECEDENTED !
    What in God's name was Seamus Heggarty thinking about ?

    LUX.

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    1. He was thinking that nothing and no one could stop him doing as he pleased. It comes from looking in the mirror and saying: "Hello My Lord".

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  14. For a man who was so ill a couple of years ago and whose illness was such that his memory had eroded he appeared at an ordination in lDonegal in the last few weeks looking the picture of health and remembered everybody and anybody. I suppose he thinks he deftly side stepped the criticism in the report into the child abuse by priests in Raphoe but he will not sidestep the judgement of God when his time comes

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  15. The bishops of ireland fall into three categories , those who believe in God, those who don't believe in God and those who believe they are God. -Dalriada Dick

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  16. I wish Fr Connor well. What a strange world of work it appears he will find himself in. Reminds me of The Twilight Zone-old tv show (possibly showing on horror channel)

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  17. I watched a video on the D+C website of the new Fr Mc Carthy being interviewed pre ordination at the Pink Palace in Rome. He is so so innocent and full of the joys and looking forward to Ordination. I wonder will he still be full of that great fervor and zest in a few years? Time alone will tell. Ad multos annos!

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