Number 21                                                               Feast of St Bartholomew    Aug. 24, 2002

A collective 430 years of commitment to the Patrician Vocation were celebrated at Newbridge on Thursday 
15 August 2002. Some glimpses here.
 

Jubilarians L - R  Maurice Murphy [insert] (60 yrs),  James Murphy (60),  James Moran (50),  James O'Rourke (50),  Vianney Grogan (50),  Edwin Guidera (60),  Camillus Regan (50),  Jerry Breen (50)	Inside the marquee at the Jubilee celebrations, Newbridge, 15 August, 2002. Those who have experience of Irish weather will appreciate the need for the big pavilion, but will also be very pleased  to know that the day was absolutely beautiful, fine, warm and sunny. Brothers,  families and friends enjoyed the day immensely.

This editorial takes shape on the eve of my departure for India. An Extended Council Meeting is scheduled for the first two weeks of September in Kerala and then Jerome and I begin Indian Visitation straight after that. It is also, now, very soon after the celebrations at Newbridge for Golden and Diamond Jubilees. So my thoughts are coloured by both recent and impending events.

The publication date for this edition is 24 August, feast of Saint Bartholomew. The synoptic Gospels simply note Bartholomew as one of the twelve chosen by Jesus without any more detail. John, however, has the story of Nathaniel who seems to be the same person. I have just read, again, that story from John, Chapter I.

"..Jesus met Philip and said, 'Follow me'. Philip came from the same town as Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, 'We have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets wrote..'

A couple of things struck me. One is the power of personal invitation - Jesus' direct call, 'Follow me'. The other is the power of the recommendation ofa friend. Back in John's story, Jesus invites the first two, to 'Come and see' and then Andrew, one of them finds Simon Peter and brings him along. Philip is from the same place and the word of the others brings him along and then Philip himself 'recruits' Nathaniel.

I am very aware of the powerful effect that some of our young brothers have when they return to their home places after some experience in our formation programmes. Currently, in India, Kenya and Papua New Guinea, what is said by those young Brothers to other young men whom they know, has a very significant effect and seems so similar to the simple process that happened in the case of Jesus' first disciples. I am also aware, from my own experience and from talking with the Jubilarians, that the same personal contact and recommendation proved instrumental in Ireland and Australia when we ourselves were young, in drawing other young men to our Congregation.

I think we need to keep going back to the fIrst disciples and to their growth in relationship to Jesus, to throw light on the type of relationship which Jesus wants of us as his followers. We have applied so many other layers to the relationship over the centuries, layers of law, layers of cultural habits, layers of prejudice, layers of self-seeking. Surely there are lessons for us in simply looking under the layers at the dynamic of Jesus and his fIrst followers for the nature and quality of how we should be his followers.

I had the opportunity on 15 August to speak with the families of the Jubilarians and I was impressed with the maturity of their understanding of the nature of the commitment which their own brother had made and to which he had stuck with fidelity over all those years. Perhaps they didn't understand it when the commitment was originally made, but they certainly do now. And they don't see their brother's vocation in terms of power, status, achievement - simply in terms of commitment to a call.

It was great for me to see the years of commitment honoured for their own sake and not for the human achievements of the men themselves or for the positions held and projects managed, worthy as those might be in themselves. And it brought home to me again, the power of faithful commitment to influence others in being faithful in their own lives.

I'm looking forward to going to India and sharing again with brothers there, both young and older, something of their lives and their understanding of their own commitment as followers of Jesus. I have finished writing to each one and it was encouraging to look back to what we had discussed in 2000 at the last Visitation. I will be doing that in other places in 2003.

As we celebrate Bartholomew, let us celebrate our own call and try to bring our response into resonance with that of the first disciples.

On 22 August 2001, John Ga11agher died in Sligo Hospital after falling in the water while fishing. Philip attended John's Inquest in July 2002 at Sligo and found it to be a most compassionate and human process. The Inquest 's finding was that John died of a heart attack, not from drowning. The attack took place sometime after falling in the water, but could have occurred at any time because the coronary arteries were found to be 90% blocked. The fall into the water was found to be accidental, probably a slipped chair leg. No harmful levels of any substances were found in the blood supply. Those with John or who came to his help were held to have acted responsibly and bravely. For John 's familyand for ourselves this brings some satisfactory closure to his death. May he rest in peace.

An Insurance Company recently published a list of interesting statements made by people who were claiming insurance in motor vehicle accidents, here are a few:-

I. "I started to slow down but the traffic was more stationary than I thought".
2. "I pulled off the road with smoke coming from under the bonnet. I realised my car was on fire, so I got 
my dog out and smothered it with a blanket".
3. "A pedestrian hit me and went under the car".
4. "An invisible car came out of nowhere, struck my car and vanished".
5. " I was thrown from the car as it left the road. I was later found in a field by some stray cows",

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Ian Paisley, so it is said, was delivering one of his scorching sermons. "In the hell which awaits the sinner," he 
roared, "there will be a weeping and a wailing and a gnashing of teeth."  An old man in the front was impressed, 
frightened and a little puzzled. "Dr. Paisley," he mumbled through his bare gums, "what if you have no teeth?" 
The big man paused for only a second. "Teeth, " he thundered, "will be provided".

Members of the Extended Council assemble in the Brothers' house at St. Patrick's School Mananthavady on Sunday 1 September, 2002. The previous meeting was held in Kenya in 2000. Earlier, in 1999, it had also been hosted in Midway City, California.

The meeting will last two weeks and is an opportunity for Superior General, Vicar General, Provincials and Regional Superiors to share matters which relate to the discharge of their roles and to plan for the period ahead.

High among the planning items on the Agenda will be the next General Chapter. You will recall an earlier announcement in the newsletter that the 2004 General Chapter will be held in Kenya. There will be some special planning put in place now so that the Chapter can achieve its objectives in that rather different environment. The matter of representation at the Chapter will also be dealt with. If any brothers have particular views on that, you could email to pbros@iol. ie and they will be forwarded to the meeting.

The Mananthavady meetings also provide an opportunity for the members to share prayer and reflection in an unpressured environment and to update reading lists and availability of resources on Religious Life. Members will be very happy also to enjoy the legendary welcome and hospitality of the Indian Province.
 

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It is enlightening to look back on what three successive General Chapters have said on some particular aspects of Community Life.

Choose Life, 1986:-

We resolve:-

*to promote the union of minds and hearts by sincere efforts at sharing our faith together and comunicating our common vision, in our prayers, at our meetings and in our personal relationships.

*to promote a supportive atmosphere in community.

*to provide structures which ensure quality physical presence to one another, despite the demands of ministry.

*to promote within communities levels of communication characterised by openness, mutual support and a seeking of consensus between brothers.

Rejoice in Hope, 1992:-

We expect

*Our Communities to be places where awareness of God's love and the glory of His creation break through.

*That we will mutually support and affirm each other in our efforts to live out a common vision through service and ministry.

*To listen to and to share each others reasons for being Patrician in order to arrive at a common vision for community and ministry.

*Our community relationships and meaningful prayer in community to be mutually supportive.

In Love and Confidence, 1998:-

We are prepared to ask:

*Do we celebrate special individual and community events within the context of a meal and with appropriate prayer?

*Does the community meet to set goals which will form part of a community vision statement?

*Does each brother have a personal plan ofhow he is going to contribute to the achievement of community goals?

* Are the community vision statement and the personal plan evaluated 
regularly?

*How does each brother educate himself in his understanding of fraternal intimacy?

*Do we schedule specific times for the community to be together?

*Has technology, especially television, become a hindrance to communication within community?

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Profession of six Indian Novices on 30 May 2002 in Bangalore  Standing (L - R) : Bros. Saji (Asst. Novice Master), Mari Anand, Anthony, Christu,  Basil (Novice Director), Lizen (former Novice Director) Seated (L - R): Bros. Earnest, Amrit, Joseph O.J	Bro. Jerome (V.G.)  receives the vows  of Joseph 0. J.  as Brothers Stan and  Joachim witness.  (Bro. William is seen  in the picture as the third witness! ! )

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	Gathered at Newbridge in June,  2002; L- R, Joe Crowley (Sydney),  Jim Byrne (brother of Joe Byrne),  Vianney Grogan (Kenya), Joe Byrne  (Sydney) & Pat O'Neill (Newbridge).
Spotted in the Wicklow Hills - Bernard Byrne and Timmy  Dunne of Newbridge with Fr.  Gregory DeSouza of Delhi.

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