The 1932 International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin and my Dad's faith

The 50th International Eucharistic Congress began in Dublin last Sunday, in a very different Ireland from the one where the 31st such congress was held 80 years ago. There is a positive report about the opening of the current congress by Mary O'Regan in the Catholic Herald.

Some time ago a friend at home asked me to make a short video about the then forthcoming Congress. What you see above is what came out, a little different to what I had been asked to do. I later did the latter and posted it last week.

What came out in this video was mostly about the faith of my Dad and the impact the 1932 Congress had on it. I never asked him about the Congress, though he often spoke about it, and I never asked him about his faith. But his faith still continues to form me nearly 25 years after his death.

May the current Congress not only strengthen  and help renew the faith of Irish Catholics of today but may it influence the missionary faith of generations to come as the Congress 80 years ago continues to do with me through the faith of my Dad who died in 1987.

My Dad's 98th birth anniversary and his love of 'a good tune'.



My late father, known as 'John' to his side of the family and his workmates and as 'Joe' to my mother, Mary, and her side of the family - his baptismal names were 'John Joseph' - loved a good tune and I often heard him sing bits of songs around the house, though I don't recall him having a 'party piece'. The songs he sang were always melodic. This morning I looked for Till We Meet Again on YouTube, one of the songs I associate with my Dad. Later I realised that today is the 98th anniversary of his birth. The song was written in 1918 by Richard A. Whiting (music) and Raymond B. Egan (lyrics).

Dad was a great fan of Bing Crosby. One of the recordings I came across was by Bing Crosby and Patti page, made in 1952. I have never been a great fan of Patti Page, though I am of Bing Crosby. But I like their version (below). Above is a video of Gordon MacRae and Doris Day singing it, from a movie made in 1951, On Moonlight Bay, but set at the time the song was written, when the USA was already involved in the Great War. Gordon MacRae refers to 'The Doughboys', the nickname used for US soldiers at that time. In World War II they became 'GIs'.

Duets with a male and female singer were very popular when I was a child in the late '40s and early '50s. Gordon MacRae recorded many with Jo Stafford. These songs were all tuneful.



Smile the while you kiss me sad adieu,
When the clouds roll by I'll come to you,
Then the skies will seem more blue,
Down in lovers' lane my dearie,
Wedding bells will ring so merrily,
Every tear will be a memory,
So wait and pray each night for me,
Till we meet again.

My parents grew up with great songs!

Dad died suddenly in the early evening of 11 August 1987, having been at Mass that morning, as he had been every morning of his adult life. Please remember him in your prayers today.