A Blessed Christmas!

Adoration of the Shepherds, Gerard van Honthorst, 1622.

All the hustle and bustle is coming to an end. Christmas has arrived!

To all of you who are discerning your vocation in life and feel called to religious brotherhood - in the peace of these days, I hope that you will be able to hear the whisper of Christ all the more clearly.

A happy Christmas to one and all.

On the Road to Emmaus...

Sr Mary Condon (Bon Secours) bends my ear...

I attended my first AGM recently of Vocations Ireland at the Emmaus Retreat Centre in Dublin and ended up with a job- on the National Executive, representing religious brothers. The Executive is composed of representatives from the different "types" of congregations of, e.g. contemplatives, missionaries, apostolic orders.

Vocations Ireland is an organisation which supports vocations directors and also promotes vocations to religious life. Over 100 religious orders are members. The Director is a Loreto Sister, Sr Eileen Linehan.

Vocations Ireland has a pretty good website. Take a look - http://www.vocationsireland.com/

The New Vocations Ireland Executive: (left to right) Br Pat Lynch (Franciscan), Sr Gabrielle Fox (OLA), me, Sr Phyllis Moynihan (Mercy), Sr Mary Condon (Bon Secours), Sr Eileen Linehan (Loreto), Andrew O'Connell (our communications director).

Christmas is Coming...

Br Bernard gives me a hand with the decorations outside our front door in Glasthule

I love Christmas time and here in the Brothers' House, we put up our decorations just like anyone else.

The Advent Wreath has been up for a while and this morning we put up the wreaths and put out the poinsettia plants.

As Perry Como would sing, "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..."

If you'd like to find out more about our way of life as Presentation Brothers give me a shout at prescall@eircom.net

It had to be just right...

Christmas Lights

With friends from the local Harold N.S. at the switching on of the lights

The parish of St Joseph here in Glasthule was a hive of activity when we switched on the Christmas lights. A huge crowd filled the front yard of the presbytery, across the road from our own house for the annual event.

Hymns sung by the students from the local Harold National School brought a bit of warmth to a very frosty Advent night.

It's a reminder for me to put up the Christmas decorations here too...

With the Maddens outside St Joseph's Presbytery in Glasthule

Open House Day

Thanks a million to the more than two hundred people who visited us after Masses in Glasthule this weekend. It was a lovely gesture of support. We hope you all enjoyed your time with us and that you got a good opportunity to see the newly renovated house.

With Ann Maree Quinn and Rachel Byrnes in the function room on Sunday.

Choir members from the Family Mass Group..

The Gleeson Family who were visiting the parish from Australia.

The Family Mass Group from the 10.15am Mass in Glasthule.

Sheila McLoughlin and Lisa Murphy who helped out at the weekend.

Anne Maree Quinn, Angela Byrnes and Celine Hoyeau.

Enjoying the Open Day

Open House!

Part of my mission is to help people to learn more about the vocation of the religious brother. Inviting people to see where we live is a practical way of doing that is . So, this weekend (Sat and Sun, 5th and 6th of December), I'll be inviting massgoers in St Joseph's Parish Church, Glasthule, to call in for a tour of the house and for refreshments.

Now, I've got to get back to cleaning the carpets!

Mass times in Glasthule: 6.30pm (Sat. Vigil), 10.15am (Family Mass), 11.30am, 12.30pm.

[Above: The Presentation Brothers House in Glasthule]