A laywoman has taken over as the new general secretary of the Conference of Religious.
Valerie Nazareth (above), former head of editorial legal services at the BBC, has this month replaced Br James Boner, OFM, who stood down in August.
Ms Nazareth spent more than 25 years at the BBC and was introduced to CoR by one of the members: “Two years ago, I decided it was time for new challenges and I left the BBC to study for an MA at Heythrop.
“I was lucky to be one of the last students admitted before their doors closed. After that, I spent a few months in Rwanda, volunteering, courtesy of the Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre. This summer I visited the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh as part of a small research project. Now, after what feels like a gap year, I am refreshed and ready to start work here at CoR,” she said.
Ms Nazareth was born in Kenya and educated at Island School in Hong Kong before coming to England to read law at University College London, qualifying as a solicitor in 1987. She has two grown-up children. Br James Boner was general secretary for four years. Prior to that, a laywoman held the post for several years. Before that, a Religious had always held it.
Parishes merge
Three parishes in Dublin officially merged last week to form the new parish of St Pappin’s in Ballymun. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has indicated that more mergers will follow in 2019.
After three years of local planning and consultation, the new parish of St Pappin’s has incorporated the former parishes of Shangan, Balcurris and Sillogue. The effective amalgamation of the parishes and the parish councils began in October 2016 when the Columbans returned the running of the parish of Balcurris to the archdiocese.
The total number of parishes in the Archdiocese of Dublin is now 197. Further mergers are expected next year. The announcement of the current merger was made as another Dublin parish church was inaugurated by Archbishop Martin and Cardinal George Alancherry as the new Irish headquarters of the Syro-Malabar Church in Ireland.
The church of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Fatima in Rialto will be shared for worship by the local community and by members of the Syro-Malabar community, who will use the newly named St Thomas’ pastoral centre for other activities. The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is in full communion with the Catholic Church. It has 5 million followers worldwide, of whom 4,000 live in Dublin.
Award for work with homeless
The founder of the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin, Br Kevin Crowley (above), was presented with the Oireachtas (Irish parliament’s) Human Dignity Award last week in recognition of his work on behalf of the homeless.
The friar founded the centre nearly 50 years ago in 1969. It provides hot meals, food parcels, clothing and day-care facilities for the homeless. There is also a GP/nurse clinic, as well as a dental clinic, a chiropody clinic, an optician, a counselling service and social support.
Last August, Pope Francis visited the centre, which cost €4 million (£3.62m) to run in 2017. The state provided only 10 per cent of this. The rest came from the Church and other donors.
Seán Ó Fearghail TD, the Ceann Comhairle (speaker of the lower house of the Irish parliament), who presented the award in Leinster House on behalf of the Human Dignity Group, said: “Pope Francis’ visit to the Capuchin Day Centre while in Ireland last August was a fitting recognition of their love and care over so many years.”
He added that, in making this award, they were paying tribute to “fifty years of heroism” but also recognising the Capuchins’ care for the poor of Dublin over a period of 400 years.
Shoppers offered Confession
For the fourth Advent running, priests of the Diocese of Killaloe will set out their confessional stalls in the SkyCourt shopping centre in Shannon, County Clare, to offer consumers some “mercy on the Mall”.
The initiative was started by Fr Tom Ryan in 2014 as a response to Pope Francis’ challenge to the Church to go out into the marketplace and proclaim the story of God.
This year, 19 priests from across the diocese, led by Bishop Fintan Monahan, will hear shoppers’ Confessions in the run-up to Christmas.
In the past three years, the priests participating have expressed delight at the favourable responses they have received from those lining up for Confession.
Fr Ryan, who is now based in Ennis, said: “It has grabbed people’s imagination and people engage with us.” He added that such initiatives were part of a new way of evangelising and formed part of the diocese’s outreach to people.
Pro-life groups blocked
Two Scottish universities have denied affiliation to student pro-life groups. The University of Glasgow Student Representative Council has turned down an application by Glasgow Students for Life on the grounds that the group has “crossed a line” in its opposition to abortion and that it does not “align” with the ethos of the SRC. A similar decision has been taken at the University of Aberdeen, where the Aberdeen Life Ethics Society has not been allowed to affiliate. In both cases, this means that pro-life groups will not be able to use university facilities or apply for funding assistance.
Bookshops to shut
Veritas, the Irish bishops’ religious books and gifts retail company, is to close three of its nine outlets as part of a move towards increased investment in online sales.
The outlets due to close by the end of January 2019 are in Sligo, Monaghan and Naas. Four full-time and nine part-time employees are affected.
Aidan Chester, director of Veritas, said the company had made the decision to close the three outlets after finding trading difficult in recent years. The company had done its best to keep job losses to a minimum and was working to relocate staff wherever possible.
“The decision to close these outlets is based on our company’s strategic planning in response to the changing shopping behaviours of our customers,” he said.
Veritas’ online business (detail from home page above) performed strongly this year, increasing by 52 per cent.
The company was dogged by losses and long-term debts for years, when it relied on the support of the bishops’ conference to help it cover its cost. But in 2016 it returned a profit for the first time in years, making €15,801 (around £14,300) on a turnover of €6 million (£5.4m).
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