Newsletter: Generalate

Sharing The Charism, A Call of the 2004 General Chapter. I have been asked to share with you a programme run by the De La Salle Brothers here in Sydney, which I became aware of last year. I must admit it took my fancy and seemed to me an excellent way of sharing the charism we have and perhaps even encouraging young people to take a further step and opt for a more permanent way of living our religious life.

My participation in our General Chapter last year along with my visits as Provincial during times of Extended Council brought home to me very clearly the different stage each of Provinces and the African Region are at. Given that fact I have questioned a number of times how relevant the material would be to everyone. Be that as it may it is yours to reflect on and use as you see fit, after all it is only one way of sharing our Patrician charism and wasn't that the invitation put to all of us from our 2004 General Chapter? (Photo: Br Paul O'Keeffe, Australian Provincial 1998-2004)

Where does it all start? A number of religious orders here in Sydney have associations of young people, often with an emphasis on an area such as social justice. They are encouraged while still at school to give some of their time to those on the margins of society. Some even take groups of these students to places like Papua New Guinea and East Timor where they are exposed to similar people on the margins. The De La Salle Brothers have a group they call the Lasallian Volunteers and it is to selected young men from this type of group to whom an initiation is extended to "Share the Mission". There is of course a list of desired qualities that the Brothers would like to see already being demonstrated by the young men they invite. These include, amongst others, a sense of commitment to marginalised people and the freedom to offer a time of service. The young men selected work for a year or more in education or welfare settings where the Brothers work.

Prior to taking up residence in a designated community each person takes part in a two week induction programme aimed at exploring what lies ahead and coming to some kind of understanding of the experience they will have and what they will get out of it. As they enter the program a Brother is appointed as mentor whose task it is to accompany them throughout. At the conclusion of the program an opportunity is given to de-brief along with those others who have also been part of the program. This is the program "in a nutshell".

In our Australian setting there are a lot of other factors that need to be taken into account such as insurance cover while these young men are living in community, the legal aspects of working in a school or welfare setting, expenses involved and who covers these. Other countries may not have to
worry about these pressures. All that is the task of the Brother who coordinates the overall program.

I saw a number of comments from some of the people involved in last years program. They showed that the whole experience was very worthwhile. They spoke about getting to know the Brothers in a deeper way, the shared sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves, and the excitement of doing something for others and the rewards associated with this. A simple program? Yes! But one that is obviously proving a great attraction. Last year the De La Salle Brothers had six young men resident in a number of communities, this year they hope to have more.

Could a similar type of program suited to the varied cultures in which we are situated be another way for us of sharing our Charism?

"then had the waters swept over us... "

The very success of his Sunday Schools brought home to Daniel Delany the conviction that he could not depend solely on voluntary helpers for their continued operation. Some, whom he had carefully trained as catechists and exemplars of his ideals moved away, or were no longer free to devote entire Sundays to the work, some simply lacked the necessary commitment. It was perhaps this last group he had in mind when he reflected: "They lived in the world, and the world corrupted them." Besides, he wished to provide for the secular instruction of the young, and in this he had in view something more than elementary education for the poor. He would have pay schools and even boarding establishments. This latter element he was keen on, declaring that he had known good young people who were corrupted by being placed in unsuitable colleges. Seeing no other option he decided that he must once more launch out into the deep by establishing religious communities who would devote themselves to these tasks. He had already before his eyes the example of Carlow College, begun by his predecessor, and the further fact that two such communities, established by his friend Father Purcell, existed in the neighbouring parish of Clonegal. A further consideration was the awareness that among his catechists were women and men called to devote themselves more fully to God, and who in the then state of the Church in Ireland lacked the opportunity to do so. His first idea was to making a beginning at either Tullow or Mountrath, in whichever place a long lease might be had. The urgent need for new churches in both parishes, the brutal fact of religious intolerance, the Rebellion of 1798 and the heightened antagonisms which followed it, the lack of funds and the multiple cares of a large, mainly rural, diocese, combined to delay his plans, until after the provision of his new parish church at Tullow. Even then he was forced into the expedient of building with only the verbal promise of a lease, but build he did. As soon as a simple cruciform church had been erected he constructed on a plot adjoining, a small house to serve as a convent. It was to be four years before the lease was secured, and by then the little convent housed a community of six women, named after St. Brigid, patroness of the diocese, and secondary Patron of Ireland. Regarding the choice of name there is evidence in plenty that the bishop envisioned this new establishment as a revival of the great sixth century convent at Kildare rather than as an entirely new departure. Almost as soon as the women were in possession of their convent the bishop took another bold step,indicating that for him waiting was over. Education for the boys of the parish was a necessity, and accordingly he brought together four men to form the first community of the Brothers of St. Patrick, again taking the name from the national patron. The four he housed in the former parish chapel the lease of which had better than sixty years to run.

Arrangements for the four pioneers were simple. The bishop gave them a form of religious exercises, spent every second Sunday with them, gave them spiritual conferences and acted as spiritual director for each. He shared their days as much as opportunity allowed, and was frequently present at their recreation. Financial resources were more than straitened. James McMahon continued to earn a few pence in his pay school, as he had before the community came into existence. The other three worked with their hands, but work was hard to come by. Spring and harvest work on neighbouring farms was usually available, but farmers tended to pay in kind rather than in cash-forty years were to pass before money replaced the barter or "truck" system in Ireland generally-winter was a lean period for all workers and because the community possessed no land of its own it could not make the customary provision against "the hungry months" by growing its own potatoes. After a year of hand-to-mouth existence Joseph Dawson, whom the bishop had appointed to be superior-he had some previous experience of religious life with the Trappists in England-entered into agreement with a local businessman to set up an industry to make and market combs-but the venture collapsed leaving the entire community out of work. So great were the privations then to be endured that the bishop offered the group the opportunity to disband, but a majority decided to remain together. The "monastery" was in disrepair, even unfit for habitation. As much as ten years earlier a report submitted to government had described it as "for the most part reduced to a heap of stones," and its situation in a back lane of a small town where sanitary arrangements were primitive had adverse effects on the health of everyone. Seeing that his "monks"-so they were termed locally-wanted to remain in religious life, the bishop sought a site for a dwelling nearer to his own house on the Dublin Road, but without success. The best he could do was to make provision for the regular payment of the annual rent on the old chapel. From this time his health was obviously deteriorating. Pain in his neck and shoulders became progressively worse, defying all medical remedies, so that soon he was so bowed as to be unable to raise his head, and could move about only with difficulty. In 1813, when
his own residence was in need of attention, and his movements greatly restricted by pain, he yielded to the entreaties of the nuns and moved to the convent. The Sisters gave up to him their one large room. Although by this time he had provided that community with a written Rule, he resolutely declined to do the same for his "monks", affirming, when pressed, that the experience of thirty years would be needed to mature a suitable Rule. His last appearance in public was for the Eucharistic Processions of 1814. He carried the monstrance on each of the three days, and although exhausted by the effort was greatly pleased at having been able to go through the duties of the day. Thereafter he steadily lost ground and from the 2nd July was conscious for short intervals only. He had asked to see the Superior of the Mountrath Convent, a woman in whom he reposed a special trust, and was able to speak with her for some time. When on her knees she begged a last blessing and a message for her community, he summarised his own life's effort in the words that they should "love God and live together in peace and charity." On the 8th he had a visit from Archbishop Troy of Dublin, his
own spiritual director, and was able to hold a short conversation with him. Later the same day his agony began, and at 2 .am. while Mass was being celebrated in his room and he was surrounded by many of the clergy and all the religious of the convent and monastery, he yielded his soul to God. On the llth his obsequies were celebrated in the parish church in the presence of four bishops and a great number of clergy. The remains were laid in a vault on the left hand side as one faced the sanctuary. Above him was erected a monument in black marble and carrying a Latin epitaph, the composition of his friend, Father Prendergast, parish priest of Bagenalstown. It read:

"Here, in the place of his choice, lies the Most Rev. Daniel Delany, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin. Distinguished for faith, zeal, piety and love of religion he was in life a priest, in spirit a bishop, and in outward appearance an angel. By humility of manner, by gentleness and charm of conversation he won to himself the hearts of all. Led by concern for the Divine Glory he built this church from the foundations, founded and endowed the adjoining convent of nuns, and at Mountrath, the place of his birth, raised a beautiful and sacred edifice to God. For the education of poor girls and boys he founded and endowed religious institutes, besides leaving many other monuments to his piety. The good deeds of a lifetime rendered him beloved of clergy and laity. To the deep grief and inexpressible sorrow of both, worthy of unendinglamentation and tears, he died in the expectation of the resurrection in the 67th year of his age and the 31st of his episcopacy on the 9h day of July 1814 A.D.

ENVOI-In carrying out some excavations rendered necessary by improvements in the Catholic Church at Tullow, the grave of Most Rev. Dr. Delany, Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin, was opened. The remains were found to be in a fair state of preservation considering the length of time which has elapsed since the prelate's death-eighty-six years. The Episcopal robes in which they were clothed were found to be intact and even unfaded, and the shoes remained on the feet. The bishop's hands remained crossed on the chest and the nails were quite perfect. (The Nationalist & Leinster Times, Carlow, Saturday, March 3rd, 1900)