No. 3 October 2003
by Monsignor Tom Fehily
Recently we had the sorrow of saying goodbye to Yvonne Fitzgerald as she left us for Eternal Life. Yvonne was John Main's sister and when you read John life, she was the closest to him through all his life. She cared for him in so many ways...cooking for him as a student, hosting his parties when a lecturer in Trinity College, encouraging him in his changes of vocation, welcoming him when he needed some wound-healing and above all. welcoming him home. at all times. Indeed, it was when visiting Yvonne, at home from Canada, that he first spoke about meditation, which is now spreading its healing and prayerful message here in Ireland and in many countries throughout the world. So in a sense we owe this to Yvonne because only for her warmth and hospitality, he may not have come here and we may never have heard of meditation. Though coming a little late to meditation she look the torch that had fallen from John's hands at the funeral in Canada and the work of meditation became the passion of her life, so happy to speak about it, to start centers in her home and many other places, to give lectures in Churches or wherever invited, to uniquely organize the annual Silent Meditation Retreat in the Cistercian Monastery in Roscrea and the Summer meditation holiday in Kerry.
When she got ill recently we all thought she would surmount this as she had so often before. It came as a great surprise to me when, one day while visiting her in hospital, she said that the doctors had told her that morning that her illness was terminal. I was shocked but she just sat straight in her bed and said "well that's that, now I must get on organizing the Kerry Holiday". She had tremendous heart and I thought it would be strong enough to survive this illness but she knew that her time had come, and welcomed it with outstretched and confident hands. It never lessened her spirit and, typically, she had the last word, a word of joy from the grave. When her body was being solemnly borne down the Church after the mass we all smiled knowingly when the loudspeakers suddenly (and unexpectedly) burst into "When the Saints go marching in". It lifted all our hearts as we knew then that she was indeed alive and still with us. So losing you, Yvonne, was like losing a mother and a very loving, happy, courageous, hospitable and ever-welcoming mother. May she now know face to face the Lord she saw in the mists of meditation in this world and with her brother, John, play for all of us who are still on the pilgrimage.
Note: In December Fr. Laurence Freeman will celebrate a special mass for Yvonne in Dublin.
with Fr. Louis Hughes, O.P.
The Gresham Royal Marine Hotel,
Dun Laoghaire
Tel. 01 2807827
Fax 01 2808720
EmaiI: maranatha@wccmireland.org
On June 8, eight Oblates from Ireland, Dublin(2), Cork(3), Longford(3) attended the Oblate AGM in Cockfosters, London. Five of these made their temporary commitment. There are now oblate 'cells' in Dublin, Cork and Longford. On Sun Oct 12, Fr. Donagh O'Shea will direct an afternoon in Cork for Oblates on the theme: Living the promises we make as Oblates.
For further information contact:
Cork 021.42112 Rita O'Connell
Dublin 01.2985370 Eillish Tennent
Longford 043.45184 Catherine Corkery
"The mystery of love is that we become what we delight to gaze upon, and so when we have opened our hearts to his light we become light."
John Main
Star of the Sea Retreat House, Mullagmore, Co. Sligo. 10-12 Oct. Lead by Pat Murray SCA Residential or Non Residential Contact Eileen Gaughan 071.76722 Christian Meditation Week-End Ros-Muire, Owenahiocha, Rosscarbery, Co. Cork Dec. 5 - 7 directed by Fr. Pat Murray, SCA
"The joy of ADVENTure: Bringing Christ to birth in my daily life - The joyful mysteries of the Rosary"
Booking: Sr. Brigid O'Flanagan 023.48116
Irish Co-Ordinators Meeting Oct. 4 Clarendon St., Dublin Advance Notice
June 4 - 6, 2004
Fr. Laurence Freeman OSB will direct a week-end in St. Dominic's Retreat House, Ennismore, Montenotte, Cork.
Contact above address
Tel 021.450.2520 (Deposit €50)
Visit of Paul Harris April-May
Thank you Paul.
Killarney
May 10
Members of the Kerry Meditation Groups welcomed Srs. Catherine and Rosetta from Cork who spoke
of their ministry to some people on the margins and how they have shared the gift of meditation with them.
Rostrevor, Co. Down
15-20 June
The annual visit to the Benedictine Monastery in Rostrevor for meditators was organized by Co-ordinator Elizabeth McStravick Lurgan. The group of 30 meditators joined the monks for evening & night prayers, meditation and high tea.
Seven Irish meditators including Mons. Tom Fehily attended the John Main Seminar at the University of Reading from Aug 21-24. As 2003 is the 10th anniversary of the death of Bede Griffiths, the theme of the Seminar was "Bede Griffiths and the future of Christian Wisdom". Note: Papers from the seminar can be obtained from the international web site www.wccm.org
"When I was just seventeen, I walked out one night in the playing fields in the evening and had an extraordinary experience, a sort of break-through. I saw the was a hawthorn bush with flowers, and it was like paradise to me. I thought i had never seen such a treat. Then I saw a lark rise up singing, and I thought how wonderful all this beauty around me was; it was a sudden revelation , and that can come to anybody." Bede Griffiths. The Golden String
Don't forget to visit the Irish website
www.wccmireland.org
or Email
maranatha@wccmireland.org
for information on meditation itself, John Main, events and groups around Ireland.
The international website is www.wccm.org
The following NEW GROUPS have started recently:
Church of the Nativity, Beaumont, Dublin 9 Thursday 8:15 pm Contact Cecil & Rita McGrath 01.837.4669
Parochial House, Borrosoleigh, Co. Tipp. Thursday 8 pm. Contact Fr. Liam Everard PP 0504.51259
Main St., Buttevant, Co. Cork. Wed 11:45 am. Contact Marie Murphy 022.48230
Heavenly Father, open our hearts to the silent presence of the spirit of your Son. Lead us into that mysterious silence where your love is revealed to all who call.
Maranatha... Come, Lord Jesus.
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