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Observations on the Emerald Isle

By Lisa Mladinich

A co-worker of mine was driving several of us to a business dinner in Dublin when the subject of religion in Ireland came up.  This younger gentleman left me with this thought, “Oh churches here are dying out. They are attended mostly by the elderly.  The younger generation has no need of it.”

As the months passed by, I have looked for evidence either in support or against his assertion.  Here are some of my observations.

The parish I attend most often, which I would call a medium size parish, had over 160 baptisms in 2012.  Occasionally, young couples are called to the front of the congregation to present their babies for the initial blessing that precedes the Baptismal ceremony. This shows a vibrant community.  However, I will admit most of the congregation appears to be the over 40 crowd.

A neighbouring parish has Saturday morning reconciliation for a full 30 minutes.  There is a brisk pace of people over 70 who make good use of that confessional.  Apparently, nobody under 50 has need of reconciliation.

I was walking outside the Main Post office in Dublin (the one that was the site of the Easter Uprising that led to independence for the Irish people). I saw a significant table set up to introduce people to Islam.  The gentlemen were there to answer questions. Brochures were available for the taking.  I saw no evidence of Christian evangelization.

Parish buildings have been converted for secular uses.  One is now a very popular restaurant.  Another has become the site of the Dublin Tourism Centre.

Clearly, Ireland identifies itself as predominantly Catholic.  No one can deny that.  But as in the US, the public discourse does not support this.  There is a general silencing of conversation about faith.  The US is more advanced in this technique but the Irish tend towards all things American.  They will likely progress quickly to this diabolical secularism which strives to eliminate religion. They just need to suppress that pesky religious education.

But that is happening as well. The country’s education minister is pushing for an end to religious education in all schools.

Caution though! We should not fear the challenges we face lest we fall into what Pope Francis refers to in The Joy of the Gospel when he says “A tomb psychology [which] develops and slowly transforms Christians into mummies in a museum. Disillusioned with reality, with the Church and with themselves, they experience a constant temptation to cling to a faint melancholy, lacking in hope, which seizes the heart like “the most precious of the devil’s potions”.” He sees the impact on our evangelization efforts and pushes us to remember the following,  “Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of the joy of evangelization!”

You see, evangelization is a joy. We may face new challenges not seen before which seem daunting.  Using the gift of intellect, our challenge becomes determining how best to tackle the evangelization problems of our time.

Think this is a big challenge? Recall the challenge the Apostles were given? “Go therefore and teach and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

When you begin to feel our challenge is big, look at what they accomplished! Now go forth.

 

Set All Afire: Why the Church Still Matters

 

God Bless

 

 

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Read all posts by Lisa Mladinich Filed Under: Catechetics, Catechist Training, Culture, Evangelization, High School

About Lisa Mladinich

Lisa Mladinich believes that living boldly in the love of Christ makes every day an amazing adventure. She is thrilled to be a Gallup-Certified Professional Strengths Coach and a professional Life Coach certified by the International Coaching Federation. She is dedicated to helping clients discover and live powerfully into their natural talents, for God’s glory and their lasting joy. She coaches privately with individuals, ministry and business leaders, dating and married couples, and leads mastermind groups for Catholic creatives and those seeking to accelerate their growth through an awareness of natural talent. Lisa is a veteran speaker and webinar instructor, with online courses for teen and tween girls about authentic beauty and femininity, experienced through the liberating lens of the Catholic faith. (Find her classes live or recorded at HomeschoolConnections.com.) Lisa is a best-selling author and host of the Homeschooling Saints Podcast, dedicated to supporting the rapidly growing homeschooling community. She is in pre-production planning on two new Catholic media endeavors: an internet-TV program called, “Wonderfully Made: Your Talent. God’s Purpose,” and a new podcast, “Faith Focused Forward,” which she will cohost with Allison Ricciardi and Chantal Howard. Lisa is passionate about marriage, family life, promoting the Sacraments and the Holy Rosary, and teaching on the RCIA team at St. Patrick’s Church in Huntington, NY. Contact: lisa@mladinich.com.

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