Calling Ireland and the Irish

[Roger_Buck]

I am an American in Catholic Ireland.

I am an American weeping for Catholic Ireland - yet at the same time very, very deeply moved by the profound Catholic culture that once existed here - and still does.

With that in mind, I would be interested to hear from Catholics in Ireland as to the situation in their country, this beautiful country …

I also would like to hear responses to this question: what can be done to save the faith in this country?

Finally, I want to give two links.

The first is an Irish Catholic forum. I hope that this fine, intelligent forum will become better known. I think it can be a real help to aiding the Church in Ireland.

The link for that forum is here: irishcatholics.proboards.com/index.cgiirishcatholics.proboards.com/index.cgi

Secondly, I would like to link to a new series at my own website/blog about Catholic Ireland.

First blog Entering Catholic Ireland is here:

corjesusacratissimum.org/2013/04/entering-catholic-ireland/

Something can be done about the faith in Ireland …

Ora et labora …

 

[wllmjoseph]

I am an American of Irish ancestry. My mother was born in county Kilkenny. My paternal grand father was born is county Cork. The crisis of Catholicism in Ireland today is due to the lack of leadership of the bishops in Ireland. The Murphy Report was released in October of 2009 and detailed both the sexual and physical abuse of children in facilities that were operated by the Church. Unfortunately the bishops of Ireland did not address the issues but rather swept them under the carpet. When the extent of the abuses was revealed the Catholic Church lost a lot of credibility. The other consideration that needs to be taken into account is that Ireland experienced a dramatic transformation from 1992 to 2008. Ireland went from one of the poorest countries in the EU to one of the wealthier countries and with Ireland becomming a high tech industrial economy progressive secularism took root.
Where do we go from here? The Catholic Church in Ireland needs to acknowledge the mistakes of the past. There needs to be a renewal within the Catholic Church of Ireland with a strong emphasis on evangelization.
I love Holy Mother Church very much. One of the many reasons I love Holy Mother Church is because of the sacrafices that my ancestors were willing to make so that I could be Catholic. When Ireland was a part of the United Kingdon there were a series of persecutions that was aimed at replacing the Catholic Church with a Protestant denomination Church of Ireland. Each of the persecutions became more severe to the point that there were generations of Irish who became aware that ultimately at one point they were going have have to choose between their life or their Catholic Church. When I think that many of the Irish of those generations chose their Catholic Church over their life I am humbled while at the same time inspired to be a faithful Catholic. My heart grieves when I see what has become of Holy Ireland! Please pray for the conversion of Ireland.

 

[saveusfromhell]

here is what we can do
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=783129

 

[Nimzovik]

Methinks that Americans will soon have to choose between their Catholic faith or their lives as well…

Let us pray to save our Catholic brothers and sisters from such a fate…

 

[SaintFrancis333]

I am an American of Irish ancestry. My mother was born in county Kilkenny. My paternal grand father was born is county Cork. The crisis of Catholicism in Ireland today is due to the lack of leadership of the bishops in Ireland. The Murphy Report was released in October of 2009 and detailed both the sexual and physical abuse of children in facilities that were operated by the Church. Unfortunately the bishops of Ireland did not address the issues but rather swept them under the carpet. When the extent of the abuses was revealed the Catholic Church lost a lot of credibility. The other consideration that needs to be taken into account is that Ireland experienced a dramatic transformation from 1992 to 2008. Ireland went from one of the poorest countries in the EU to one of the wealthier countries and with Ireland becomming a high tech industrial economy progressive secularism took root.
Where do we go from here? The Catholic Church in Ireland needs to acknowledge the mistakes of the past. There needs to be a renewal within the Catholic Church of Ireland with a strong emphasis on evangelization.
I love Holy Mother Church very much. One of the many reasons I love Holy Mother Church is because of the sacrafices that my ancestors were willing to make so that I could be Catholic. When Ireland was a part of the United Kingdon there were a series of persecutions that was aimed at replacing the Catholic Church with a Protestant denomination Church of Ireland. Each of the persecutions became more severe to the point that there were generations of Irish who became aware that ultimately at one point they were going have have to choose between their life or their Catholic Church. When I think that many of the Irish of those generations chose their Catholic Church over their life I am humbled while at the same time inspired to be a faithful Catholic. My heart grieves when I see what has become of Holy Ireland! Please pray for the conversion of Ireland.

Let’s also not forget the heroic martyrdom of St. Patrick’s Brigade. The Irish were being forced to enlist in the army upon landing in america. They were not allowed in many instances, to celebrate the Mass. They were forced to attend an approved protestant denomination or they were denied any type of service. This caused Jon Riley and a group of 175+ Irish (and other Catholic immigrants and a handful of disenfranchised americans) to desert the united states army to side with Mexico and fight against america. It was not so long ago that the Irish would fight and die gladly for Christ and His Church, Now these younger generations are so taken in by secular culture that is eroding the heart of western civilization. I have faith in my ancestral people. Ireland will survive. Ireland is one of the main reasons Europe is still Catholic after the Dark Ages. God has a special place in His heart for the Emerald Isle

 

[triumphguy]

Let’s also not forget the heroic martyrdom of St. Patrick’s Brigade. The Irish were being forced to enlist in the army upon landing in america. They were not allowed in many instances, to celebrate the Mass. They were forced to attend an approved protestant denomination or they were denied any type of service. This caused Jon Riley and a group of 175+ Irish (and other Catholic immigrants and a handful of disenfranchised americans) to desert the united states army to side with Mexico and fight against america. It was not so long ago that the Irish would fight and die gladly for Christ and His Church, Now these younger generations are so taken in by secular culture that is eroding the heart of western civilization. I have faith in my ancestral people. Ireland will survive. Ireland is one of the main reasons Europe is still Catholic after the Dark Ages. God has a special place in His heart for the Emerald Isle

The Irish monks are one of the reasons why there is any Western civilization at all (at all).

 

[SaintFrancis333]

I think it is time for Ireland to starting praying for the intercession of my patron Saint Patrick once more. He chased the snakes out once, by God’s grace, he can do it again.

 

[Nimzovik]

I think it is time for Ireland to starting praying for the intercession of my patron Saint Patrick once more. He chased the snakes out once, by God’s grace, he can do it again.

Yes. And St. Brigid as well saints.sqpn.com/saint-brigid-of-ireland/ methinks.

 

[Roger_Buck]

A belated thank you for these responses.

Particularly these:

here is what we can do
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=783129

Yes saveusfromhell, I hope people and the Irish particularly will follow your link to the initiative to ask the bishops of Ireland to consecrate Ireland to her Immaculate Heart

And thank you wllm joseph

The crisis of Catholicism in Ireland today is due to the lack of leadership of the bishops in Ireland. The Murphy Report was released in October of 2009 and detailed both the sexual and physical abuse of children in facilities that were operated by the Church. Unfortunately the bishops of Ireland did not address the issues but rather swept them under the carpet. When the extent of the abuses was revealed the Catholic Church lost a lot of credibility. The other consideration that needs to be taken into account is that Ireland experienced a dramatic transformation from 1992 to 2008. Ireland went from one of the poorest countries in the EU to one of the wealthier countries and with Ireland becomming a high tech industrial economy progressive secularism took root.
Where do we go from here? The Catholic Church in Ireland needs to acknowledge the mistakes of the past. There needs to be a renewal within the Catholic Church of Ireland with a strong emphasis on evangelization.
I love Holy Mother Church very much. One of the many reasons I love Holy Mother Church is because of the sacrafices that my ancestors were willing to make so that I could be Catholic. When Ireland was a part of the United Kingdon there were a series of persecutions that was aimed at replacing the Catholic Church with a Protestant denomination Church of Ireland. Each of the persecutions became more severe to the point that there were generations of Irish who became aware that ultimately at one point they were going have have to choose between their life or their Catholic Church. When I think that many of the Irish of those generations chose their Catholic Church over their life I am humbled while at the same time inspired to be a faithful Catholic. My heart grieves when I see what has become of Holy Ireland! Please pray for the conversion of Ireland.

This contains much truth …

I want to add something to it but first I must go and find it on the internet (a very useful quote from an entirely different forum)

 

[Roger_Buck]

As I indicated above, I had a response at another forum that very succinctly and powerfully describes the tragic situation in Ireland.

I hope the OP will not mind my re-posting it here …

I think it is very thought provoking and reveals why prayer for Ireland is so necessary now …

I have added bold to some bits myself because I think they are unusually acute …

I wouldn’t be too optimistic about the faith’s prospects in Ireland. And I don’t think it’s just my gloomy temperament.

There is a real hostility to Catholicism here among my parent’s generation. It is very rare now to see a priest wear his collar in public. Among my own generation of 20-somethings there is contempt or indifference.

Religious education programmes are fatuous. I certainly didn’t take it seriously then. Virtually no one of my generation has been catechised in any meaningful way. My friends’ ideas about Christianity are often ideas picked up from American TV which actually refer to Protestantism.

The notion that Catholicism has a rich intellectual tradition is scoffed at. Our Constitution, with its references to the Holy Trinity and natural law, is regarded in all respectable circles as an embarrassment at best.

Granted, Roger Buck is right about the Dublin/rural division. There’s still a very remarkable difference and it’s lovely to see. But Dublin increasingly dominates the country, both demographically and culturally.

And even along the West coast of Ireland, which I regard as the last bastion of civilization, the new generation is being mentally and spiritually shaped by Anglo-American media culture.

Any more responses from the Irish or those who love Ireland will be gratefully received.

 

[SaintFrancis333]

Ireland would not be Ireland without Catholicism. Fear not for the future of the Irish people. They will be swept up in a great resurgence of faith. Secularism has my beloved Ireland in a death grip right now, but secularism is a self defeating policy. It had it’s run in america, and while it has far from run it’s full course, many people are starting to wake up to the reality that secularism is a fast track to nowhere. The Irish will not forget who they are, or where they come from. God has a special place in His heart for the Irish. They will not be left behind

 

[Michael_Francis]

*** Thread retired due to age but new post split to Calling Ireland and the Irish (Revisited)***