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DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012
NOVENAS
Novena to the Blessed Virgin
Novena to the Blessed Virgin Mary (never known to fail). O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God. Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. There are none that can withstand your power.
0 show me herein you are my Mother, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (three times). Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands (three times). Holy Spirit, you who solve all problems, light all roads so that I can attain my goal.
You gave me the Divine gift to forgive and forget all evil against me. This prayer must be said for three days, even after the request is granted and the favour received, it must be published.
- KLSMC, PMKMC, MJF, DF, ADB, CSKB, CC, CKB, LC, SLMKR
Novena to St. Jude
Most holy apostle, St. Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus, the Church honours and invokes you universally, as the patron of hopeless cases, of thingsalmostdespaired of.
Pray for me, I am so helpless and alone. Make use I implore you, of that particular privilege given to you, to bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of.
Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation and help of heaven in all my necessities, tribulations, and sufferings, particularly - (Here make your request) and that I may praise God with you and all the elect forever.
1 promise, O blessed St. Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favor, to always honor you as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen.
- PMC, MDF, CB, JM
•
Novena to Saint Clare
For nine days, pray for one impossible request, two business requests, pray nine Hail Marys for nine days, each day. This novena must be published whether prayers are granted or not. - SVS
Cardinal concerned at suppression of religion
MAYNOOTH - Speaking at a graduation ceremony in St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, Archbishop of Armagh Cardinal Sean Brady spoke of his concern at the approach to religion in the Ireland of today.
He can accept that it is a personal choice that many people no longer accept the relevance of religion but questioned why those who do are expected to keep it to themselves.
The cardinal is unhappy with "a form of secularism which says religion is fine so long as it keeps to its place as a private belief and does not intrude into the public arena or a person's approach to their civic duties."
This, he said, "is often justified in the name of tolerance and freedom," adding, "in fact, it could hardly be more intolerant and illiberal.
"A Republic that cannot accommodate the religious conviction and sentiment of large numbers of its citizens is no Republic at all. It is a contradiction in terms."
Vatican appoints new Irish
envoy
DUBLIN - The Vatican has announced the name of its new envoy to Ireland. The Holy See has confirmed that Irish-American Monsignor Charles Brown (52) is to be the new papal nuncio.
Ireland's last envoy from the Vatican left the country after questions were raised over the handling of child sex abuse scandals.
Brown was appointed assistant secretary of the International Theological Commission in September 2009. He was ordained a priest in 1989 in New York.
New book reflects Orangemen's attitudes
A survey undertaken by Professor Jon Tonge of Liverpool University, for his book Loyal to the Core? Orangeism and Britishness in Northern Ireland, reveals that two thirds of Orangemen believe that most Catholics support the IRA.
This was the most surprising finding, according to Prof. Tonge, since Catholics supported the SDLP rather than the IRA before the two Provisional IRA ceasefires of 1994 and 1997.
The book has the backing of the Orange Order which hopes to understand the current views of its members from the findings
Falsely accused priest awarded 'substantial' settlement after defamation
DUBLIN - Following a high court judgement^ the national broadcaster RTE has agreed to issue a formal apology to Father Kevin Reynolds who it accused of raping a girl while he was serving as a priest in Kenya in 1982.
Although the terms of the final settlement are confidential, the Irish Times is reporting that Father Reynolds was awarded over one million euro, including costs for the defamation.
More than 500,000 people watched the May 25 broadcast of the Prime Time Investigates programme entitled A Mission To Prey, which critics now say smacked of tabloid journalism.
It showed reporter Aoife Kavanagh confronting the parish priest of Ahascragh, Co. Galway after a First Holy Communion Mass to falsely accuse him of sexually abusing the teenage girl and fathering a child by the woman before abandoning them both.
Even before the program aired, Fr. Reynolds vehemently denied the show's claims against him. The priest even hired attorneys before the show to notify the network that the claims were false.
Not only did he assert that he had never even known anyone by the accuser's name, but he also agreed to a paternity test. But RTE was anxious to air the show, and it broadcast the program anyway.
As a result of the allegations, Fr. Reynolds was obliged to stand down from his ministry and was removed as the parish priest.
Two conclusive paternity tests later confirmed that there was no way he could be the father of the accuser's child.
The program also contained allegations
FATHER Kevin Reynolds is shown above officiating at a wedding mass at his parish in Ahascragh, Co. Galway. Following the High Court judgement many of his parishioners shook his hand and wished him the best.
investigations are complete, while the programmes executive producer Brian Pairceir and presenter Aoife Kavanagh will not be involved in any on-air broadcasts.
The name of Mark Lappin also came up as he produced the programme. He is now employed by CNN in London.
RTE Director General Noel Curran offered to resign from his EU250,000-a-year-post but the board "firmly rejected" the offer.
He described the decision to broadcast the programme as "one of the gravest editorial mistakes ever made" by the broadcaster.
Following the High Court ruling, the Association of Catholic Priests released a statement in which it claimed "there is a serious anti-Catholic and anti-priest bias among sections of the media, including some in the national broadcaster, and that this had led to a one-sided and unfair presentation of issues to do with church and clergy in recent years."
against a Christian Brother who died in 2005 at the age of 85. The family of the late Brother Ger Dillon have called on RTE to include his case in their investigation into the programme.
Three separate inquiries have now been launched to establish how such an inaccurate show was broadcast.
The series has now been suspended until the completion of all reviews and investigations. RTE is conducting its own internal inquiry and has also commissioned Press Ombudsman John Horgan to carry out a review.
Head of News Ed Mulhall and current affairs editor Ken O' Shea have stepped aside from their roles until the
Big welcome as wounded Libyan rebels arrive in Ireland for treatment
DUBLIN - Fourteen casualties of the Libyan conflict arrived in Ireland on December 5 to undergo treatment for injuries they sustained during the fight to overthrow Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
The wounded arrived in Shannon on a flight from Tunisia via France accompanied by a doctor. While here, the men will undergo surgery for a range of traumatic injuries, including gunshot and shrapnel wounds.
As many as 70 well-wishers from the Libyan community in Ireland, including children carrying flags and banners, gathered at Shannon from early afternoon to welcome their countrymen. Many bought gifts from airport shops.
Speaking through a translator, Mohmud Abdullah Albrbar (21) said, "I had some concerns coming here but after seeing
BARRINGTON Hospital in Limerick is among the private clinics which will be treating the wounded Lybians.
all the people who came out, I am very happy to be here. I have gunshot wounds and was injured by a missile and my wounds are months old. I am happy to be here."
The patient transfer was organised by the new Libyan Minster for Health Dr. Fatima Hamroush and Galway-based consultant Dr. Amina Gsel, who both had to watch the trouble in their native
land from their adoptive homes in Ireland.
"It was a very difficult time for us all. It was eight months of hell for us looking at Libyan blood being spilt, but thankfully we can now do something about it and help out," said Dr. Gsel who has worked for more than 20 years in Ireland.
"The Libyan society here in Ireland has worked very hard to get these patients over here, but we have received huge help from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
"In some cases, they approved visas for the rebels in a matter of hours."
Private hospitals in Galway, Limerick, Cork and Dublin will care for the Libyan patients.
The patients were accompanied on the trip by Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Alsawee from Libya and were immediately dispatched to their care facilities upon their arrival.
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