Festaltide

A busy weekend in the parish, culminating last evening with the last of the Cemetery devotions - two cemeteries in Rathkenny.  It was raining pretty badly, so we all offered penance for the Holy Souls.   Hence the absence for the last few days.

Lots of feasts this week  - biggie, for course, yesterday - the Assumption of Our Lady into heaven.  A beautiful feast, it strikes terror into the hearts of teachers and students - schools are getting to open up again.  Today in Carmel we celebrate the feast of Blessed Maria Sagrario of St Aloysius Gonzaga, a Spanish Carmelite sister who was a high-flyer in the world - she was one of the first women in Spain to qualify as a pharmacist.   She entered Carmel in Madrid in 1915, was solemnly professed in 1920 and elected prioress in 1927.  After a stint as novice mistress from 1930 on, she was re-elected prioress on the 1st July 1936.  On the 20th July the community had to disband and seek refuge as Spanish republicans began their persecution of the Church.  She managed to spirit the sisters away but was caught herself and she was shot for the crime of being a Catholic on the 15th August 1936.  

But today is also the anniversary of the death of Fr Willie Doyle, SJ, on this day in 1917 he was blown up on the battlefield in Ypres, Belgium as he was ministering to soldiers.  His body was completed destroyed.   He was a holy priest who impressed all who knew him - a great model for the priesthood today for his selfless dedication and personal virtue.  But it seems the Irish Jesuits must not agree - there is no Cause for him yet anyway.  But then again he's Irish, we tend not to do Causes here, we keep them to a minimum.   I wonder, would the bishop of the diocese in Belgium in which he died consider opening his Cause?  They like saints in France, even though its more secular than Ireland.   Check out the blog of one of Fr Willie's fans, and spread the word among your friends.  Help Ireland, give her saints!