PassionistsGlasgow
  • Welcome To Saint Mungo's
  • Parish Newsletter
  • Parish Office / Visiting Saint Mungo's
  • Passionists Young Team
  • Universalis Mass Readings for Today
  • Website Links
  • St.Paul of the Cross
  • St. Paul of the Cross for Children
  • St.Charles of Mount Argus
  • St Mungo Patron Saint of Glasgow
  • St. Mungo's Parish
  • Photo Album
  • Safeguarding (Updated Oct 2022)
  • Archdiocese Privacy Notice
  • Father Franks Log
  • Fr Thomas Berry CP and the Environment
  • Synodal Path
  • Welcome To Saint Mungo's
  • Parish Newsletter
  • Parish Office / Visiting Saint Mungo's
  • Passionists Young Team
  • Universalis Mass Readings for Today
  • Website Links
  • St.Paul of the Cross
  • St. Paul of the Cross for Children
  • St.Charles of Mount Argus
  • St Mungo Patron Saint of Glasgow
  • St. Mungo's Parish
  • Photo Album
  • Safeguarding (Updated Oct 2022)
  • Archdiocese Privacy Notice
  • Father Franks Log
  • Fr Thomas Berry CP and the Environment
  • Synodal Path
  PassionistsGlasgow

father frank's log...

22/9/2019

0 Comments

 
FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 15th – 22nd SEPTEMBER
​

Just a week after the close of our Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows, I was reading an article in this week’s Scottish Catholic Observer about Father Gary Donegan, the Passionist from Newtownbutler, who was the preacher at last year’s Novena. Father Gary had apparently gone up to Dublin for the replay of the All Ireland football final between Dublin and Kerry, which was won for the 5th year in a row by Dublin. (By the way, in Ireland they always say up to Dublin, because it’s the capital, even though geographically Father Gary actually went down to Dublin). He had parked his car in a relatively quiet part of the city, but when he returned to get it, he discovered that his car had been broken into and that, along with a number of other items; a coat; a pair of cuff-links, and a new pair of trainers; his holy oil stock had been stolen. A stock is the name for the container that holy oils are kept in – the Oil of the Sick; the Oil of Catechumens, and the Oil of Chrism. The stock had been given as a gift for his priestly ordination, twenty eight years ago, and having worked in Northern Ireland throughout most of that time, he had used especially the Oil of the Sick to anoint many people in tragic situations, as well as beloved members of his own family; so the loss of the oil stock was much more traumatic than any of the other items. Father Gary has launched an emotional appeal to get it back, and let’s pray that he does.
 
I was thinking about things that I still had that were given to me for my priestly ordination, and three things came to mind. One is a stole, white on the one side, red on the other, with the Passionist sign on both sides. This had been given to me by Father Norbert Dorsey, an American Passionist (and later a bishop) who had led me through my preparatory retreat in Rome before coming home to St. Mungo’s for ordination, and had presented me with the stole at the end. It has remained a treasured possession to this day. I also still have the vestments that I wore to celebrate my first Mass in St. Mungo’s on Sunday 19th June, 1983, the day after my ordination. The vestments were given to me by my cousins and were made by the Poor Clare’s in Bothwell. They are the purest of white with a Celtic Cross in gold and red, on both the chasuble and the stole. The third item I still possess is a beautiful portable Mass Kit, in a very fine, solid case, that was given to me by my brother Hugh and his family. Over the years I have celebrated many Masses in houses, halls, hospitals, and other informal locations using this kit. It has accompanied me to Lourdes and to Munstergeleen, the birth place of St. Charles of Mount Argus, and has enabled me to celebrate Mass with pilgrim groups in special places that were off the beaten track. It came with me to the Ozanam Centre in the Bridgegate for a special retreat night with the St. Vincent de Paul Society last year. At the present time myself, Father Gareth and Deacon Antony, are using it to celebrate Masses in the City of Glasgow College, and in the Caledonian University, where Deacon Antony carries out chaplaincy duties for staff and students. Thirty-six years on, while the lining of the case is slightly worse for wear, the case itself and the sacred vessels it contains, are as good as new and, like Father Gary’s oil stock, it is probably the item I would least want to lose.
 
As a Passionist, I have had to move house over the years, I think fourteen times, so I am not able to be a hoarder, but there are some things we all hold on to, not just for sentimental value, but for much more than that. They touch in to people and memories that are very, very deep, and to moments where God was present in a very powerful way. If I lost them, or if they were stolen, God would still be present, I know that, but I would miss them all the same.
 
St. Anthony, who received from God the special power of restoring lost things, grant that we may find anything lost that is precious, or at least restore to us peace and tranquillity of mind, and to this favour, we ask another: that we may always remain in possession of the true Good that is God. Let us rather lose all things than lose God, our Supreme Good. Let us never suffer the loss of our greatest treasure, eternal life with God. Amen.
0 Comments

father frank's log...

14/9/2019

0 Comments

 
FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 8th – 15th SEPTEMBER
​
This week we have been celebrating our annual Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows and marking the 150th anniversary of the opening of the present church at St. Mungo’s. The preachers have been wonderful, each of them with a very different approach and style. The first preacher was Fr. Aidan Troy, at present parish priest of our iconic church of St. Joseph’s at Avenue Hoche in Parish, the church where Oscar Wilde was received into the church by the English Passionist, Fr. Cuthbert Dunne, in 1900, and also where the actor, Martin Sheen, made his Confession before retuning to the practice of his faith. He was followed by Fr. Paul Francis Spencer, no stranger to the people of St. Mungo’s, having served on the altar here as a boy, before joining the Passionist Congregation, and having spells as vicar, rector and parish priest. His love and knowledge of St. Mungo’s is second to none. He is at present parish priest of Mount Argus in Dublin and Vocations Director for the Passionists in Ireland and Scotland. Then came Fr. James Sweeney, who in 2016 was elected as the first ever Scottish Provincial of St. Patrick’s Province. In earlier days Fr. James was chaplain to St. Mungo’s Secondary School and Vocations Director for the Passionists in Scotland; he was also Rector of our former Retreat Centre at Coodham in Ayrshire, where my own Passionist Vocation was nurtured in the early 1970’s; he then served the Congregation in various leadership roles before embarking on an illustrious academic career. At the time of writing we are nearing the close of our Novena when the final Mass to mark our Jubilee Year will be celebrated by Archbishop Philip Tartaglia. It has been a truly blessed and grace filled time.
 
While the Novena has been progressing, there has been extraordinary work going on behind the scenes to prepare for the closure of the church on Monday morning, the day after the Novena ends. This is to allow for very necessary refurbishment work in St. Mungo’s Church to lay a new floor; replace the old heating pipes; create a suitable access ramp in the porch area, and to provide an accessible, ground floor toilet. This work was made possible by a bequest from a lady who stipulated that the funds should be used on the church, and so we want to do her proud. We have always looked on this as a jubilee project and an act of hope in the future as we move on from the first 150 years of St. Mungo’s into a faith-filled future.
 
During this period Masses and other services will be in the hall. We have created an intimate setting for the Celebration of the Eucharist and one of the interesting features as, for health and safety reasons, we won’t be able to burn candles, is the introduction of a prayer tree. The idea is that people can write a petition, or simply the name of the person they wish to pray for, on a cut-out leaf. The leaf can then be hung on the tree, and over the 11 or so weeks that we will be in the hall, the leaves of red and brown and gold will build up into a beautiful array; every leaf representing someone’s prayer, and these petitions will be remembered at every Mass and prayer time; every period of Eucharistic Adoration, and every quiet moment spent in the Lord’s presence We may not be in the church, but we are the church, and by gathering in His name, we know the Lord will be present just as powerfully as ever.
 
During this time, also, there will be a nostalgic and poignant return to the old Retreat at 52 Parson Street. The Parish Office and Reception will be there, providing all the necessary elements that people generally come to the office for; and we will also have the daily Confessions there, utilising the former priest’s Confessional room just as you enter in through the double doors. We hope that God will bless this work and we commend it to your prayers that everything will go well because, if the Lord does not build the house, then they labour in vain that build it. (Psalm 127:1). And another appropriate psalm verse for the occasion:
 
They are like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in due season. Their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. (Psalm 1: 3)

0 Comments

FATHER FRANK's LOG...

7/9/2019

0 Comments

 
FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 1st – 8th SEPTEMBER 2019
​
After a two-month break the log returns this week. In many ways it has been a difficult couple of months as my younger brother has spent most of it in hospital, either in the QEUH or in Gartnavel, where he continues to be at this time. As his primary carer I have been trying to balance my life and ministry here in St. Mungo’s with my daily visits, sometimes twice a day, to see him and sit with him. I commend him to your prayers.
 
For much of that time Father Gareth was still in Wales, looking after his mam. My last log but one described our delight when Father Gareth came back to St. Mungo’s to be present at Brother Antony Connelly’s Final Profession as a Passionist, shortly after which he was ordained a transitional deacon in Belfast, a role he has been exercising very effectively here in St. Mungo’s ever since, as he journeys towards priestly ordination in December. Our delight was increased when, in early August, Father Gareth returned to St. Mungo’s fully, and from day one it was like he had never been away, plunging himself into ministry in his own inimitable style and being readily available and willing for whatever is required of him. His larger than life presence and good humour has brightened up our lives both here at the church and at our Passionist community house in Bishopbriggs. It’s so good to have him back, even if his jokes have got worse, and we continue to keep his mam in our prayers too.
 
Back in December, 2018, I went to Dublin for meetings. Shortly after my return I realised I had misplaced my diary, a very fine moleskin product, a gift from my niece, in which, as well as my appointments, I had lots of notes written on the blank, right hand pages, the date page for each week being on the left, and important bits of paper tucked into little pockets that the diary contained. I turned my office upside down at least six times and I had people in Dublin searching anywhere that I might have been in the monastery to see if I had left it there when I was over for the meetings, but all to no avail. Even St. Antony was flummoxed, as was St. Charles of Mount Argus. Eventually, I gave up, and somehow managed to compensate for the missing notes and vital bits of paper, and in time I stopped thinking about it. Then, after a fitful night’s sleep last Monday, I awoke on Tuesday morning and couldn’t find my rosary, which I always keep under my pillow. When I returned from our parish pastoral council meeting on Tuesday night, I pulled my very heavy bed out from the wall, presuming my rosary had somehow fallen down the back. I got a peek of it but had to get a long shoe horn to pull it to a position where I could retrieve it. Surprisingly, the shoe horn hooked on to something else and, together with my rosary, my missing diary also appeared. How it had got there I have no memory of whatsoever, but I was delighted to have the mystery solved.
 
This weekend we begin our annual Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows, during which, on Thursday 12th September, we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the church. We have three great preachers in Fr Aidan Troy CP; Fr Paul Francis Spencer CP, and Fr James Sweeney CP. Archbishop Philip Tartaglia will celebrate our closing Mass at 7pm on Sunday 15th September. I am taking the return of the missing diary while retrieving my rosary as a sign that Our Lady’s prayers are already being effective, and I am sure that our novena will be a very special time of graces and blessings for all who take part. I will be offering my own novena for my brother and for all whom I know, in my family, in the parish, and in the Passionists, who are sick, and for all who have confided in me and asked me to pray for some special intention. May all our prayers be answered. It would be great if you were able to join us for some or all of the novena, and you can find all the details elsewhere in the newsletter.
 
Mother of Sorrows; Woman of Compassion; may we draw inspiration from your journey of faith, and your unwavering trust throughout your sorrows. We too can move through the pain of our present situations. Your faith and your courage inspire us, and strengthen us. Amen.

​
0 Comments
    Picture

    FATHER FRANK KEEVINS C.P.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed