Ruah kicks off in Galway

This past weekend my travels took me from Cork to Dublin Airport to meet with two Presentation Brothers from West Africa - Alban Besigrinne and Wilfred Angko. 

I accompanied them to Galway for the start of the RUAH programme which is taking place on the university campus there from June 14th to 27th. Ruah is a Hebrew word which means “Spirit”.

Alban and Wilfred are participants in the programme along with 50 religious sisters, brothers and lay people from across the worldwide Edmund Rice and Nano Nagle networks. 

The Ruah Team has drawn up an exciting programme of events. The first week is facilitated by Margaret Silf, a well-known writer and retreat director who will help the participants awaken to the "Encounter with Mystery" in their lives. 

During the second week participants will engage with the stories of Venerable Nano and Blessed Edmund in those places hallowed by their memory: Callan, Waterford, Ballygriffin and Cork.   

Edmund Rice is the founder of the Presentation Brothers and Christian Brothers and Nano Nagle is the founder of the Presentation Sisters. By reflecting on their stories, participants will hopefully discover new insights and come to an awareness of how the Holy Spirit may touch their lives too. I look forward to meeting up with them again on the last day of their pilgrimage which concludes here at Mount St Joseph in Cork.

If you wish to know more about our vocation as followers of Blessed Edmund Rice , don’t hesitate to shoot me an email: vocation@PresentationBrothers.org

Blessed Edmund Mass

The sanctuary in St Joseph's Parish Church in Glasthule

There was a great turnout for the annual Blessed Edmund Rice Mass in St Joseph's Parish Church in Glasthule last week.

Pastor Emeritus, Fr Brian O'Sullivan was the Celebrant at the Mass which also included a blessing with a first-class relic of Blessed Edmund Rice.

Afterwards, the doors of the Brothers' House were thrown open to welcome the congregation for light refreshments.

Some of the volunteers who prepared the refreshments

Yours truly during the Mass

Some members of the Family Mass Group

Friends and Associates of the Brothers

Brother Majella (left) presents the relic of Blessed Edmund for Veneration

Glasthule's Senior Choir during the Mass

Some of the large attendance in the Brothers' house afterwards

Enjoying the refreshments afterwards

Deep in conversation...

Catching up in the Brothers' house after Mass

More of the large attendance

Happy Feast Day!

Greetings to all! Today, 5th May, is the feast of Blessed Edmund Rice, our Founder. I want to wish you all every blessing on this special day.

Edmund was a man with a vision for his time but it is also for our time. Our values and norms are often focused on ourselves and not on those on the margins. We must be willing to put Christ back in our lives and follow both Him and Edmund so that we can be a beacon of light to the world around us- to our communities, our parishes, our families and our society.

Let us focus today on the man called Blessed Edmund and see what we can do in the 21st century that would inspire more men to join us and continue the mission of Blessed Edmund.