Thank you, Association of Catholic Priests!
Wow, wow, wow, I am so delighted, rejoicing actually, that I in my 54th year of life, and as a Child of Vatican II, I am actually seeing and hearing the welcome sound of truth and the “push” for renewal, “the push, in a sense, to give mature birth” to the vision of Vatican II. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, but believe me, there are no sounds of renewal here. I had about given up, that I would ever see the day, when there was a concerted effort for change. What hope you have given me! My ancestral home is Tattyreagh Glebe, Tyrone, and the Lord, made sure I saw Ireland for the first time in my life, this past July.
For me, it was a homecoming and at the time, I did not know about the Association of Priests or any other renewal initiatives. I am so proud to be a grand-daughter of Ireland, and I do hope the Lord is bringing me back to Ireland to live and be apart of ministry for the rest of my life. The website you have created is fantabulous with article after article talking about renewal.
I have a question if someone can answer. What has become of the silencing of Father Tony Flannery?
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Association of Priests and all others who are working for a renewed Church that truly reflects the Glory of God. Yes, God is with you and as long as God has the renewal process in His grasp, it will bear His fruit, and it will be fruit that will last. It is my belief, that the church renewal in Ireland is leading the way for the renewal of the entire universal church.
Darlene Starrs
Hello Darlene! I am truly delighted to read your enthusiastic support for this site which I very much share. Next time you’re home in Tyrone you must come to visit the ancient city of Armagh and worship with me in our beautiful cathedral of St Patrick. Like you, I find my hope flourishing because of the energies, commitment and faith of those on this site.
Nil desperandum! The Holy Spirit is alive and dwelling among us and in us and physical distance is no barrier at all to those who share this love for God and for the church. 🙂
Wow! Three wows for the ACP? Maybe, like E M Forster’s Two Cheers for Democracy, two wows might be enough just now until, that is, the ACP’s Good News reaches Darlene’s ancestral townland of Tattyreagh Glebe, or Seskinore, or the parish of Drumragh/Omagh, or the rest of the Derry Diocese, or its neighbouring dioceses of Raphoe, Down & Connor, Armagh, Dromore, or even some untouched pockets of Clogher from Fintona, Augher & Clogher & Fivemiletown southwards. Time for the ACP’s southern and western brigades to mount a new Border Campaign, aimed at the commanding heights of the Northern Dioceses. Coragio! as the Lion of the West used say. After all, Garibaldi had only a thousand men too. If he’d had women like Darlene and Mary O on his side, he’d have sorted out the Pope a lot quicker.
Mary, I woke up this morning thinking about you and Armagh! I was there in July with my cousin Kieran who was born and raised there.
I was in St. Patrick’s Cathedral and stood under the hat of Cardinal Joseph McCrory, who was related to the Starrs family of Armagh. Are you familiar with St. Malachy’s Church in Armagh? Kieran’s grandmother, Esther Lynch was the sacristan there for most of her adult life………..One of her sons, was Father Peter Starrs who died about a year ago and is buried in Armagh. I believe they had his funeral at St. Malachy’s.
Thank you Eddie!…………….As Mary says, Nil Desperandum!
An auntie of mine Kathleen Starrs married a man from the Finnegan family in Armagh……I believe many are musicians!
As we approach the “Epiphany of our Lord”…..Jan.6th…..I think, we have seen,or are experiencing the epiphany as it is unfolding in Ireland…….Oh, I think, the wise men and women, are following the Star to Ireland!
Happy Feast Day
Darlene
For Eddie and Mary, or at least, that’s who I’m thinking of as I write this:……..the name “Starrs” is from the Irish “O’Realachain”. This is the name the Derry Diocese had for the family prior to the Catholic Repression. Starrs was the English translation. After the Repression, many of the families on Tattyreagh Glebe, then wrote “Rellaghan”. By 1900, for sure, the legal name was “Starrs”. One of my ancestors was Father Arthur Patrick Starrs (O’Realachain), who with another priest, and I think, the other priest was a Father Kelly, built the first church at Drumquin after the Catholic Repression in 1832. The Derry Diocese refers to Father Arthur Patrick as O’Realachain, but if you go to the website for the Church in Drumquin…..it is written there that Father Arthur Starrs built the first church at Drumquin. I also visited there this past summer. The new church is there, but so are the walls of the old church and the bell is in it’s tower. Can you imagine the joy there must have been in that community, when once again, they had a “home” for liturgy.
I feel so proud that He would have been ministering while under threat for His life. I listened to the video of Brendan O’Reilly, the catechist, who spoke at the Eucharistic Congress and in his talk, he says, that for 240 years, there were no Catholic Churches and the people of faith worshiped secretly of course. Mr. O’Reilly so eloquently and emphatically said, “no, we will not give up our faith, our Church”, and in memory of those who have gone before us…….we will, with those of us, who are with Christ, will have Church. I am paraphrasing him and not necessarily doing it well, so if you can, it is valuable, I think, to hear him. Without a bit of blarney, after I heard him, the tears rolled down my face. The video taped is about Brendan O’Reilly explaining the Directory, “Sharing the Good News” and in that speech, he makes beautiful reference to the people of faith who went before us.
Darlene, I do indeed know of the Starrs family and I will send you my email via the modertor so that we can continue this conversation privately without the world and her spouse looking in!
Darlene,
This is wonderful; you have brightened up my day. And, as I go back to work on Monday after two weeks holiday, it was nice to have my spirits lifted. This is exactly how I felt when I discovered the ACP and its website. And, by the way, you would not, by any chance, have relatives in the Rosses in West Donegal where I come from.
I wish to send you, Darlene, every good wish for 2013 and I will look forward to reading your contributions to our ACP site in the coming year.
Paddy Ferry.
Thank you Paddy: I return to you,you made my day.
You know, I could have Starrs relations there, as I just found out that some of my cousin’s family live in Mayo & in Sligo. When I was in Ireland, I went to Ardara……..and oh it was wonderful. I stayed at a Bed and Breakfast……Gort Na Mona, a few miles out of Ardara…….I managed to get to see some waterfalls out of town, and walked on some sand dunes. The sand was like silk, and I’ll never, never, forget it! Apparently, I had just missed Daniel O’Donnell at mass, the week before too! For all our watchers, Daniel O’Donnell sings a song called” “The Marriage of a Lifetime” and it is truly a song for all of us mystics!
Indeed, I hope to be able to continue to write, God Willing.
Happy Epiphany!
Darlene Starrs
Thank you Darlene for your message.
Another site trying to promote and defend the vision of Vatican II is
http://www.v2catholic.com
Your encouraging article will be linked on January 8 menu of v2catholic
Welcome Darlene. Please be careful of joining up with our colleagues from the North. They are trying to capture everyone who comments on this website. I am sure that many centuries ago your ancestors came from an area around the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. Just a few miles from my home. Will you check this out and hopefully you can join the Clare Brigade of the ACP/ACI. As you can see we also try to keep a smile on our faces.
Welcome. Keep smiling. Keep the faith.
Thank you Ger………As I read your message above, a call came into me from my cousin Kieran, in Monaghan…………..He had just returned from Milltown, Malby? in County Clare and told me about some spanish convents? I thought, that would be a good place to settle……….I read him your reply…..We thought it was guite the coincidence
Thank you Ger
Darlene
For Paddy Ferry:
Yes, there is a nephew, Donal Starrs, of my above mentioned cousin, Kieran Starrs of Monaghan, who lives 2 miles from Rosses Point……..Perhaps, that’s who you know?
Darlene
I continue to be grateful that the ACP offers a website where priests and lay men and women, who share not only a love of God, the Church, and one another, but who also share the an unquenchable yearning for the fulfillment of Vatican II. I have thoroughly enjoyed the articles and many, many, informative, and inspiring comments. I rejoice that we have in our Church, whether, in Ireland, in Canada, or elsewhere, daring disciples, on fire with passion and joy for God, for the Church, and for one another. We have with this particular website, a “Kairos Time” provided by Christ, through, the ACP, to come together, and to share. I long to hear, what the Lord is saying to us, through you, and I appreciate, all the “gifts” of the Church, who are provided for the building up of the body. The Lord says, “I am building you into a spiritual house, the temple of the Living God.” St. Paul tells us that there are many gifts and charisms in the Church, the apostles, the evangelists, the preachers, the healers, and the teachers. As the scripture says….”Who would put under a bed, or a bushel basket, the Lamp that is Lit?” Each of us is a member of the body, with our unique gifts and charisms, given to be shared, and given for the building up of the body”.