Grosvenor House Belfast

 
Sister Bernadette Healy pictured with Social Development Minister Mervyn Storey along with the Marist Sisters and representatives from the Salvation Army (who will take over management of Grosvenor House) and the NI Housing Executive. 

The first Marist community in Ireland was founded in Carrick – on – Shannon in 1873. In the late nineteenth century Ireland was an impoverished country. The two great needs of the time were care of the many sick and destitute people and education for the young. So the sisters set about opening a school, and some years later were asked to help in the local workhouse. From these small beginnings, over a span of almost a century and a half, Marist Sisters have made other foundations in the West of Ireland, in the Dublin area and in Northern Ireland. We have been engaged in education and health care, and are now responding to the needs of our time in various pastoral and spiritual ministries.

Our Congregation is characterized by the desire to make the mystery of Mary in the Church the daily inspiration of its life and action, and not by any special work. ( Consts. No.4 ) We find Mary present among the apostles in the new – born Church. So Marist Sisters are to be found in schools, parishes, hospitals, with the elderly, with voluntary groups, with the vulnerable and marginalized, simply fitting in wherever they can be of service.

SCHOOLS.

In collaboration with our lay colleagues, Marist sisters are engaged in the ministry of education in our primary schools in Carrick – on – Shannon, Tubbercurry, Clogher Road ( Dublin ) and in our Secondary School in Charlestown. Some nurture the gifts, talents and faith of the young in the classroom, while other sisters render a much needed service on Boards of Management at both primary and second level. In whatever role, sisters strive to share our spiritual tradition with students, parents, teachers, and to foster such Marist values as simplicity, love of work, hospitality.

In today’s society our ministry of education includes in a special way, migrants from other countries. In our schools a warm welcome is extended to students and their parents and attention is given to their particular needs. Outside the school system classes in adult literacy are provided by various organizations where sisters volunteer as tutors. This is another opportunity to help vulnerable people and answer real needs.

HOSPITALS – Nursing and Chaplaincy work

Sisters participate in the healing ministry of Jesus through their work as nurses or chaplains in hospitals. Since our early beginnings in Carrick – on – Shannon , sisters have been involved in nursing the sick, especially the elderly, in the establishment that is now Saint Patrick’s Hospital. At the present time Sister Mary T. Duffy is on the staff of St. Patrick’s. Other nursing sisters are Sister Joan Colleran, on the staff of Saint James’hospital, Dublin, and Sister Mary C. Duffy on the staff of the Mater Hospital, Dublin.

Hospital chaplains meet people at a time of great vulnerability. This includes patients and their families.

Sister Olive McVann is in St. James’ Hospital, Dublin and Sister Elsie Gilmartin is in Belfast City Hospital. They form part of the chaplaincy team where they visit the sick on the wards, pray with them, bring the Eucharist, accompany families especially at times of bereavement, and help with liturgies. This is above all a ministry of listening, support and accompaniment.

PARISH MINISTRY

Sisters are involved in parish ministry in various capacities. Primary schools have strong links with the parishes. Sacramental preparation takes place through school and parish. Sisters and lay teachers work together to help children and parents experience God at the heart of the parish community. Sisters involved full time in parish ministry carry out various tasks, such as training choirs, readers, altar servers, serving on baptism teams. Visitation of the sick, the elderly and housebound forms a major part of their work. Here is the testimony of  Sister Maura Hennessy, who each week visits a number of people in her parish in Dublin.

Sister Maura It is both a privilege and a joy for me to visit the elderly, the sick, the lonely and housebound in their homes or nursing homes or hospice. I am just there for them, giving them time and a listening ear, bringing them news from the parish, friends, neighbours, sharing their joys and concerns, being a human face for all. The greatest gift is bringing them the Eucharist, blessing their homes with His Joy, Peace, Comfort and Love. It is wonderful to be able to bring them the Lord when they can no longer go to visit Him. Then it is truly Jesus who visits them, not just the minister.

In general, sisters have a presence with any group where they can offer support, friendship, and bring the Good News in a simple, quiet way. Therefore sisters are to be found in Saint Vincent de Paul conferences, Community Care groups etc. Sisters not only minister, but are also ministered to in Active Retirement Groups where they participate in all activities and share the life of the group.

VOLUNARY ORGANISATIONS

Individual sisters offer voluntary service to organizations or groups which exist for the betterment of society. This includes a Traveller Women’s group, Citizen Information Centres, Money advice and Budgeting Services , and stroke victims’group. These are areas where the values of a just society can be promoted.

RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY FOR JUSTICE

Sister Brigid Reynolds is co- founder and co – director of Social Justice Ireland, an organization which works to build a just society. Social Justice Ireland has developed three core programs with a number of projects. These programs address Public Policy, Empowerment and Spirituality, and Communication. Through its work the organization is constantly raising awareness of justice issues. It trains people for social engagement and calls individuals and groups, lay and religious, to commit to building a just society.

PASTORAL MINISTRIES - to the elderly - to those who are homeless.

In the early seventies a small voluntary group, which later became known as the Care of the Aged Committee, put in place a structure to provide care and support for the housebound and elderly of the Tubbercurry area. The group became aware of the inadequate resources and the lack of a suitable premises, but they dreamt on. They eventually convinced the Health Service Executive of the need for suitable premises, and a new Health Centre, which included a Day Centre, was built.

March 6th 1993 was the day when the provision of services began at the Centre. The Mission Statement reads:

Tubbercurry Health and Day Centre / Care of the Aged endeavours to combat social isolation and to support older people living at home by providing a warm, friendly and spiritual environment where their physical, social and psychological needs can be met.

The Misssion Statement finds practical expression in ways that are in keeping with our Marist spirit and with Health Service Executive policy.

Meals: A hot three course meal is served to 18 – 25 people each day. The various areas are catered for each week. Five to ten Meals – on - Wheels are sent to the housebound each day. Social Activities: Arts and Crafts, Physical Fitness, Bingo, Card Games, TV, Videos and DVDs Prayer : A short prayer service each day; special reflection periods during Lent and Advent. Outings : 3 / 4 during summer months, including a pilgrimage to Knock.

Bus services for elderly attending the Centre who live at a distance.

Access to ( a) Medical services in the Health Centre. These services are for the wider community also, so there is a constant movement to and from various clinics. ( b) Laundry services for elderly attending the Day Centre and for the elderly of the Tubbercurry area

Organiser Of The Day Centre

From the beginning Sisters from the Tubbercurry community have been involved in the ministry to the elderly. It was fitting that the Marist Sisters were asked to provide an Organiser for the Centre.

Sr. Catherine Jordan 1993 – 2008.

Sr. Brendan Dodd 2008 –

All our 50 elderly people – 32 women and 18 men, are accommodated through the week.

Team Work: The cook, two helpers and the Organiser work closely together to create a homely atmosphere for our people. Mutual love, concern, good humour and understanding are the ingredients for a happy family atmosphere.

The wine for our relationship with Christ is love for one another.

Grosvenor House in Belfast

Grosvenor House is a ministry in St. Peter’s Parish which is directed by Sister Bernadette Healy. It is home to seventeen homeless families on a temporary basis. These families come from varied backgrounds - domestic violence, alcohol and drug addiction, intimidation and all types of abuse. As an aid to their work, Sister Bernadette and her staff network with various organizations; counselling services, addiction teams, support groups and local services. Sister Bernadette says:

I see my role here with a group of lay staff as that of listening, supporting and above all, respecting the dignity of each person. We work with people who have very poor self esteem, and cannot see how to go forward. Many don’t see that their lives can be turned around. When I reflect on Jesus in the Gospels, I ask myself: Why did he reach out to those who were on the margins of society? For me it had to do with dignity. He reached out in a dignified and respectful way and communicated to them some sense of their own dignity. Surely we are called to do no less. No. 36 of our Constitutions also points us in this direction.

In the spirit of our Founders We shall have a special care for the poor and underprivileged. (Consts. No.36 )

There is also light glimmering through the darkness in Grosvenor House. We get a lot of joy from our families, celebrating happy events with them, like the birth of babies, baptisms, birthdays etc. I feel that it is in the sharing of what we have, and who we are, with those less fortunate that we find God, and enable others to find meaning in life. Despite the challenges that we meet, we thrust forward with a belief, and a deep desire to carry out the mission that has been confided to us, namely to do the ’Work of Mary’

PRAYER & RETREAT WORK

Sister Vera Magee ministers in the Emmaus Retreat Centre, Swords, Co.Dublin

The Centre is the property of the Irish Christian Brothers. It was bought by the Brothers as a Novitiate in 1958. In 1976 it was no longer needed as a novitiate and it became a facility for the Vietnamese Boat People. In fact the Brothers were the one of the first to provide accommodation for 100 Vietnamese people. Later in the 1980s it was opened as a centre for youth retreats. More recently the building was refurbished in 2004 to provide residential accommodation in 62 ensuite rooms, a large conference hall, prayer rooms and meeting rooms equipped to facilitate the needs of modern technology. The Centre offers a quiet, relaxed atmosphere in a colourful rural setting just minutes from Dublin International Airport. As well as retreats, an extensive range of programs in spiritual and human development is offered. School retreats are also an important part of the ministry.

Vera writes about her role on an inter- Congregational team.

My primary role is to plan the seminars, workshops and retreats in the Centre. This involves contacting and engaging speakers and facilitators who have the expertise and a good track record to facilitate such events. These people are often drawn from the international scene as well as from the national and home scene.

The seminars and work shops are organized to cater for a wide spectrum of people in response to the concerns and hungers that are evident in society today. Hopefully it is some kind of response to the many people who are searching for a reconnection with that ‘something other’ in their lives, for meaning and purpose and for the values of truth, beauty and peace. Some of our visitors are from other denominations who often return for quiet time and spiritual direction, which is another important part of my ministry. Another aspect of the ministry is to be available to the participants on courses. I find this another great opportunity to build relationships.

My work is enhanced by the caring service of the staff who work here. Guests may appreciate our programs and the beauty of the place, but also the generosity of those who help to make people’s stay here a total experience where body, mind and spirit are nurtured and refreshed. I don’t think I rub shoulders with millionaires in the monetary sense. I have heard a woman saying “I am going home a spiritual millionaire”. These and similar comments make this work worthwhile. We are, in turn, gifted and empowered by the presence, diversity and trust of all our guests. We do indeed have reason to celebrate.

MARIST LAITY

There are about twelve Marist Lay groups in Ireland. Seven of these started either as Third Order groups directed by the Sisters, or as Charismatic – like prayer groups. The others originated in Marist Fathers’ parishes and schools and in the Marist Brothers’ communities. Over the past ten to fifteen years the thrust has been to bring all these groups together under the name “Marist Laity” and Colin’s image of a tree showing four equal branches all stemming from the same source, Mary, and taking their rightful place in the Marist Family, where Lay members, Brothers, Sisters and Fathers have equal status and equal responsibility for building the ‘new Church’ envisaged by Colin.

In 2004 lay Marists from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, England, Ireland, Holland and Norway came together in Turin and, recognizing their shared charism, spirituality and commitment to ‘Mary’s Work’ formed a European Lay Marist Committee with representatives from all the above countries. The task of this committee would be to set up a programme for the formation and development of the Marist Laity. Following this important step, a Resource Team was formed in Ireland. This consists of elected representatives from the different areas, and a Father and Sister to act in an advisory capacity. The Turin Conference stressed that the autonomy of the Lay Branch does not exclude the support of the Religious.

Two members of the resource team are representatives on the European Council. The team provides leadership and encouragement and supports local group visits and gatherings. It communicates with all members by newsletter, plans retreats and gatherings, keeps a repository of Marist literature and manages accounts.

Each lay group, depending on how it came into being, has its own identity and culture. This is reflected in how the monthly meeting is conducted. If a sister is present, she is there as a member of the group, not as chairperson, but in an advisory capacity. The content of the meeting is influenced by the liturgical season or some special need. There is Scripture sharing, Rosary, and the Mother of Good Hope Devotion, which provides outreach to expectant mothers and families in general. The members decide who will lead next month and the meeting concludes with the Magnificat, followed by a cup of tea.

Group Gatherings.

Once a year the Resource Team organizes a weekend retreat in Knock. Usually every November area groups gather for a Mass of Remembrance for deceased members of the Marist Family and their own dear departed. There are many opportunities for group celebrations such as personal, group and Congregational anniversaries.

MINISTRY IN COMMUNITY

Our communities have a mission to accomplish in the Church: to announce Jesus Christ, to reveal Mary’s spirit and to continue her presence. ( Constitutions Art. 50 )

An important aspect of our ministry is that of service to our own communities. Leadership, stewardship and care of our sisters are significant ministries. Sisters assigned to these roles enable the communities to accomplish their mission in the Church. All sisters, irrespective of role, minister to their companions by their prayer, their concern for each other, and their support in the ups and downs of daily life.

The witness we give is directly linked with the quality of our community life. ( Consts. Art 54 )

Sister Imelda writes:

A call to Religious Life is something very personal and varies from one person to another. One can have all kinds of motivations for answering that Call, good and perhaps not so good! However, we learn that in the first place it is God who calls us to follow Him and then He leaves us to make our own free choice to accept His Call or not. A line from the Gospel puts it this way:

“You have not chosen me but I have chosen you” (John 15:16)

If we do accept to follow Him, and we try to answer with faithfulness, then He will purify all our motivations along the way. This I am sure is the same for all other vocations in life.

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