AMDG Express Newsletter 01 July 2008


1st July 2008
As June drizzles gently into July, the wheels of Irish business are slowing to a halt. Each day’s crop of emails follows a pattern: ‘Niall [or Edward, Howard, Robert or whoever - incidentally all of them males] will be out of the office until the cows come home. If you have any urgent queries, please contact Deirdre [or Karen, Susan, or whoever - all of them females]‘. However, at AMDG Express we are still in the office to welcome your stories, so keep them coming. Please note, though, that the newsletter will not appear during the month of August. Editor

	Irish leave for World Youth Day Slí Eile’s Noelle Fitzpatrick is leading a 15-strong group of young Irish pilgrims to Sydney, Australia, for World Youth Day 2008 (WYD08), which takes place from Tuesday 15 to Sunday 20 July. Attracting even more visitors to Australia than the 2000 Olympics, WYD08 will see over 125,000 young people respond to Pope Benedict’s invitation to celebrate their faith around the theme of receiving power from the Holy Spirit and becoming witnesses. In preparation for the WYD08 events, the Slí Eile group will participate in MAGiS 08, an Ignatian programme which challenges young people to grow spiritually through risk-taking, reflection and action.
Morrissey book ready Fr. Todd Morrissey SJ has completed his latest book on “Irish Jesuits in Hong Kong, China, Macau, and Singapore, 1926-2006.” A long work with over 100 photos, it is being published by the Jesuit Francis Xavier Press and will be launched in 2009, to mark the 90 years since the foundation of Wah Yan College. It is hoped to have a minor launch in Ireland later in 2009.
	Pioneers seek Advocacy and Communications Manager The Pioneer Association is seeking to recruit an Advocacy and Communications manager, as part of a program to contemporise its message and make it better heard. Founded in 1898 by a Jesuit priest, Fr James Cullen, the Pioneers are renowned for their work of addressing the problems in society caused by excess alcohol and by addiction. The position now advertised is a new one in the association. For full details, click below. Read more on the AMDG website »
	Joe Palmisano’s ordination Irish School of Ecumenics student, Joe Palmisano SJ, had his priesthood ordination in Fairfield Connecticut on Saturday 14th June 2008. Joe was joined by his Superior, Fergus O’Keeffe, SJ and two other companions from Ireland, who were warmly welcomed by the New England Provincial, Tom Regan. Over 100 Jesuit priests attended, as well as Bishop Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut and Archbishop Larry Burke, SJ, former bishop of Kingston, Jamaica. See the Fairfield University Press release: Fairfield; for photos of the event, see: PicasaWeb.
	Slí Eile volunteers go far and wide After ten months of preparation, more than 30 young adults are setting off across the world on Slí Eile volunteer programmes. One group will leave on 2 July for St Ann’s Jesuit Parish, Kingston, Jamaica – an inaugural event for Slí Eile, which has never run programmes there before. On 4 July, another group will head off for Lusaka, Zambia, and a third group will depart the following day for Bogotá, Colombia. One other initiative run by Slí Eile this year is a two-week volunteering programme for a group of 14 young solicitors from Arthur Cox, a leading law firm, who flew out to Mwandi, Zambia, on 29 June, accompanied by Slí Eile’s Patricia O’Connor.
Ballymun Gospel Choir’s big year The Ballymun Gospel Choir Mass is taking its summer break after a busy year which included a televised mass for RTE, appearances at Farmleigh House and the Irish Premiere of the Poverty Requiem, as well as the recent end-of-year concert for the Simon Community. The Gospel Mass will return at Ballymun’s Virgin Mary Church on 14 September at 7pm. Auditions for new choir members will be held at the end of August. For further information please contact Cathy, Musical Director, on (01) 8943163 or 085-1127306. Read more for a review of their recent concert. Read more »
	Whelan on Kenya Gerry Whelan SJ is back from Rome to spend the summer in Dublin. He attended the Province retreat last week and is currently helping out in two parishes in Dublin. Although currently teaching fundamental theology in Rome’s Gregorian University, he spent the last six years as pastor of a poor parish in Nairobi, Kenya. In the last year Gerry has had two articles published in La Civiltà Cattolica, on his reflections on the situation in Kenya and the role of small Christian communities. Click on ‘Read more’ below to see the first of the two articles: ‘Christian Hope and the African City’. We will publish the second article next week. Read more on the AMDG website »
Pioneer Golf Classic The Annual Pioneer Golf Classic takes place in Clontarf Golf Club, Dublin, on Friday, July 4, 2008. This fundraising event is open to both Pioneers and non-Pioneers alike. The cost per team of four is €400. Those not in a position to enter a team can sponsor a Tee or Green at a cost of €150 each. Support is welcome, and monies raised will be used to help the Pioneer Association in combating the abuse of alcohol in Irish society. For more information: (003531) 874 9464, enquiries@pioneertotal.ie, www.pioneertotal.ie. Read more on the AMDG website »
Novices in Galway Two Jesuit novices from Birmingham, Grant Tungay in first year and Wouter Blesgraaf in second year, are on work experience in Galway until Saturday, July 19th. They are working with Sr. Margaret McFadden, LSA, who organizes activities for children in Bohermore/Rahoon area – a disadvantaged area of Galway- and subsequently organizes holidays for the same families. In their spare time they have worked with St Vincent De Paul Society here in Galway, helping out in the running of the shop. [Photo: Wouter, left, and Grant, right]
Clongowes star named ‘Young gun’ Gareth Ó Súilleabháin, who plays under-15s rugby at Clongowes, has been selected as a Young Gun (most promising young Irish rugby player) by Emerald Rugby Magazine, Ireland’s leading rugby magazine. Gareth was an outstanding full-back on the College’s junior rugby cup-winning team this year. A native of Westmeath, he is currently a boarder at Clongowes.

We remember in our prayer Ruth Pribek, mother of Jim SJ who did his doctorate in Ireland, died on Saturday, June 28, 2008. Br George Fallon, who is recovering in hospital Fr Dermot Mansfield, who is in Beaumont Hospital Fr Tom McMahon, who is recuperating in Cherryfield