Nine signs of hope for Catholic faith in Ireland

The sticker plastered on a Belfast lamp post made me smile. “I’ve read the last chapter – God wins!”

A source of hope in a world of death, destruction and doom. How easy it is for us to forget  that the battle for salvation, for our lives, has already been won. Despite death and darkness all around us, those words are a light which, unlike the sun last weekend, cannot be eclipsed. Our Church is going through a challenging time but there are plenty of signs of light in this year of hope, omens that the good news continues to take root.

Yes, I’ve seen and heard the bad omens. Indeed, the other day a priest shared an anecdotal study of around 100 Irish college boys who had been raised in the faith, only to find that just one of them still attended Mass – and that was only occasionally!

Yes, we long for the crowds, but let us remember that crowds are fickle. Jesus attracted large crowds – as many as 5,000 for the miracle of the loaves and fishes – during his ministry. But at his crucifixion, there was only a remnant  of loyal and loving disciples to witness the birth of the Church. The numbers grew with the resurrection.

Signs

And as we approach Easter, I see nine signs, a little novena, that I have observed in this pilgrim year!

1. At Queen’s University, Belfast, there are remarkable signs of a vibrant and growing faith community in the heart of the campus. There were so many people coming to Catholic Chaplaincy on Ash Wednesday that Fr Dominic McGrattan had to find bigger premises. Services were moved to the historic Whitla Hall, which is usually reserved for graduation ceremonies. Indeed more than 2,000 students, staff and friends gathered for Mass that day.  Also, Fr McGrattan reports that around 150 students at Queen’s University participate in small-group Bible studies each week, and 40 have committed to intensive discipleship training, preparing them as future Catholic leaders.
2. Around 40% of Queen’s 25,000 students identify as Catholic or from a Catholic background. And, in a bold expression of faith in our young people,  the Diocese of Down and Connor is investing £10 million in a major redevelopment of Queen’s University Chaplaincy. The investment will improve existing facilities:  the café, common room, reading room, garden, and—most importantly—a renewed chapel worthy of the sacraments and sacred liturgies. And, for the first time in its history, the Chaplaincy will offer high-quality and value-led residential options offering nearly 50 student apartments. “As faith flourishes in the next generation,” said Fr Dominic, “this renewed Chaplaincy will stand as both a home and a beacon of Christ’s presence on campus for years to come.”
3. During Lent, my parish priest, Fr Ciaran Feeney has offered an extra Mass at St Michael the Archangel at 7am every weekday. And the response has been amazing! Many are up with the birds to praise the Lord. The church is regularly at least 60% full. And what is especially heartening is that some students from local secondary schools are coming in their uniform before class. The Parish also just introduced an extra half hour to our Sunday evening Holy Hour to intercede for church vocations, for priests especially, and the numbers are growing. Praise the Lord!
4. Novenas of Hope are popping up across the island. And I have attended such novenas in St Agnes’s Church, Belfast, Our Lady of Lourdes Moneyglass, County Antrim and The Graan, in Fermanagh which just concluded on March 31. Among the faces of hope I encountered were staff and A-level students from St Michael’s College in Enniskillen. And this weekend Newry Cathedral is offering a special mass of Hope in a year packed with events.

I credit this prayer with the signs of hope that I see  – and a sense that there is a shift back towards faith”

5. The queue for confessions in St Mary’s, Chapel Lane, Belfast where priests offered almost seven hours of confession last Saturday for the Jubilee Year of Hope. This was part of a ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ initiative  in three Down and Connor churches including All Saints, Ballymena,  and St Patrick’s Church, Downpatrick. While many still run from confession, fearing a ‘torture chamber’, Pope Francis has described the sacrament of reconciliation as a hug from the God the Father.
6. A young man I know called his parish priest in Belfast a few weeks ago. He wanted to talk about returning to Mass. And he is back, along with his daughter. ‘Come and celebrate with me,’  is the appropriate response to this, an echo of the Lord’s parable of the Lost Sheep.

7 . Our parish, St Michael the Archangel, advertised a three-day pilgrimage to Knock Shrine for the Year of Hope. Within a fortnight we had 40 people signed up – and more have followed. The seats on our big luxury bus went a lot faster this time compared to last year.

8. The priests who continue to serve, despite being past retirement age. While some in society retire in their late fifties, we have priests who are close to 75 or more, still giving joyful service. They pour themselves out, and it is heartening. I know a trinity of such priests in Downpatrick. The same for religious men and women – and indeed I had a lovely conversation with Bro. Victor, a Cross and Passionist, at The Graan this week. He has served in religious life for many decades and he was full of joy, despite the challenges of growing older. And he is a faithful reader of The Irish Catholic.
9. I hear the Bishop of Down and Connor Alan McGuckian is set to launch another Sacred Heart Novena this June. The inaugural novena last June last year was a great success, with school children, parishioners and individuals joining in the Novena. Frankly, I credit this prayer with the signs of hope that I see  – and a sense that there is a shift back towards faith.

Hope

We have a mountain to climb, one step at a time. The rock from which we are hewn has not been forgotten by all the Irish, and we have every reason to walk in joy, praying that Ireland will be a holy nation, once again. So, let us hope in the Lord, hold fast and take heart!

Jesus attracted large crowds – as many as 5,000 for the miracle of the loaves and fishes – during his ministry. But at his crucifixion, there was only a remnant  of loyal and loving disciples to witness the birth of the Church”

St Paul tells us that where sin abounds, grace is ever more abundant. Indeed, the goodness of people everywhere outweighs the bad. A World Happiness Report that suggested places which believed in the ‘kindness of strangers’ are happy places – and that Belfast was a leading example. The BBC’s Home Editor Mark Easton decided to check it out. His plan was to drop 10 wallets across the city with a £10 note and a phone number. He happily reported that all ten were returned.

It’s not too often you see a ‘barefoot minister’ these days – but there is a chance you might spot The Rev. Stephen McWhirter of Rosary Parish Church between now and Palm Sunday. This Church of Ireland minister is walking 100 miles barefoot for charity from Enniskillen, Fermanagh to St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. In light of the Gospel, he wears no shoes as a sign of servanthood – and has no purse. He is reliant on the kindness of others. May the sun shine warm upon his face with many hands to help him on his way!