Senior Notes

by Cora Flood

Reflections of a Deise Man

After a year of prayer, reflection and study in seminary, the summer arrived with a flurry of activity. In the short space of two weeks I finished my philosophy exams in Maynooth, went to Paris for art and history, returned to Kilmeaden in Co. Waterford and flew to Boston for a six week sojourn of heat, humidity and thunderstorms. It is good to be back!

What a treat to see old friends, the staff and volunteers at the Irish Pastoral Centre in Quincy, the parishioners of St. Brendan’s Dorchester, the regulars at the Senior Coffee Morning at Quincy and new friends at the Cara Club in Brighton. All were as welcoming as I remembered and it was fun to catch up on the changes wrought by the passing of a year. Also there were twinges of sadness as some old friends had passed away and others circumstances had changed due to ill health.

As an Irishman, it says a lot about the Ireland of the fast fading Celtic Tiger that it is in Boston that I have reconnected with my Irishness. Whether it is the stories told of the early Irish Saints, Sean-Nós dancing at Brighton or hearing my grandfather’s favorite ballad ‘Boolavogue’, it reminded me that the Irish diaspora is still very real and the Irish in America are, to use the old Norman adage ‘more Irish than the Irish themselves’.

The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland and Boston appear to have much in common – both are recovering from dark days of scandal, a drop in the number of vocations to the priesthood and the religious orders and what appears as an irrelevance in life. Yet the Church is always relevant to the natural cycle of life from birth to death, as witnessed in the constant celebration of the Sacraments in both joy and sorrow. The love that is the person of Jesus Christ is evident in the quiet, often unseen ministry of those engaged in pastoral care. The words of hope offered in the Gospel ‘Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28) are still very true in a world that is often so harsh and uncaring.

I wish God’s abundant blessings to all as I take my leave after another summer, and bid adieu with the words of St. Basil ‘a tree is known by its fruits; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love’. Philip John Harris

Bidding farewell and good luck to John Harris as he prepares for his next year in Maynooth also heralds the beginning of August and our summer break from regular senior program activities. In case you had not already heard, coffee mornings in Quincy and Cara Club in Brighton will be on hiatus until after Labor Day. The IPC office will remain open full time during the month of August for appointments, phone calls and home visits, as well as a little personnel maintenance. Don’t be bashful; if you feel the need to call, Sr. Marguerite, Kathleen, Fr. John and Cora are at the end of the phone (617) 479 7404.