Latest news with #Benedictines
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ger Brennan's brutal comment to rival player that he sat on for months
Ger Brennan has been named the new manager of Dublin's senior footballers, replacing Dessie Farrell in the role. The St Vincent's clubman has been appointed Dublin manager on a three-year term after two years in charge of Louth, who he led to their first Leinster title success since 1957 in May. A two-time All-Ireland winner, he knows all about lifting silverware with his native county. After the second of those All-Ireland successes in 2013, Brennan, who is deeply religious, couldn't resist getting one over on a rival player who had slagged him earlier in the year. Dublin defeated Mayo in the decider by a single point and Brennan made a beeline for the unnamed player after the full-time whistle. He previously told Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning's Free State podcast: "In 2013 in the league, I got put off against Mayo just before half-time. "A certain player came up and gave me a clap on the back. He said, 'Well done, Ger, go off now and say a few prayers'. "He is still playing. I won't tell you his name because it's not fair on him. When we beat them in the 2013 final, I made a beeline for him. I went up, shook his hand and says 'Hard luck, I'll say a few prayers for you tonight'. Dublin's Ger Brennan and Diarmuid Connolly lead the celebrations with the Sam Maguire in 2013 (Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy) "I kept that in my locker. I was delighted with that. I knew I was never going to lose to Mayo that day because I said I couldn't lose to that person, no matter what would happen. "That comment when I was going off in the league game, I held that the whole time." So strong is Brennan's religious beliefs that he even considered becoming a priest. He added: "I'd be very drawn to the liturgy of the hours which is what puts structure on an ordained person, whether in a convent or working in a diocese or working in an order. "It's your morning prayer, your lauds, your vespers, your night compline. I have a little book of prayer from the Benedictines in Glenstal Abbey. I would have gone down there on a couple of occasions for a couple of retreats. You enter into the daily life of the monastery, which is pretty cool. "I'm never going to impose my faith on anyone else but it just makes perfect sense to me that there is something greater going on in the world. Trying to tune out the bad noise that exists in the world to allow yourself become one or enter into a relationship with the divine, I've always felt that connection."
Spectator
06-07-2025
- General
- Spectator
Why I'm still wearing black
When my father passed away suddenly in April, I committed to wearing only black until after the funeral. I'm still struggling to properly articulate my feelings, but wearing black seems like a mark – albeit a feeble one – of respect to the memory of the best man I will ever know, and a small hold-out against fully returning to real life. I'm obviously not the first to wear black in mourning; the colour has held a near-mystical appeal for millennia. The Romans used to don a toga pulla when grieving. In the early medieval period, black symbolised malevolence, but by the 12th century the colour was associated with dignity, austerity and moral authority. It was adopted by many religious orders, including the Benedictines and the Dominicans. Black as mourning-wear was popularised in the 19th century under Queen Victoria. Women and children were expected to forego all colourful clothes for a year following the death of the family's patriarch. The rise in elaborate and ostentatious mourning outfits turned grieving into a business: the jet trade in England, particularly in Whitby, flourished because of the demand for mourning jewellery. After her husband Prince Albert died, Queen Victoria famously wore black for the final four decades of her life, including at her daughters' weddings. The Victorians had other, more eccentric grieving habits. Covering mirrors was one practice, as was 'telling the bees'. Beekeepers would whisper the news of a death in the family to their insects and would cover the hives in black fabric. A Victorian rector wrote in 1886 that the news should be delivered to the bees at midnight; others said it must be sung to in rhyme. I understand why such mourning rituals have gone out of fashion, and I can see that wearing black feels anachronistic in 2025, if not a bit pretentious. Most people probably haven't even noticed my new obsession, and my family and friends have been a little baffled as to why I have felt so compelled to do it. My father would probably think it all quite ridiculous. Wearing black to every occasion has been impractical and often quite silly. Rather than being dignified, my attempt at this high-minded solemnity has meant sweltering in the same black suit through successive heatwaves, interviews and parties. Still, I can't help but think that it's a shame – for both the living and the dead – that we've lost some of these traditions. They offer comfort and a degree of protection when even small things can feel daunting. I've certainly struggled to do anything without thinking of my dad. A couple of days before he died, he asked to see a priest and receive the Last Rites. I was suddenly reminded of his Catholic upbringing, and that he had lived decades of his life before I came along. I have realised I never really knew much about him beyond the fact that he was my dad. Contemplating the decades of life ahead now he's gone seems just as hard to get my head around. Weeks pass in a rush of hen dos, friends' newborn babies and work deadlines, and April has somehow turned into July. I am grateful for the distractions of day-to-day life. At the same time, I sometimes find myself in panicked disbelief that a full calendar month could pass without him. The funeral has come and gone and I'm still wearing black. While I doubt I will stick to this forever like Queen Victoria, I'm not sure when I'll return to my normal wardrobe. I miss him terribly. Wearing black has turned into a welcome constant – a line of defence. I've realised that a speedy return to 'normal' life has come with some other strange concessions. There are lots of things besides wearing other colours that I'm not sure when I'll start doing: listening to music again, checking the weather forecast, reading whole books, talking about him in the past tense. But for the time being I will stay in this slightly muted, quietly beautiful world of mourning. I want to keep remembering him.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Benedictine Sisters celebrate 45 years of Good Friday pilgrimage, remember immigrants
On this Good Friday, the Benedictine Sisters of Erie remembered the suffering and passion of Jesus Christ. Their goal was to bring tranquility and hope to immigrants who are living in fear of deportation or of separation from family. Shawn Giles' loved ones inviting public to light up the town red for fallen firefighters It was a day to reflect, slow down, and focus on the suffering of Jesus Christ. The Benedictines for Peace marked their 45th year of their Good Friday pilgrimage. The Benedictines, along with other concerned individuals, gathered to bring awareness to not only Jesus' journey but also those who are suffering in today's society. This year, their theme was 'The way of the cross; the way of the migrant.' 'We're really trying to open our eyes and our hearts to the suffering of immigrants nationally, but also those living in fear in our own communities,' said Anne McCarthy, coordinator for Benedictines for Peace. Longtime Erie jeweler Les Crago Jewelers 'retiring' their business after 75 years The pilgrimage started at St. Peter Cathedral, where the Benedictines and Bishop Lawrence Persico led a ceremony with song and reenactment. Then they began their silent walk. Organizers chose seven locations in downtown Erie to stop and pray that have a significant connection to their theme. One location was at Emmaus Grove. 'We're stopping at St. Benedicine Education Center, who work with some of our community partners that are supporting refugees whose funding has suddenly been cut,' McCarthy explained. 'We're stopping at Gannon, where six students where suddenly their visas revoked for no reason.' McCarthy said that even after 45 years, they continue to have an overwhelming amount of support from the community. Gannon students file lawsuit over revoked visas, terminated records 'Let it break into our hearts and hopefully let it change our actions so that we can do what we can to protect them and advocate for them and really change our society,' she went on to say. Participants were then invited to the Mount Saint Benedict for a Good Friday service. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
