Newslettter of the Presentation Brothers | Autumn 2016 PRESENTATION BROTHERS Connections A Message from the Province Leader This is the fifth edition of Presentation Connections: the annual newsletter of the Anglo-Irish Province of the Presentation Brothers. We have good news to share in this issue about the vibrant Presentation Family community in which we are privileged to share faith and friendship. We are a lay community that includes Brothers, alongside men and women of all ages. We are a community that is motivated by the Spirit given to Blessed Edmund Rice at The Spring Alpha group had a wonderful experience another crucial moment in history. We are a faith community; our faith is in the risen Alpha returns to Dublin Christ ‘who loved us and gave himself for us’. Alpha is an informal, 10-week course, which explores the meaning of life. It’s all about We welcome and value the contribution of building community through small groups, and has been running in Presentation every person. Brothers Glasthule since 2012. One participant said: “ I enjoyed the opportunity to take We held roundtable consultations time out of a busy life to hear about, reflect on, and discuss spirituality in the company of recently in Cork and in Dublin, using the people who are searching, in their own way, for the ‘truth ’”. Another Alpha Course begins ‘World Café’ method. This process will in Glasthule on Tuesday 13th September 2016, both as a morning and evening course. continue as we move toward our Province For more information, see www.presentationbrothers.org Chapter in December 2016 and more importantly to the Congregation Chapter, to be held in Rome in April 2017. A Congregation Young Adults Run Alpha Chapter is held every six years to review Three young adults represented us at the Run Alpha Conference in London in February progress and plan for the future. The coming 2016. They had an amazing experience, meeting other young people from Ireland and year will be a significant one for all of us. the UK. One of the group said: “ If you were not a believer in the deeper message behind Alpha I thank everyone who is involved in our before attending this conference, you were certainly a believer by the time it was finished! ” mission of ‘forming Christ in the young’. They each returned enthused and primed to Run Alpha with us! We go forward, trusting in the Holy Spirit who invites us to new challenges and encourages us ‘to be ambassadors for Christ’ where we live in 2016/17. Our Lady of the Presentation, pray for all of us. Brother Andrew Hickey | Province Leader AndrewHickey@PresentationBrothers.org Three Alpha Amigos www.PresentationBrothers.org
Welcome Jemma Halpin! We extend a warm welcome to Mrs Jemma Halpin, our new full-time Youth Ministry Coordinator. Jemma graduated from St. Mary’s University College in Twickenham with a BA Honours degree in Media Studies and Irish Studies, returning in 2009 to complete her Post-Graduate qualifjcation in teaching. Jemma taught in a Catholic primary school in London for 5 years before moving to Cork in 2015. She has expressed how excited she is to be working with the Presentation Family in growing our Youth Ministry even further. We thank Ms Silvia-Maria Crowley for all her hard work over the past year, Treise Lenihan for all she did Br Andrew welcomes Jemma from 2013 to 2015, and wish Jemma every success! Volunteering with PBYM For PBYM to be successful, we always need volunteers. And our current volunteers say that they get as much out of working with PBYM as they give themselves. Grace asserts that “being a volunteer at PBYM is an extraordinary experience”, which has given her “a stronger faith”. Grace has much to say about the “PBYM Centre, which is a place of happiness and peace, a place that welcomes all”. Her sister Edel, a fellow volunteer, says that “in the last year I have become part of a team of the most amazing people you could ever meet. Each and every one of them has made my experience here so enjoyable and fun”. If you would like to have a similar experience, get in touch with Jemma! PBYM Update Youth Alpha in the Schools It was a busy year once again for Presentation Brothers Youth Ministry Our PBYM group also (PBYM), with many events taking brought the Alpha Youth place. There was Cork’s fjrst Youth fjlm series to two Cork Day, along with Nightfever and the schools during the year. Cork Rally for Life. During Lent, Students from both Colaiste PBYM also ran its fjrst Mondays at the Monastery series, Chriost Ri and Christ the featuring talks from John Lonergan, Fiona and Laura King Secondary Schools from St Nicholas’ Trust, Catriona Twomey from Cork took the course, with much Penny Dinners and Fionnbar Walsh – Donal Walsh’s positive feedback received father. Meanwhile, the ever-popular Movies with from the students. PBYM Meaning featured a wide range of fjlms, from Noah to has been invited back again Robot & Frank via The Fault in Our Stars . Keep an eye on this year, and hopes to build our website and the PBYM social media for more great on this great foundation. events! Edmund Rice Awards The Edmund Rice Awards took place at the end of May in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. 5th Class students from the Presentation Monastery School in Killarney, Co Kerry, and from St Brendan’s Primary School in Birr, Co Offaly, gathered to remember and celebrate Blessed Edmund Rice. The Birr students engaged in a lively and poignant retelling of Blessed Edmund’s story, and spoke about how his memory still inspires their school today. The Killarney students’ presentation gave a fascinating insight into the history of their 178 year-old school, and, once again, how Blessed Edmund Rice’s values still blossom in the community to this day. Br Andrew Hickey presented each student with a certifjcate, and congratulated The boys celebrating the Awards in style! them on the work they have done. The Awards will return next year.
Vocation Team takes to the road ERAC Camps Return This year, the Presentation Brothers Vocation Team attended Youth 2000 retreats in Killarney, Ashbourne The Edmund Rice Action and Roscrea. The team included Vocations Director Camps were held in Cork (& Blogging Brother) Br Rupert, our PBYM Coordinator, and Cobh this summer. A our Evangelisation Offjcer and our novices. They were group of energetic young also joined on the road by some PBYM volunteers! They volunteers ensured that these each enjoyed these experiences, and look forward to were positive and inspiring attending more retreats and events around Ireland. If camps. Anne Cleary, Br Ultan you’re out and about and see the PBYM hoodies, be sure Rohan, Declan Davis and a to come and say hi! fjne group of young leaders led the week in Cork, while Br Ray Dwyer and PBYM Cork’s ERAC Leaders from Colaiste an volunteer Jennifer Buckley Spioraid Naoimh on pilgrimage in Lourdes worked alongside another group of young leaders in Cobh. A huge thanks to everyone who participated, and a big congratulations on the completion of yet another successful programme. ERAC Volunteers from Colaiste Muire, Cobh Presentation Brothers Vocation Team this summer Pres Bray World Youth Day Pilgrimage Immersion Trip to Ghana In July, three young adults travelled to World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, with Presentation Brothers Youth Ministry. They participated Students from Presentation College Bray have been in the Birmingham Catholic Youth Service pilgrimage, which included working hard over the summer to fundraise for their a week’s hands-on ministry in a Polish parish, before they celebrated Immersion Trip to Ghana, which is due to take place World Youth Day with Pope Francis, alongside millions of other young during the October mid-term break. In late August, they Catholics. It was an amazing experience for all involved. One of the young held a table quiz in Ashford, Co Wicklow. On Sunday 25th adults Anthony spoke about how, through the experience, ‘I learned a lot September, they will host a Benefjt Night with music and about myself and how dancing in the Royal Hotel in Bray, from 7.30pm. Tickets I can be of service to cost € 10 and can be booked with Br Ray. Please keep the God and my neighbour’. boys and their efforts in your prayers. Jennifer spoke of ‘an amazing journey that would inspire me to reach out of my comfort zone to leave my mark on this world’, while Sharon said ‘I will be forever grateful for the amazing spiritual experience I had Jennifer, Anthony and Sharon had profound The Pres Bray students who organised the table quiz in in Poland’. experiences in Poland Ashford recently Pilgrims rise from their knees! The world-famous challenge of the 3-day Lough Derg Pilgrimage was conquered by eighteen Presentation Family pilgrims on the last weekend in June. Over the course of a wet and cold few days, the pilgrims endured the diffjculties of fasting and being barefoot, along with a 24-hour vigil. However, the experience was a positive one, with new friendships made and a deeper spiritual connection with the Lord being fostered, especially as it came during this Year of Mercy. Gathered around St. Patrick’s Statue on the mainland
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