Friday 21 August 2015

THIS WEEK'S PRIESTLY TRAVELS

THIS WEEK'S PRIESTLY TRAVELS

Brittany and Shane

This week I was on my priestly / pastoral travels on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday that involved me covering 700 miles and criss-crossing the Emerald Isle.

On Tuesday I travelled from Larne in County Antrim to Ennis in County Clare where I had a meeting with a small group of priests to discuss our experiences in the priesthood and reflect on the future for priesthood, church etc.

On Wednesday afternoon I had the great privilege and pleasure of celebrating the wedding of Brittany and Shane from California, USA at Dromoland Castle near Limerick. 


Dromoland Castle

Brittany and Shane are from California and they wanted married in an Irish castle and by an open-minded and liberal priest. They travelled from the States with sixty two members of their family and friends and we had a wonderful wedding ceremony in Dromoland Castle's walled garden.

After the ceremony the couple were escorted through the castle's grounds to their reception by the castle's horsemen and hounds.

On Thursday I had some Baptisms and Confirmations in Kilkenny and after a further meeting in Dublin made my way home to Larne.



With the increasing number of people becoming disillusioned with the Roman Catholic Church and its abuses and scandals more and more people are looking for alternative ways of celebrating their spirituality - and even their Christianity and their "catholicism" - small "c" of course.

We can have a spirituality, a Christianity and even a "catholicism" without man made empires like The Vatican and the Roman Catholic Empire that has grown as a fast spreading "weed" in the garden planted by Jesus himself and the early church.

We need to get back to basis - to keep the baby of spirituality and faith - and thrown away the dirty water of Rome, the Vatican, church man made laws and the whole money making racket that Roman Catholicism has become.



As someone said some years ago - in another context - we need to get BACK TO BASICS.

That's what my ministry is about.

12 comments:

  1. am one of those who have become disillusioned by the catholic church - especially its so called priests. But i miss going to Mass and receiving the Blessed Sacrament. What is our alternative as catholics?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Anglican Church of Ireland is quite catholic in its own way and just around the corner.

      Delete
    2. I beg to disagree. The Church of Ireland is far too much of an "institution" and my experiences of it would not lead me to it. I would be more at home in the Church of England or indeed the US Episcopal Church.

      Delete
    3. Contributor at 1.09 A very relevant and necessary question? This is what I ask myself too.

      Delete
    4. There are "alternative" priests in many areas in Ireland now.

      Delete
    5. Pity these alternative priests dont have a higher profile. In my day being alternative in any shape or form was a death sentence. I dont know if what I did and how I did it was right or wrong but coming to the UK saved my sanity in a roundabout sort of way. Do these "alternatives" have a forum or point of contact

      Delete
    6. What a pity! Is it a question of all arse and no trousers They need to be identifyable

      Delete
  2. Is there an Anglican church in Ireland I thought Church of Ireland was part of the Anglican Communion and that was how it worked...? Glad to hear about those Baptised and Confirmed. What happens to them when you return to Larne? Also this group of priests where are they from and what are they up to?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This group of priests are worried about the future and have lost faith in the institution - but are stuck.

      Delete
  3. Speaking of priests who are "stuck". Has anyone any news of how Fr Cairan Dallat is getting along?

    ReplyDelete