Legion New Evangelisation Book 2Col:Bk
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THE NEW EVANGELISATION: PRIESTS AND LAITY The Great Challenge of the New Millennium 22-24 May 2007 • Emmaus • Swords • Co. Dublin • Ireland Talks from the Conference on The New Evangelisation: Priests and Laity The Great Challenge of the New Millennium held on 22-24 May 2007 and organised by the Legion of Mary in Emmaus, Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland Copyright ©Concilium Legionis Mariae, 2008. CONTENTS Preface . 1 Foreword by His Eminence Seán Cardinal Brady, Primate of All Ireland . 3 TALKS FROM TUESDAY, 22 MAY 2007 1. Opening Address Most Reverend Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland . 7 2. Priests and Laity in the Church’s Mission Monsignor Joseph Murphy, Secretariat of State, Vatican, and Priest of the Diocese of Cloyne . 13 3. What the Priest means to the Lay Apostolate Dr Finola Kennedy, Economist . 22 TALKS FROM WEDNESDAY, 23 MAY 2007 4. Priests and Laity –The Vision of Frank Duff Fr. Bede McGregor O.P., Concilium Spiritual Director and Postulator for the Cause of the Servant of God Frank Duff . 35 5. Mary, Star of the New Evangelisation Fr. Brendan Leahy, Professor of Systematic Theology, St Patrick’s College, Maynooth . 43 6. The Priest sent to Evangelise His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze, Prefect, Congregation for Divine Worship, Vatican, at the Celebration of the Eucharist . 54 iii 7. The Servant of God, Frank Duff – As I knew him. Síle Ní Chochláin, Vice President, Concilium Legionis Mariae . 57 8. The Servant of God, Alfie Lambe Noel Lynch, former Legion Envoy to South America . 60 9. Witnesses to the Faith: The Venerable Edel Quinn Fr. John Hogan, Curate, Drogheda, Diocese of Meath . 64 10. The Specific Roles of the Priest and of the Lay Faithful in the New Evangelisation His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze, Prefect, Congregation for Divine Worship, Vatican . 68 11. Vote of Thanks to His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze His Grace Archbishop Sean Brady (now Cardinal) . 74 TALKS FROM THURSDAY, 24 MAY 2007 12. True Devotion to Mary in the life of a Priest His Eminence Ivan Cardinal Dias, Prefect, Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, Vatican . 79 13. Vote of Thanks to His Eminence Ivan Cardinal Dias Fr. Bede McGregor O.P., Concilium Spiritual Director and Postulator for the Cause of the Servant of God Frank Duff . 87 14. How the Legion can help me in my parish Fr. Paul Churchill, Associate Judicial Vicar, Marriage Tribunal, Archdiocese of Dublin . 89 15. Mary, Cause of our Joy Fr. Gerard Deighan, Lecturer in Scripture, Milltown and Mater Dei Institutes . 94 iv Appendix 1 The Legion of Mary . 101 Appendix 2 Conference Photographs . 103 v vi PREFACE Fr. Bede McGregor O.P., Concilium Spiritual Director and Tommy McCabe, President, Postulator for the Cause of the Concilium Legionis Mariae Servant of God Frank Duff The talks collected in these pages are a real treasure, which merit close study by priests and laity and should, if reflected upon and acted upon, prove to be a very valuable instrument in the New Evangelisation, which is so important in the mission of the Church today. The talks, which were presented at a Conference for Priests: The New Evangelisation: Priests and Laity - The Great Challenge of the New Millennium, organised by the Legion of Mary, include those by the Archbishop of Dublin and two Cardinals, one in charge of the Congregation for Divine Worship, and the other the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, in the Vatican. They show us in a profound way, the mind of the Church in regard to Evangelisation at this time. There are talks, too, by priests distinguished in different fields, who give of their knowledge and experience. The voice of lay people is also heard in these pages. In the opening talk, Archbishop Martin thanks the Legion of Mary for this affirmation of priests and speaks of his contact with the Servant of God, Frank Duff. He says that there is no Church without the Eucharist and speaks of Mary as the Mother of priests. Cardinal Arinze says “Evangelisation is the mandate given by our beloved Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to his whole Church. In this Church there are different but complementary roles assigned to priests and to the lay faithful. It matters very much for the success of the mission of the Church that these roles be properly understood, lovingly accepted and dynamically carried out.” He says that the new Evangelisation is not new in its content but in its fervour. He notes that about 17½% of the world’s population is Catholic. He goes on to define who are the Lay Faithful and says that their proper area of apostolate is to give witness in worldly activities. He cites the Legion of Mary as a good example of collaboration between priests and lay faithful. Cardinal Dias speaks out of his own experience on True Devotion to Mary in the life of a Priest and says that Mary can make happy and holy priests. He speaks of the many Marian Shrines in the world, and of the manifestation of the Miraculous Medal by Our Lady to St. Catherine Labouré and refers to the use of the medal by the Legion. He says: “Be convinced of the victory of Christ through Mary.” Fr. Breandán Leahy, Professor of Dogmatic Theology, says: “it seems the Holy Spirit wants us to rediscover the Church’s Marian profile as the basis for our re-launching out into the deep.” Fr. Paul Churchill, Marriage Tribunal, Archdiocese of Dublin, mentions the personal support for the priest, which the Legion gives. Fr. Gerard Deighan, Lecturer in Scripture, says that Mary mediates every grace and brings us joy; Mary’s outstretched arms are an invitation to gather round her. 1 Fr. Pádraig Ó Cochláin, Chaplain, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, in introducing one of the sessions makes the call: “Let us start the new evangelization of Ireland.” Fr. Bede McGregor, O.P. Concilium Spiritual Director and Postulator for the Cause of the Servant of God Frank Duff, says: “Above all the vision of Frank Duff concerning the priest and laity can only be understood in the context of evangelisation and the salvation of souls. Both priest and laity must be totally christocentric and the central focus of Christ is the salvation of souls. Our Lord put it categorically more than once: ‘I came to save sinners.’ Evangelization is simply cooperating in the work of redemption.” He speaks of Frank Duff’s profound reverence for the Priesthood and how he had spent his life trying to get people into Heaven. Monsignor Joseph Murphy from the Secretariat of State, Vatican, declares that only in Christ do we find true joy and that Christianity must present itself as the Religion of Truth and Love. He also speaks of Mary as the image of the Church. Dr. Finola Kennedy, a legionary and an economist, declares: “I think the Church is fully alive only when the priest and laity work together. To encourage the laity, to help them to gain knowledge of their religion, to mobilise and to lead them in the apostolic work of the Church, that it what the priest means to the lay apostolate.” She speaks of how bishops and priests, some of whom she mentions, had known how to use lay people in the Legion. The lives of Venerable Edel Quinn and the Servants of God, Frank Duff and Alfie Lambe, are put before us as wonderful examples of the spiritual and apostolic life by Fr. John Hogan of the Meath Diocese and by legionaries, Síle Ní Chochláin and Noel Lynch. For completeness sake, it should be noted that other speakers gave inspiring testimonies, which are not included in these pages. These included: Declan Lawlor who gave witness to the importance of the Legion in his life and in his profession as a solicitor. Fr. Owen Gorman, a priest from the Clogher Diocese, and three legionaries, Mary Mulpeter, Liam Hayden and Bernardo de Nardo, who addressed Challenges facing the Irish Church today such as Mass attendance, Vocations, Family Life, and preaching on moral matters. In addition, it was not possible to include the many substantial contributions made by the priests and laypeople present at the Conference. May these pages lead us to a greater love of God our Father, of Jesus and Mary and the Church and make us more receptive to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for the conversion of the world to the glory of the Blessed Trinity. Tommy McCabe Fr. Bede McGregor O.P. President Spiritual Director and Postulator for the Cause of Concilium Legionis Mariae the Servant of God Frank Duff, Concilium Legionis Mariae Pentecost Sunday, 11 May 2008 2 FOREWARD His Eminence Seán Cardinal Brady, Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland The lectures on New Evangelisation organised by the Legion of Mary and delivered at a Conference at the Emmaus Conference Centre, from 22 -24 May, 2007, brought together a very high level of expertise on the topic of the New Evangelisation which, as a world programme, aims at the restoration of Christianity in the developed world and the completion of the Church’s missionary task in the third world. The Conference focused on the crucial key to success in this programme, the co-operation of priests and laity in mission. In the days of Pius XI ‘Catholic Action’ was born and the mobilisation of the laity was promoted. Now, seventy years later, the priest in the western hemisphere, can often feel isolated and intimidated, ill-prepared to respond to the call to mission. Yet Europe is being called to think in its heart once more and to set out to regain its Christian identity.