FATHER FRANK’S LOG: 12th – 19th MAY 2024
Last week, prompted by my reading of Life, Pope Francis’ book in which he reflects on his life through different, significant moments in history that he has lived through, I looked back on some memories of my own, around the same or similar events. After completing that Log, I felt that there was unfinished business, and so this week I have chosen two more such events that the pope reflects on, to recall my own experiences, and then I will leave it at that.
The first was the great economic crisis of 2008. I was rector and parish priest of Mount Argus in Dublin at that time. For the few years prior to this, we had been tentatively moving towards the very painful and difficult decision to leave the old monastery and move into a new, custom-built monastery, on the same grounds, that would be more suited to our declining numbers, enable us to give greater care to our frail and elderly members, and be less of a financial drain on our province resources. The intention was to sell the old monastery, together with our front field, the estimated proceeds of which would enable us to build the new monastery, give the province greater financial security going forward, provide a new pastoral centre for the parish and local community, and support Passionist projects in other, poorer parts of the world, such as Africa and Asia. We could have moved more quickly on it, but we felt it was important to have an ongoing dialogue with the Passionist community, the parish, and the local residents, so as to reach a point of relative peace and acceptance, despite the great sadness surrounding the move from a monastery where the Passionists had lived for the best part of 150 years, and where Father Charles of Mount Argus, canonized a saint in 2007, had also lived. Had we moved more quickly, when the economy was much more buoyant, the proceeds would have helped us to meet all those good intentions. As it turned out, the economic crisis came just about the time the bids were coming in for the sale. Had this been a few weeks before, we would have realized a much greater price. Had it been a few weeks later, we probably wouldn’t have been able to make the sale at all. As it was, we accepted a bid, but had to curtail those good intentions, and be more modest with our plans. Just before Christmas, in 2009, we moved into a beautiful new monastery and, most importantly, Passionist life and ministry continued at Mount Argus, and still continues to this day. The pastoral centre, named after St Charles, has opened as well.
The second event was the Covid-19 epidemic. I remember we were scheduled to have Confirmations in St Mungo’s on 19th March 2020. The preparations had all been made. Archbishop Tartaglia was coming to administer the Sacrament. But then came word that all churches were to close after the morning Masses on that same day, and so the Confirmations had to be cancelled. A couple of days before this, on St Patrick’s Day, Father Lawrence, a much-loved member of our Passionist community, who had been living with Cancer for the previous 2 years, was admitted to the Marie Curie, and he died on the morning of 18th March. His funeral, which I have no doubt would have been massive, was carried out in a closed church with a handful of people, followed by a burial in our Passionist plot at St. Kentigern’s. Even then, we didn’t realise how long the Covid-19 crisis would drag on for. Protocols were put in place. The church was at various times either closed all together, able to have 20 people for Mass, or able to have 50 people for Mass. A booking system was put in place. Wonderful volunteers came forward to help with the admission of people to the church and to do the constant, deep cleaning after every service. At times they, and I, had to endure unfair flak from some Covid deniers, for simply doing our best to apply the rules that we were told were necessary to keep people safe. Eventually, while we know that Covid hasn’t completely gone away, we would, by the grace of God, return to some kind of normality. The End.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
Last week, prompted by my reading of Life, Pope Francis’ book in which he reflects on his life through different, significant moments in history that he has lived through, I looked back on some memories of my own, around the same or similar events. After completing that Log, I felt that there was unfinished business, and so this week I have chosen two more such events that the pope reflects on, to recall my own experiences, and then I will leave it at that.
The first was the great economic crisis of 2008. I was rector and parish priest of Mount Argus in Dublin at that time. For the few years prior to this, we had been tentatively moving towards the very painful and difficult decision to leave the old monastery and move into a new, custom-built monastery, on the same grounds, that would be more suited to our declining numbers, enable us to give greater care to our frail and elderly members, and be less of a financial drain on our province resources. The intention was to sell the old monastery, together with our front field, the estimated proceeds of which would enable us to build the new monastery, give the province greater financial security going forward, provide a new pastoral centre for the parish and local community, and support Passionist projects in other, poorer parts of the world, such as Africa and Asia. We could have moved more quickly on it, but we felt it was important to have an ongoing dialogue with the Passionist community, the parish, and the local residents, so as to reach a point of relative peace and acceptance, despite the great sadness surrounding the move from a monastery where the Passionists had lived for the best part of 150 years, and where Father Charles of Mount Argus, canonized a saint in 2007, had also lived. Had we moved more quickly, when the economy was much more buoyant, the proceeds would have helped us to meet all those good intentions. As it turned out, the economic crisis came just about the time the bids were coming in for the sale. Had this been a few weeks before, we would have realized a much greater price. Had it been a few weeks later, we probably wouldn’t have been able to make the sale at all. As it was, we accepted a bid, but had to curtail those good intentions, and be more modest with our plans. Just before Christmas, in 2009, we moved into a beautiful new monastery and, most importantly, Passionist life and ministry continued at Mount Argus, and still continues to this day. The pastoral centre, named after St Charles, has opened as well.
The second event was the Covid-19 epidemic. I remember we were scheduled to have Confirmations in St Mungo’s on 19th March 2020. The preparations had all been made. Archbishop Tartaglia was coming to administer the Sacrament. But then came word that all churches were to close after the morning Masses on that same day, and so the Confirmations had to be cancelled. A couple of days before this, on St Patrick’s Day, Father Lawrence, a much-loved member of our Passionist community, who had been living with Cancer for the previous 2 years, was admitted to the Marie Curie, and he died on the morning of 18th March. His funeral, which I have no doubt would have been massive, was carried out in a closed church with a handful of people, followed by a burial in our Passionist plot at St. Kentigern’s. Even then, we didn’t realise how long the Covid-19 crisis would drag on for. Protocols were put in place. The church was at various times either closed all together, able to have 20 people for Mass, or able to have 50 people for Mass. A booking system was put in place. Wonderful volunteers came forward to help with the admission of people to the church and to do the constant, deep cleaning after every service. At times they, and I, had to endure unfair flak from some Covid deniers, for simply doing our best to apply the rules that we were told were necessary to keep people safe. Eventually, while we know that Covid hasn’t completely gone away, we would, by the grace of God, return to some kind of normality. The End.
As ever, protect yourself, your loved ones and others, and protect Christ in your lives.
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