2008 Holidays!
My annual holidays 2008 had a number of special highlights. Of course catching up with my mother and other family members is always special, and as we grow older I suppose those special times become more meaningful.

The three other special events of 2008:
1. A long weekend with my brother Fr. George and Fr.Michael Dennehy in Eastleigh-Romsey, Southampton,UK
2. A 5 day pilgrimage to Lourdes with my mother and George
3. A tour of Coolmore-Ballydoyle horse racing stud in Tipperary

Long Weekend in the UK
Eastleigh and Romsey are beautiful parts of the UK and very English. George is the PP of Romsey, a lovely market village and Michael Dennehy (Co Cork) is PP of Eastleigh a neighbouring parish. Contact www.3rivers.org.uk

Following a most enjoyable Saturday night in the local Irish Club, I attended a special outdoor Mass in the park in Eastleigh, the chief celebrant was Fr. Michael who commented that he felt like the Pope and indeed did look somewhat like a Pope, at a distance anyway (refer photos) A great local crowd attended which included some of the Irish lads and lassies that I met in the Irish Club the previous night and may I say they "scrubbed up" very well following the previous night of stories, music, song and craic! (refer photo) No matter what part of the world you are in you really can't beat your own! Thanks for a great night!
It was Sunday the 14th September and Fr. Michael's homily was based on "The Triumph of the Cross". The content of Michael's homily was very meaningful though provoking and articulately delivered with that great Cork accent!
"So I can carry a cross in my pocket
reminding no one but me,
that Jesus is Lord of my life
if only I'll let him be"
(from: The cross in my pocket)

5 Day Pilgrimage to Lourdes!
Most of my life I have heard the story of Lourdes, France. Someone said that you can not" explain" Lourdes; one has to visit the place to really understand the aura that it beholds!
My mother has been on pilgrimages some 5 occasions' and my brother George has led over 15 groups to the shrine. This year the 150- Jubilee year over 10 million visitors will visit Lourdes which has a population of 16 thousand and next to Paris has the most number of hotels.
I travelled with a Co. Cork country dioceses accompanied by my mother and brother George. We had our own Priest Fr. Martin and George assisted when necessary. Mass was celebrated every day in a different location including a Chapel that St. Bernadette attended in her youth and another day at the Grotto itself. The Grotto Mass was the weekly "English" version and was attended by many different English speaking nationalities including many Irish associations, counties and parishes. The chief celebrant was Indian Bishop Chacko and he was assisted by about 15 other priests including my brother George (refer photos)

With my mother who was in a wheelchair and George the weekly night Rosary procession was the most emotional for me. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in procession carrying lighted candles. It begins at the Grotto with the singing of "Salve Regina" The decades of the Rosary recited in different languages, and all singing the "Ave Maria" (refer photos)

The procession culminated in the huge grounds in front of the Rosary Basilica, with thousands of people in wheelchairs, people on beds and being carried, all up the front and the rest filling the rear. The flags, banners and names of countries and parishes from around the world filed to one corner in front of the Basilica. The Irish seemed to dominate which made me very proud and somewhat emotional! Only a population of 4.5 million but so visible among the other countries of the world. Some parishes in Ireland I never heard of! Where is Duleek? (refer photo)
We were very fortunate to have leading the procession on that night, Cardinal Walter Kasper from the Vatican and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. Archbishop Williams was the main speaker at the Underground Basilica of Saint Pius X Mass the next day in front of 30 000 audience. This got a lot of press coverage in the UK as it was a first!

Being the 150th year the 6 klm Jubilee walk was also a must, especially for my mother. This consisted of visiting 4 main places that featured in St. Bernadette's life. The Grotto, Hospice where she worked, her home and the Chapel where she was baptised. At each place a special prayer was recited. You also had a special Jubilee tag and at each of the 4 stops you were given a sticker to acknowledge your achievement. (see photo) It did take many hours due to the large crowds.

As I'm involved in hospital Chaplaincy in Sydney I did make a visit to the Lourdes hospital and was very fortunate to meet Bro. Isidore Cronin a Co Limerick Franciscan Brother and Chaplain in the Irish section of the hospital. What a delightful man and very generous with his time. I did meet some of the patients including Teresa English from Marlfield, Co Tipperary and her friend Patricia O'Neill from Clonmel, Co Tipperary (see photo)

Lourdes is very much about the Grotto and to see the hundreds of thousands their praying and lighting candles for loved ones is very moving (see photos). The baths are also very popular, with a waiting time of up to 3 hours. My mother did go in and she did not have to wait so long as she was in a wheelchair. The same water that is in the baths is also available from numerous taps along the walls and their was a constant queue of people filling up their water bottles. The water is supposed to purer than any of the bottle water on the market and it is said that it has healing powers!
"Go and drink at the spring and wash yourself there" (Apparition 25th February 1858)
The Catholic Church has officially recognised 67 miracles and some 7,000 inexplicable cures since the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in Lourdes in February 1858 (Refer; The Doctor in the Face of Miracles)

I left Lourdes somewhat changed. Lourdes is not just about a religious belief. I had a compelling feeling of being 'so lucky" even though my family have experienced awful tragedy over recent years. To the disabled who visit Lourdes it must be a great feeling of not being "alone" in the world when they see so many others in a similar situation. For me it was sacred, spiritual and very humbling. Too see so many volunteers young and not so young in itself was a great lesson especially in the world of today which sees so much greed, and for what!
As MacArthur said during the second WW "I will return"

Coolmore Stud and Ballydoyle Horse Racing Co Tipperary
Even though my family home is only about 7 klms from Coolmore my first visit there was this year courtesy of my nephew, John Lyons, who is on the staff.
We actually visited the training facility, Ballydoyle Horse Racing which is now owned by the Coolmore syndicate, headed by John Magnier, a name known around the world in horse racing circles. Coolmore have an outlet in the Hunter valley, NSW, Australian and also Kentucky.
Ballydoyle is where the 2008 world champion trainer Aidan O'Brien lives and trains his world champion horses. 21 group one winners as of 9/10/08 and looking for to break the world record of 25 wins in this calendar year. Aidan is no relation to the original owner of Ballydoyle and one of the greatest horse trainers ever, Vincent O'Brien, who now lives in Australia with his Australian wife. Vincent sold out to the Coolmore people some years ago. While I was visiting the three O'Brien horses which are bound for the 2008 Melbourne cup were in residence and under very tight security.
Coolmore/Ballydoyle is a place of immense professionalism and indeed wealth (see photos)

To conclude as I stated earlier, spending time with family is always special and more so when we are separated by great distance! (refer photos)
Michael