Passionist Community,
20 Alliance Ave, Belfast
Pat
Duffy:
It is almost two years since I moved from Dublin to Alliance Avenue, Belfast.
In that time I have been continuing to do some of the work I was already
doing as well as developing what was new.
I
continue to give Pre-Marriage Days in Crossgar with a married couple from
Belfast. On average we have eighteen couples on a given day from different
backgrounds, ages and parts of the North. We cover five aspects of relationship:
listening, conflict, expectations, sexuality and faith. In November last
year I gave the Thirty Day Retreat with Terry McGrath in Wales.
Since completing my counselling and psychotherapy course, in Dublin, I
have continued to work in that field here. There is a real spiritual dimension
as well as a human dimension to this work, some come looking for spiritual
direction, others for a way to cope with their real human issues. What
integrates these two dimensions of life for me is a process called Focusing.
It is a natural process, an internal act that we all have the capacity
to do. It is an innately spiritual process, a path to reconciliation by
journeying inward through a bodily felt awareness to the discovery of
our deeper identity and relationship to ourselves, others and to God.
It can awaken and deepen spiritual awareness in a way that is incarnational.
In the words of Pete Campbell and Ed McMahon, "What makes Focusing
unusual is that it creates an inner climate around our painful and frightening
issues that is different from the climate we generally fall into with
problems and difficulties. Normally, we feel bad about things we don't
like in ourselves. We sometimes feel ashamed, guilty, annoyed or impatient.
We hold at arms length and try to control what we cannot accept. ocusing
invites us to relate in a different way to what we perceive as unlovable
in ourselves… The New Testament speaks of metanoia - conversion.
A step beyond control. It is often frightening, but it's challenging as
well. Conversion leads gradually toward possessing more and more of your
self! It involves letting go of controls that hold you to a narrow and
often confining experience. There is the challenge of a hidden surprise.
A gift. A grace waiting in the uncertainty of that overpowering darkness
from which we generally shield ourselves." (Bio - Spirituality, Focusing
as a way to grow).
For me this is what our Charism is about, Focusing offers a way of living the Paschal Mystery, by attending to what is painful, frightening, or difficult inside with compassion it opens to the possibility of grace, transformation from within that is not of our making. "Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." Rom. 6: 3-4 I have trained to teach this process to individuals and to groups and I work with other religious and laity in doing so in Dublin, Belfast and Crossgar.
I'm also working with the Family Ministry Commission of the Diocese here. They provide a training course for lay family ministers and I do some pastoral reflection with the trainees, also with some lay youth workers in the Diocese as well.
Kenneth Brady: I arrived in Alliance Avenue on the 27th July 2001 and received a great welcome from John and Pat. That night the Loyalists welcomed me with some shots and petrol bombing from the Deer Park Road which landed a few doors away. Possibly this was to let me know that I was still in Ardoyne though in a different parish.
From September to December I did the Faith and Mission Course in Dalgan Park with the Irish Missionary Union. Part of my reason for choosing there was to experience the rich diversity and experience of people from different lands. My hopes were met. There were 46 of us, fine and middle aged with a ratio of 2 women per man. January until Easter I did the Growth for Ministry Programme and after Easter 3 of us came back to do the 30 Day Retreat in the beautiful grounds of Dalgan with the Boyne flowing through. It was a bit ironic that having spent so long in Ardoyne that I came to the 'Green grassy banks of the Boyne' to be refreshed and renewed. The experience of the 30 Day Retreat was wonderful, refreshing, challenging and really worthwhile and enable me to make faith connections with my life and really brought a sense of completeness to the programme.
I enjoyed the course which involved content as well as process. Graced Living …reflection on our own story so far was a central feature of the programme and it was rewarding and challenging. Other elements were faith story, Eucharist, ritual, system analysis and workshop, ecology, feminism, Inter Faith Dialogue with Islam, Mission in John and Luke's Gospel, Celtic Spirituality with pilgrimages to Glendalough, Clonmacnoise, Aran Islands, and Kildare. There were optional courses like creative writing, dreams, men's/women's issues, reiki. Added bonuses were the new experience of community living in a mixed and varied group, the warmth of the Columban welcome and hospitality and the fact that it was held in the country helped enormously.
Since October 2002 I have been a full time student in the Centre for Reconciliation Studies based on the Antrim Road, Belfast. The School is part of the Irish School of Ecumenics and affiliated to Trinity College. It is a graduate programme. Courses I attend are Theology and Dynamics of Reconciliation, Hermeneutics and Reconciliation exploring various contextual theologies, Resources for Reconciliation in the World's Religions. Next term courses will be on Trauma and Healing, Conflict Transformation, When the Fighting Stops. The Course is academic but we have seminars and visits from people involved in pastoral projects.
Why am I doing this? I hope to build on my experience of Belfast and the Troubles with a view to engaging in a Ministry of Reconciliation. What exactly this means I will continue to explore with Pat and others. I am convinced that building bridges are only possible when we are able to move into other spaces. I am grateful to the Province for enabling me to experiment in this way.
Both
of us appreciate those who have called to see and stay with us. Everyone
is welcome to come and see us. We wish you all a Happy Christmas.
December 2002 - Index
Synod of Congregation in Korea
Meeting Lay Passionist Association
St. Paul of the Cross - Man of Prayer by Fr. Frank Keevins
First meeting of Former Passionists
Senior/Retired Religious Initiative
Obituary:
Bro. Malachy Daly C.P. 1916-2002
Fr. Patrick Wilson C.P. 1907-2002
Fr. Celestine Butterly C.P. 1916-2002