Prayer Requests

Hey guys, I was just sent this today by a friend back home. Can I ask you to pray for this guy, his family and that whole situation in general? You don't need to watch the full video, the first few minutes will give you enough info. I'm not sure what's going on, but it's terribly odd that they took his children days after this event at Corpus Christi...

Regarding the wider story, I left my home country back in January because Sacraments were getting harder and harder to have access to. This church was actually the last place I went to Mass before leaving. The fact that the priest managed to continue saying Mass there up until the raid was amazing... For months in Ireland it was illegal not only to attend Mass, but to travel more that 5km. Mass is still illegal (as is hearing Confession, even outside - hopefully both things lifting in a few weeks), but people can now travel freely within their county borders. To give a perspective on that, Ireland is about the size of Indiana - and it is divided into 32* counties. So still not exactly roaming freely lol! (*6 of those are under a different regime, and since just before Easter have Mass in public again thanks to the protestant government... how the tables turn!)

Anyway (despite making a few statements lately), bishops helped to enforce the restrictions on worship, often adding new ones of their own (e,g. refusing permission to administer Holy Communion and have Adoration, which some priests managed to do quietly as 'private prayer'). This means that very, very few priests did much in defiance, and anything that was done had to be extremely underground. The FSSPX were exceptional in the circumstances. However much in normal circumstances one may wish for full unity, their not being submitted to the bishops' conference in the same way as other priests were (especially those within a diocesan structure) gave them a lot of freedom in seeking to continue to administer the Sacraments. They also were incredibly tactful in measuring risks and dealing with the gardaí as and when they encountered them (this controversial raiding was not the first time, usually they manage to handle things with quiet discussion - you will see it even here if you go back to the original videos and watch the priest closely). There was nothing ostentatious or rebellious in the way in which they ministered to people's souls, it was incredibly dignified - and in the circumstances incredibly brave. That young priest who ministers in Athlone, e.g. travels over 100km and through several county borders weekly to get to that chapel - and he is not Irish, so risks being unable to go home if he were to get a criminal record...

Please pray for my country. Grace for the Catholics who are seeking their Eucharistic Lord, freedom for the priests who are being held back, conversion for those who are holding them back, protection for those who find ways to quietly attend to souls and for healing in the Church from the sense of hurt, betrayal and frustration that permeates the whole situation now. Please pray for protection of families and for the sanctification of our Church and people...

Sorry this is a long post, but I thought it worth explaining a bit as very often if you web search these things you're just going to get polarity and confusion rather than clarity on the facts.

And, um... just because I feel this to be something of a cultural obligation in addressing people outside Ireland where there's a slight error (in the video) regarding the language - it's the full title 'Garda Síochána' - pronouned "Gar-da Shee-oh-kawn-ah" - that means keeper/guardian of the peace - the Síochána bit being the bit that means peace. This is generally shortened to the plural 'Gardaí', pronounced 'Gar-dee'...

God bless, love and keep you!