DID THIS BLOG DO FATHER RONAN DRURY AN INJUSTICE?

DID THIS BLOG AND ITS COMMENT MAKERS DO FATHER RONAN DRURY RIP AN INJUSTICE THIS WEEK?

That point of view has certainly been expressed by several people.

A friend of Father Drury's wrote the following to me in an email:

"Bishop Pat, 

Fr Ronan Drury was a lifelong family friend, neighbour and a fairly constant presence in my life. My late mother would routinely dictate letters for me to write to Fr Ronan in Maynooth. 

He was the first positive religious role model in my life, and it is he whom I often thank for the gift of faith. He certainly encouraged that gift. 

 I have been completely and utterly shaken by what you have published on your blog in recent days. As far back as I can remember Ronan was a regular visitor to my family home and the home of my grandparents. He famously said Midnight mass on Christmas Eve for almost 70 years in his home parish, Mullagh County Cavan. He returned often to say funeral and wedding masses. Never in my life did I ever hear such allegations or innuendo about Fr Drury. He remains in the hearts and minds of his neighbors and friends as a kindhearted and genuine priest and man. 

I grew up believing and still believe, that Ronan Drury was a gentle, honest and dedicated servant of Christ. I have become seriously and greatly disturbed by your recent utterances. I thank God that Ronan has no immediate family left as I know it would greatly hurt them, as it has hurt me. You have warranted an attack against the most innocent and defenceless in our society, the dead. Is it more than a coincidence that you have decided to publish such allegations almost 12 months after Fr Drury was buried. 

I feel that you have gone too far and have labeled an innocent man as a dangerous predator whose sole focus was to molest and wreak havoc over his students. 

I implore you to publish facts, evidence and proof of Fr Drury’s misdemeanors rather than idle gossip and conjecture. 

You ought to be aware that to us Ronan was a friend as well as a much loved and respected priest. 

Yours in Christ."

Father Clat

Dear Pat Buckley.

 
As someone who knew the late Fr.Ronan Drury as a teacher, mentor and friend for almost forty years I want to refute utterly the cruel and untruthful depiction of his character you have chosen to print on your blog today. His kindness and generosity towards his friends and generations of students was never tainted by any ‘predatory’ motivation or behavior. The truth of that can be found in the real love and affection he inspired in so many of his former students over his long lifetime and came from his never failing good humor and his frequent words of encouragement and compassion. He was never afraid to challenge the status quo and was often a lone voice in Irish Catholicism in publishing the views of those who distorted Gospel values within the church – no matter how elevated their status. I suspect this is where the roots of complaint against him really originate among those for whom the Gospel is simply an instrument of judgement and exclusion and whose hate-filled agenda disguised as piety is ever more to the fore today. He never uttered an uncouth or nasty comment about anyone in all the time I spent in his company and is completely undeserving of the assassination of his character by those who never knew him. As someone who claims to have the same mission of truth at heart Pat I hope you will discontinue these hurtful and spurious attacks.
Paul Clayton-Lea

There are various things that emerge:

1.   Father Ronan Drury was loved and respected by many people, clerical and lay and they say he was a wonderful man and did a great deal of good.

2.   It seems pretty clear to me that Ronan was of the “antique disposition” (gay) and that is neither a sin or a crime.

3.   He obviously was a character over many decades in Maynooth and many, to this day, remember him and recall his actions and words.

4.   It seems pretty clear that he liked to touch people in an “affectionate” manner and this is not an issue when and if one has the permission of another to do so.

5.   Some people have said that this touching was of a sexual or sensual nature and they objected to it.

6.   One person talked of Ronan standing behind them during homiletics lecture, pressing himself into them and putting his arms around their chest from behind.  In todays society that would certainly, in the workplace and other places be viewed as invading boundaries and personal space and indeed as sexual harassment.

7.   While some people called him a “predator” can such a termed be used of a serial “toucher” or should that term be reserved to people who go further than touching?

8.   Nobody, to my understanding, has said that Ronan ever engaged in a sexual act with them or anybody else?

9.   Was Ronan’s alleged regular sexualised comments to seminarians appropriate?

This whole issue is probably being seen in the context of recent very promiscuous homosexual activity in Maynooth.

Is Ronan a completely different matter or do people feel that he contributed to the ever worsening situation in Maynooth?

In the end Ronan’s friends and admirers will love him in spite of all.

And anyone who feels that Ronan crossed boundaries with them personally is entitled to object.