Since we are travellers and pilgrims in the world, let us ever ponder on the end of the road, that is of our life, for the end of our roadway is our home (St Columban, 8th sermon).
This account of Father Willie Doyle's death in Ypres/Ieper, Belgium, while serving as a chaplain in the British Army during The Great War is from Father William Doyle S.J. by Professor Alfred O'Rahilly and taken from the blog Remembering Father William Doyle SJ. Fr Doyle was from Dalkey, County Dublin.
Fr. Doyle had been engaged from early morning in the front line, cheering and consoling his men, and attending to the many wounded. Soon after 3 p.m. he made his way back to the Regimental Aid Post which was in charge of a Corporal Raitt, the doctor having gone back to the rear some hours before. Whilst here word came in that an officer of the Dublins had been badly hit, and was lying out in an exposed position. Fr. Doyle at once decided to go out to him, and left the Aid Post with his runner, Private Mclnespie, and a Lieutenant Grant. Some twenty minutes later, at about a quarter to four, Mclnespie staggered into the Aid Post and fell down in a state of collapse from shell shock. Corporal Raitt went to his assistance and after considerable difficulty managed to revive him. His first words on coming back to consciousness were: “Fr. Doyle has been killed!” Then bit by bit the whole story was told. Fr. Doyle had found the wounded officer lying far out in a shell crater. He crawled out to him, absolved and anointed him, and then, half dragging, half carrying the dying man, managed to get him within the line. Three officers came up at this moment, and Mclnespie was sent for some water. This he got and was handing it to Fr. Doyle when a shell burst in the midst of the group, killing Fr. Doyle and the three officers instantaneously, and hurling Mclnespie violently to the ground. Later in the day some of the Dublins when retiring came across the bodies of all four. Recognising Fr. Doyle, they placed him and a Private Meehan, whom they were carrying back dead, behind a portion of the Frezenberg Redoubt and covered the bodies with sods and stones.
On 14 August Remembering Fr William Doyle SJ carried a photo of his last letter to his father, written two days before his death. Read the full post here.
I first learned about Father Willie Doyle from Sister Stanislaus, the Irish Sister of Charity who was principal of the boys' kindergarten I attended in Stanhope St, Dublin. She also prepared us for First Holy Communion. I learned mor about him in my first year in St Columban's College, Dalgan Park, when I entered the seminary there 50 years ago. Remembering Fr William Doyle SJ is a blog that is a work of love and a reminder to me of what a priest is called to be,
These are the logos being used by the delegates from the Philippines at World Youth Day, which begins today in Madrid. 'Pinoy' is a term that Filipinos use for themselves and has no negative connotations whatever. President Benigno C. Aquino III, whose nickname is 'Noynoy', is universally referred to in the Philippines as 'P-Noy'.
The Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Philippines set up at website for World Youth Day 2011, wydpinoy.com.
Bishop Joel Z. Baylon of Legazpi is Chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Youth. His talk above is almost totally in Tagalog. The promo video below shows the essence of WYD - a pilgrimage of prayer, repentance, celebration of our Catholic faith. It is an occasion when young people can show their pride in their national and cultural identity while discovering their deepest identity as beloved sons and daughters of the Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and therefore of one another.
I like this promo video below. It captures something of the hope and optimism of the young. Though it is in Spanish anyone with a smattering of that language should be able to understand the texts or at least get the gist of them.
The song of Jaula Grillos, We Are More, on the video below, which is on the official website of WYD 2011, also captures something of the enthusiasm of the young that the Church needs.
The link to the official Facebook page is here. There are links there to pages in many languages, including English and Tagalog.
You can keep track of some of the delegates from the Philippines on Facebook on Youth Pinoy. There I found this photo of Filipino delegates to WYD in Fatima, Portugal, on 14 August:
I found this video on CathNews (Australia). It is a production of the Vocation Centre of the Archdiocese of Sydney. CathNews showed the video in the context of World Youth Day, which begins tomorrow in Madrid.
At the end of the video Father Michael tells us that his uncle once asked him if the priesthood was as good as he thought if would be. He answered, 'No. It's much better!' That would echo my own experience of nearly 44 years. (It gave me a bit of a shock to see that Father Mark's parents are probably younger than I am!)
Being a priest has brought unexpected graces and experiences. One I never imagined during my seminary years was giving a bride away. Yet this has been something I've done three times for young women whose fathers had died. Two of them had never known their fathers, each of whom had died in an accident when his daughter was still an infant.
I once fulfilled a similar role in the case of a young woman making her first religious profession. Her father too had died when she was quite young.
The video focuses on the essentials of a priest's life, Mass and the sacraments.
I pray that World Youth Day will lead many young men to consider the possibility that God may be calling them to be priests. In some countries, Ireland, for example, entering the seminary requires a courage not needed when I made that decision 50 years ago. I got nothing but encouragement from my classmates. Today a young man in Ireland is very much going against the tide.
WYD Madrid 2011 Theme song Firmes en la fe English version by Rabab Zaitoun
Firmes en la fe, firmes en la fe!
We go forward in Christ, he's our companion and he is Lord!
Glory be to him! Glory be to him!
We go forward in Christ, made stronger in our faith.
1. Your love, it builds us up and keeps us rooted,
Your cross, it gives us constant strength and courage,
Your flesh, it ever saves us and sustains us,
Your blood, it flows to cheer us and renew us.
Oh, Christ, you are our brother,
Oh, Christ, you are our friend, you are our Lord,
Make us firm in the faith, make us firm in the faith!
Firmes en la fe...
2. Your hands, they hold us when we have been wounded,
Your eyes, they purify the way we see things,
Your lips, they speak to us words of forgiveness,
Your feet, they guide our steps to find life's fullness.
Oh, Christ, you are our brother,
Oh, Christ, you are our friend, you are our Lord,
Make us firm in the faith, make us firm in the faith!
Firmes en la fe...
3. We are the young, and Mary journeys with us,
And like a joyful bride she sings your praises;
With her we too shall sing and praise your triumph,
Because already death has been defeated.
Oh, Christ, you are our brother,
Oh, Christ, you are our friend, you are our Lord,
Make us firm in the faith, make us firm in the faith!
Firmes en la fe...
Here is a version in Spanish with images from previous World Youth Days:
The Prophet Isaiah, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, painted 1726-29 (see first reading)
Readings(New American Bible, used in the Philippines and the USA)
Gospel Matthew 15:21-28 (Jerusalem Bible, used in Australia, England and Wales, Ireland, Scotland).
Jesus left Genenesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel’. But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs’. She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table’. Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.
Soiscéal Matha 15:21-28 (Gaeilge, Irish)
San am sin chuaigh Íosa i leataobh go dtí ceantar na Tuíre agus Shíodóine. Agus bhí bean Chanánach a tháinig amach as na críocha sin agus thosaigh sí ag glaoch os ard: “Déan trócaire orm, a Thiarna, a mhic Dháiví,” ar sise, “tá iníon agam agus í á crá go géar ag deamhan.” Ach ní dúirt Íosa focal ar bith á freagairt. Tháinig a dheisceabail chuige agus bhí siad ag impí air: “Scaoil uait í,” ar siad, “tá sí ag glaoch inár ndiaidh.” D’fhreagair agus dúirt: “Níor cuireadh mé ach amháin go dtí caoirigh caillte theaghlach Iosrael.” Ach tháinig an bhean agus d’fhan ar a dhá glúin ina láthair: “A Thiarna,” ar sise, “fóir orm.” D’fhreagair agus dúirt: “Níl sé oiriúnach arán na leanaí a thógáil agus é a chaitheamh chun na gcoileán.” Dúirt sise: “Cinnte, a Thiarna, agus itheann na coileáin féin na grabhróga a thiteann ó bhord a máistrí.” Ansin dúirt Íosa léi á freagairt: “Ó, is mór é do chreideamh, a bhean! Bíodh agat mar is áil leat.” Agus bhí a hiníon leigheasta ón nóiméad sin.
My late mother loved to bargain, when buying clothes and when buying fruit and vegetables. She usually bought the latter at the store of a woman named Chrissie Caffrey, whose sister Maggie had a similar store across the road. There were usually a few cats around but the vegetables and fruit on sale were fresh. Sometimes as a child, listening to my mother, I would think that she was insulting Chrissie the way she spoke to her. But they both would end up happy, my mother having got a bargain and Chrissie having got a sale.
What my mother and Chrissie did a couple of times a week was a form of banter with a serious purpose. My mother wasn't insulting Chrissie, she was simply looking for a good price. Chrissie didn't take any offence at my mother's words, gave as good as she got - and sold her produce.
One commentary I read on this gospel suggests that Jesus and the Canaanite woman were engaged in something similar to Chrissie and my mother, a form of banter, but with a serious purpose. The words of Jesus comparing the Canaanites, non-Jews, to dogs were insulting at their face value. But the woman didn't take offence, She wanted her daughter healed and that's all that mattered to her. She probably hadn't been among those who heard Jesus' Sermon on the Mount when he said, among many other things, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you (Mt 7:7). But clearly she had heard something about Jesus, of his love for the poor, for the sick, for the tormented. Because she persisted, giving as good as she got, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table’, she heard the astounding words of Jesus, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’
It wasn't the first time Jesus responded to a non-Jew and remarked on that person's faith. Before we receive Holy Communion we pray the words of the Roman centurion who had come to Jesus with a similar plea to that of the Canaanite woman, not on behalf of his daughter but of his servant, 'Lord, I am not worthy . . .'
Everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened (Mt 7:8).
The Solemnity of the Assumption
The Solemnity of the Assumption begins with Evening Prayer on Sunday. That means that a Sunday evening Mass should be the Mass for the Vigil of the Assumpion , not that of the Sunday or the Mass During the Day of the Assumption.
At the end of Night Prayer a Marian Anthem is always sung or recited. Ave Regina Caelorum is considered especially appropriate for the Assumption.
The statue is located close to the mainland pier of the ferries to Station Island, Lough Derg, where St Patrick's Purgatory is.
Thanks to English blogger Fr Ray Blake for drawing the Novena for the Church in Ireland to my attention. He in turn found the novena at Protect the Pope. Just now I have discovered that it originated on Facebook. The Church in Ireland, meaning all its members, needs prayers very badly. May I invite you to join in this novena which ends on the Solemnity of the Assumption, known in Irish Gaelic as Lá Fhéile Mhuire Mhóir, the Great Feast Day of Mary.
The photo above was taken at the point where pilgrims take a boat on Lough Derg to go to St Patrick's Purgatory. I must confess that I've never been there. A priest who spent some summers working there was Fr Ragheed Ganni (20 January 1972 - 3 June 2007), the Iraqi priest who was murdered along with three subdeacons just after celebrating Mass on Pentecost Sunday. Father Ragheed, of the Chaldean Rite of the Catholic Church and an engineer by profession, studied in Rome before and after his ordination and stayed at the Irish College there where he acquired the nickname 'Paddy the Iraqi'. I believe he is a martyr and I'm sure that he is praying for repentance and renewal in the Irish Church as well as for peace and justice in his homeland..
Novena for the Church in Ireland (Sunday 7th August – Monday 15th of August)
There are three intentions:
1) We pray in atonement for the sins of the Church in Ireland and for all those who were hurt.
2) We pray for all of our priests and bishops,the guilty that they might find God’s mercy and the innocent that God might support them in this difficult time.
3) We pray for the healing and renewal of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
If everyone who wants to join in could pray the rosary on each day (or even just a decade of the rosary) for these intentions and if you can;the Pope’s prayer for the Church in Ireland,which is below,and finally just offer up your Mass on the feast of the Assumption for these intentions.
Prayer for the Church in Ireland
God of our fathers,
renew us in the faith which is our life and salvation,
the hope which promises forgiveness and interior renewal,
the charity which purifies and opens our hearts
to love you,and in you, each of our brothers and sisters.
Lord Jesus Christ,
may the Church in Ireland renew her age-old commitment
to the education of our young people in the way of truth and goodness, holiness and generous service to society.
Holy Spirit,comforter,advocate and guide,
inspire a new springtime of holiness and apostolic zeal
for the Church in Ireland.
May our sorrow and our tears,
our sincere effort to redress past wrongs,
and our firm purpose of amendment
bear an abundant harvest of grace
for the deepening of the faith
in our families, parishes,schools and communities,
for the spiritual progress of Irish society,
and the growth of charity, justice, joy and peace
within the whole human family.
To you, Triune God,
confident in the loving protection of Mary,
Queen of Ireland, our Mother,
and of Saint Patrick, Saint Brigid and all the saints,
do we entrust ourselves, our children,
and the needs of the Church in Ireland.
‘Particular attention should also be given to Eucharistic adoration,and in every diocese there should be churches or chapels specifically devoted to this purpose. I ask parishes,seminaries,religious houses and monasteries to organize periods of Eucharistic adoration,so that all have an opportunity to take part.
Through intense prayer before the real presence of the Lord,you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm,at the same time imploring the grace of renewed strength and a deeper sense of mission on the part of all bishops, priests,religious and lay faithful.’
The painting and reflection above are by Sr Maria Forrestal, an Irish Franciscan Missionary of Mary who has worked in the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic for many years. Among other things, Sister Maria maintains the excellent website of the Catholic Church in the Faroes.
Readings (New American Bible, used in the Philippines and the USA).
Gospel (Matthew 14:22-33; Jerusalem Bible, used in Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, Scotland)
Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he would send the crowds away. After sending the crowds away he went up into the hills by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, while the boat, by now far out on the lake, was battling with a heavy sea, for there was a head-wind. In the fourth watch of the night he went towards them, walking on the lake, and when the disciples saw him walking on the lake they were terrified. 'It is a ghost' they said, and cried out in fear. But at once Jesus called out to them, saying, 'Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid.' lt was Peter who answered. 'Lord,' he said 'if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.' 'Come' said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. 'Lord! Save me!' he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. 'Man of little faith,' he said 'why did you doubt?' And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, 'Truly, you are the Son of God'.
Soiscéal (Matha 14:22-33, Gaeilge, Irish)
San am sin chuir Íosa d’fhiacha ar na deisceabail dul ar bord agus imeacht roimhe go dtí an taobh thall fad a bheadh sé féin ag scaoileadh na sluaite uaidh. Agus tar éis a scaoilte dó, chuaigh sé an sliabh suas ar leithligh chun guí, agus nuair a bhí an tráthnóna ann bhí sé ansiúd ina aonar. Bhí an bád faoin am sin mórán staideanna amach ón talamh, á bocadh ag na farraigí, mar bhí an ghaoth contrártha. Sa cheathrú faire den oíche, tháinig sé chucu ag siúl ar an bhfarraige. Nuair a chonaic na deisceabail é, agus é ag siúl ar an bhfarraige, bhí siad buartha: “Taibhse atá ann!” ar siad, agus scread siad amach le barr eagla. Ach labhair Íosa leo láithreach: “Bíodh misneach agaibh!” ar seisean, “mise atá ann, ná bíodh eagla oraibh.” D’fhreagair Peadar é: “A Thiarna,” ar seisean, “más tú atá ann, ordaigh mé a theacht chugat ar bharr an uisce.” Dúirt Íosa: “Tar!” Agus tháinig Peadar amach as an mbád agus shiúil ar bharr an uisce ag déanamh ar Íosa. Ach nuair a d’airigh sé chomh borb agus a bhí an ghaoth, rug an eagla air; thosaigh ag dul faoi uisce agus scread sé amach: “A Thiarna, saor mé!” ar seisean. Shín Íosa amach a lámh láithreach, agus ag breith greama air dúirt: “A fhir an bheagán creidimh, cén fáth ar tháinig amhras ort?” Ar dhul isteach sa bhád dóibh, thit an ghaoth. Agus iad seo a bhí sa bhád, d’umhlaigh siad síos ina láthair ag rá: “Go dearfa, is tú Mac Dé.”
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Sister Maria's painting evokes in me a sense of my vocation. Jesus invited Peter to step out. Peter did but then hesitated. Each person's vocation is unique. Some know from their childhood where God is calling them, some from early adolescence, as was my experience, some at a much later stage. But however one experiences God's call at some stage one has to step out.
A priest I knew here in the Philippines, the late Fr Vincent San Juan SJ, spent most of his life as a priest in the family life apostolate, working particularly with couples. I heard him speak of ballroom dancing as an image of the relationship of a husband and wife. The man usually leads, though not always, the woman following his moves. When I reached adolescence in the mid-1950s rock 'n' roll hat hit the scene and ballroom dancing disappeared for my generation. I used to envy my parents, uncles and aunts when I'd see them dancing with such skill, teamwork and enjoyment!
Sister Maria shows Jesus and Peter involved in a dance. Jesus is holding Peter's hand even before he steps out. I remember how my father taught me to swim and to ride a bicycle. He held his hand under my chest in the water, giving me a sense of security. Then on one occasion I realised his hand wasn't there anymore. I was swimming on my own. It was the same with cycling. My Dad kept a grip on the saddle until he judged that I could manage on my own. I remember the great joyful sense of freedom I felt on both occasions. But I would never have learned to swim or ride a bike without 'stepping out' as Peter did, even though he then lost his nerve.
Fr Gerard Dunne OP sees the present crisis in the Church in Ireland as a time for a young person to answer God's call to the priesthood or religious life. I quote here from a recent post in his blog, Irish Dominican Vocations, Why consider a vocation in the midst of a crisis?
The church and its people are not just survivors who grit their teeth in the face of either internal turmoil or external opposition. The church doesn't just survive - it lives. It lives because Jesus Christ lives in and through the church. In the midst of this present crisis we must humbly admit that we are the recipients of the graciousness and unconditional love of Jesus Christ who promised never to abandon his disciples: "And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time." (Matthew 28:10) The church has existed and lived these 2000 years because of God's grace manifested through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
During these dark days I am often reminded of the words of Blessed John Paul II in Toronto during a World Youth Day event when he addressed the young people saying: "At difficult moments in the church's life, the pursuit of holiness becomes even more urgent. And holiness is not a question of age; it is a matter of living in the Spirit......We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son."
While many might argue that this is the worst time ever to consider a religious vocation, I see it as the most desirable time to discern life as a sister, brother, nun, priest and indeed Dominican. Here's a few reasons:
Firstly, God continues to call and invite people to a life of service and community, especially when the church faces and unprecedented crisis like the one we presently face. Our history proves this. In the middle of the great injustices of the Spanish Inquisition God called St Teresa of Avila to a life of mysticism and ultimately of reform of her Carmelite order; Saint Francis had a dream of rebuilding God's house and in response chose to live a life of radical simplicity through simplicity, prayer and penance - in stark contrast to the wealth and corruption of the twelfth century church. A couple of hundred years later when there was unrest in the church and a divided papacy Saint Catherine of Siena responded to God's call to live the Dominican life and later became a mediator for peace and the reunification of the papacy.
The church still benefits from the virtue of these heroic men and women and the many more like them who heard God's call and invitation to live a radical Gospel life in the midst of a church in turmoil. I am confident that with the help of God's grace that we will be telling similar stories in the future of today's heroic men and women who responded to the challenges of religious life.
Another reason to consider a religious vocation is that our church needs the creativity, idealism, faith and spirituality of a new generation. In the midst of our crisis the poor in our world continue to suffer from a lack of education, healthcare, social services. In a culture that suffers from inequalities, violence and disregard for human life, people need to hear the prophetic message of justice, peace and dignity. And in the middle of the crisis that the church now faces, people more than any other time in history need to hear the Gospel preached.
One further reason: the church needs more than just service. In a society that glamourises wealth, sex, power and money the church needs the continued witness of young people (and not so young) who are willing to give their all for holiness by living a life of chastity, obedience and poverty. Because we are a sacramental church we need priests to preach the Word with integrity and minister in times of joy and pain with sensitivity. When the world is plagued by polarization and division we need the hope for the Christian community that is inspired by people who come together to live and share their faith, values and mission.
By considering a religious vocation, there is nothing to lose. Why? Because all vocations are oriented towards holiness and a deepening of a relationship with God. I would continue to encourage people to consider religious life for the sheer joy that it can bring. Of course there are challenges and sacrifices but there is a deep consolation in knowing that you are following God's will or plan for you and that you are making a significant contribution to the life of the church and those that you live with and serve. These are definitely trying times for the church especially in Ireland. But they are not the first, nor will they be the last. Keep on considering your vocation - and do not be afraid.
factórem caeli et terrae, maker of heaven and earth,
visibílium ómnium et invisibílium. of all things visible and invisible
Et in unum Dóminum Iesum Christum, I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
Fílium Dei Unigénitum, the Only Begotten Son of God,
et ex Patre natum ante ómnia saecula. born of the Father before all ages.
Deum de Deo, lumen de lúmine, God from God, Light from Light,
Deum verum de Deo vero, true God from true God,
génitum, non factum, consubstantiálem Patri: begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
per quem ómnia facta sunt. through him all things were made.
Qui propter nos hómines et propter nostram salútem For us men and for our salvation
descéndit de caelis. he came down from heaven,
Et incarnátus est de Spíritu Sancto ex María Vírgine, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
et homo factus est. and became man.
Crucifíxus étiam pro nobis sub Póntio Piláto; For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
passus et sepúltus est, he suffered death and was buried,
et resurréxit tértia die, and rose again on the third day
secúndum Scriptúras, in accordance with the Scriptures.
et ascéndit in caelum, He ascended into heaven
sedet ad déxteram Patris.and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
Et íterum ventúrus est cum glória, He will come again in glory
iudicáre vivos et mórtuos, to judge the living and the dead
cuius regni non erit finis. and his kingdom will have no end.
Et in Spíritum Sanctum, Dóminum et vivificántem: I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
qui ex Patre Filióque procédit. who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Qui cum Patre et Fílio simul adorátur et conglorificátur: who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
qui locútus est per prophétas. who has spoken through the prophets.
Et unam, sanctam, cathólicam et apostólicam Ecclésiam. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
Confíteor unum baptísma in remissiónem peccatórum. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
Et exspécto resurrectiónem mortuórum, and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
et vitam ventúri saeculi. Amen. and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Here in the Philippines the Nicene Creed is rarely used at Mass, a great pity. The English translation above is the new one that will come into effect in most English-speaking countries on the First Sunday of Advent. The Philippines isn't an English-speaking country, though it is widely used in Mass, especially in the larger cities. It is one of the official languages of the country. I haven't heard any official announcement from the bishops as to when the new translation will be implemented here. I will probably use the opportunity of the change to introduce people to the Nicene Creed, which is the 'default' one for Mass.
View of the Catholic church (Mariukirkjan) and convent (Kerit) from Varðagøta, Torshavn, capital of the Faroes.
Tomorrow is the feast of St John Mary Vianney, patron of priests. More than ever today we need holy priests. We priests need your prayers. One of the great priests of our time was François-Xavier Cardinal Nguyên Van Thuán (1928-2002).
Fr Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly
I am conscious of the Church in Vietnam in a personal way because I am giving a weekly class to the eleven aspirants of the Capuchin Tertiary Sisters of the Holy Family here in Bacolod City. The group includes six young women from Vietnam, the first to enter the congregation. The Church in Vietnam has suffered greatly in modern times and harrassment is not yet absent, as the story of Fr Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, 64, shows.
In the May-June 2006 issue of Misyon, which I edit on behalf of the Columbans in the Philippines, I published an article by the Cardinal. Misyon was then a printed magazine. We are gradually putting all issues from the first in 1988 online but this particular article isn't yet there. Below is the text, with an introduction.
PREACHING HOPE FROM PRISON
By François-Xavier Cardinal Nguyên Van Thuán
The extraordinary story, in his own words, of Vietnamese Cardinal Nguyên Van Thuan, Coadjutor Archbishop of Thành-Phô Hô Chí Minh (formerly Saigon) from 1975 till 1994. Just three months after his appointment he was imprisoned by the communist government. He spent thirteen years in jail, nine of them in solitary confinement. In 1998 he was appointed President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in the Vatican. He gave the Lenten retreat to Pope John Paul and his staff in 1999 and died in Rome on 16 September 2002. Here are some edited extracts from the cardinal’s story.
Saved by prayer
In my initial period in prison I spent many months in an extremely narrow space without windows, half suffocated by the heat and humidity. Often I had great difficulty in breathing. They tortured me by leaving me under lights day and night for ten days and then depriving me of all light for long periods. One day in the darkness I noticed a tiny hole through which the light shone. From then on I used to put my nostrils there to breathe more easily.
Whenever there were floods snakes used to invade my cell and sometimes climbed my legs to avoid the water. They used to stay with me until the floods passed. I had no toilet but since I received hardly any food I had little need of one. My daily rations consisted of some rice and vegetables cooked with salt. From five in the morning until 11:30 at night there was a constant din of voices over loudspeakers. To distract myself I did exercises, jumped, danced, sang and prayed. Prayer saved my life. In moments of great suffering, sometimes when I wanted to pray I couldn’t. I was desperately tired, sick and hungry . . . often I was tempted to despair and rebellion. But the Lord always helped me.
Learning again how to pray
In my later years in prison five policemen guarded me. Some even studied Latin to censor any documents or telegrams sent to the bishops from Rome. One day a policeman asked me: ‘Can you teach me some song in Latin?’ I replied, ‘I’ll sing some and you can choose.’ He chose the Veni Creator (Come Holy Spirit) and asked me to write out the words. I did so not really expecting that he would learn them. But in a few days he had learned them really well and sang them every morning while he was on guard. I thought to myself: ‘When an archbishop cannot pray, the Lord sends him a policeman to sing the Veni Creator and help him to pray!’
On another occasion a farmer came to the prison and asked permission to visit me. The police permitted it and he spent a few minutes with me. When he was leaving he asked: ‘Please, pray for me,’ and he added: ‘Father, one prayer from you in prison is worth a hundred offered in freedom.’ That day the Holy Spirit sent a farmer to teach me the value of prayer in prison.
Writing about hope
While in prison I wrote several books. All our religious literature had been burned and permission to publish new ones refused. I wondered how, as a pastor, I could encourage the faithful. At that time I was in a closely guarded cell but children were allowed to visit me. One day I said to one of them: ‘Ask your mother to buy me a calendar-block.’ When I received it I wrote my thoughts on the back of a sheet each night and in this way I produced my first book, Pilgrims on the Road of Hope. I wrote the second, The Way of Hope in the Light of the Word of God in the Council in my years in exile, 1,700 kilometers from my diocese. At another time when I was feeling very low and had no desire to write I received a request from the Holy Father asking me to write some spiritual exercises. These later became the work Witnesses to Hope.
I have personally experienced the sorrow of a pastor forbidden to care for his people and forced to abandon his diocese. It caused me great torment to be in prison while the people were abandoned. But I discovered that it had all been God’s work. One night I sensed a voice in my heart saying: ‘François, God holds you in his hands. Always seek his will. God knows what he is doing. He will seek other collaborators who work better than you. Be at peace.’ That night I experienced a deep peace in my heart and I decided to seek God’s will every minute of my life.
Under house arrest,
Befriended by jailers
At one stage while in prison five young jailers, university students, guarded me. One reason that I survived was because of their friendship.
Those in charge had forbidden them to speak to me. Initially my guards were changed every fifteen days. Prison authorities believed the guards risked being contaminated if left with me for any length of time. Eventually they stopped changing them because apparently they were afraid I would contaminate the whole force. And so the young students became my friends. The love of Christ has great power to change people.
I would chat with them through the door about my life, the various countries I had visited, my family, my childhood and so on. I taught them English, French, and even a little Russian. One day I asked one of them to bring something to trim a piece of wood. He did and I was able to make a cross. Even though all religious symbols were prohibited, I now had a cross in my quarters. I hid it in a bar of soap. Another time I asked for a piece of wire and a pair of pliers. My friendly policeman said, ‘I will bring them but you have to finish in four hours’ – the length of his particular shift. In four hours I had fashioned a chain for my cross. The cross was later enclosed in silver and it is the cross and chain I still wear.
Saying Mass in prison
The day I was arrested I had to leave everything behind me. The following day I was allowed to write and ask my friends to bring my clothes, toothpaste and other personal needs. I also asked them to include some wine ‘as medicine.’ My friends understood. They sent me a little bottle of Mass-wine labeled ‘Medicine for Stomach Aches’ and also some hosts hidden in a little burner used to keep the humidity at bay.
Every night I kept a tiny piece of bread for the following day’s Eucharist. And so every day for many years I had the joy of celebrating Mass with three drops of wine and one of water in my palm. This was my altar, my cathedral. For me it was the true medicine of body and soul something to stave off death in order to live for ever in Christ.
Prayer for the Beatification of Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan
O mighty and eternal God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit I offer thanks for giving to the Church the heroic testimony of Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân.
The suffering he experienced in prison, which he united with the crucified Christ and commended to the maternal protection of Mary, is for the Church and the world a shining witness of unity and forgiveness, and of justice and peace.
His loving person and his Episcopal ministry radiate the light of faith, the enthusiasm of hope and the warmth of love.
Now, my Lord, through his intercession and according to your will, grant me the grace I am imploring in the hope that he will soon be elevated to the honour of sainthood.
Imprimatur Roma 16.9.2007 + Giampaolo Crepaldi Secretary Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace
