3 FEBRUARY 2010 'A CRUMB OF HISTORY' AND 96 YEARS YOUNG!
A word about yesterday as it was truly a crumb of history!
It was snowing as we left Korce at 6.30a.m. We were eight - two Franciscan Sisters from Bilisht, two Maltese catechists and us four. We had snow for most of the first hour to Pogradec. We continued for another two hours, with caution, through slush and snowdrifts to reach Elbason. Our FIRST Diocesan Meeting for Religious was scheduled there for 9.00a.m. On arrival we were ushered into a large unheated hall, where we sat on 'infants' benches.(I was reminded of enduring similar seating when we attended meetings to get a new Nursery School in the Markets area of Belfast!!). The input was good, given by a Jesuit lecturer at Skhodra seminary. It was bi-lingual - phrases in Shqip were repeated in Italian as the composition of the sixty or so religious was largely Italian. I had a Shqip transcript, supported by an invaluable whispered English translation by Maltese David. Bishop Kabashi then said Mass. One of Mother Teresa's sisters assured me later thst she had counted 16 priests on the sanctuary with the Bishop! We were quite ready for lunch after which we had a GLORIOUS journey back. The roads were much improved and the scenery was breathtaking with sunshine on the panorama of snowscenes.
Monday morning brought a delightful greeting for St. Brigid's Day! An email came from a great Belfast Contemplative - Josephine. She told me she was 96 on Saturday last. Sister added that a few months ago she was invited to join another Sister, who was being initiated into computer skills. Josephine made such progress she quickly got her own address. I could not help thinking that Spring and new life come in many ways. Sister now enjoys having added emailing to her many gifts.
Enjoy what is new in Spring for you!
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Monday, 1 February 2010
ST BRIGID, THE BISHOP AND ANNE!
1ST.FEBRUARY 2010 FEAST OF ST. BRIGID, THE BISHOP AND ANNE!
This is a little entry, mainly to send greetings to each one who is fortunate enough to bear the name, BRIGID. Today heralds the welcoming of Spring in Ireland! Enjoy your special day!
Our snowscene thawed in time for our Bishop Hil Kabashi to make the six hour journey here to say Mass yesterday. Afterwards, we invited him with his driver, Dimitri, for dinner. We were also joined by Anne, a young teacher who is unbaptized and Greek Orthodox. She has expressed great interest in our Catholic Church and was at Mass with us yesterday. Anne was a great help as a 'bridge' enabling conversation! Usually, the talk would quickly drift into German but not yesterday. We welcomed blue skies and great sunshine as our visitors left for Vlore.
Today, we are back to white skies and snow. Spring does not begin here for another month! Hope you have Spring weather to celebrate the day!
This is a little entry, mainly to send greetings to each one who is fortunate enough to bear the name, BRIGID. Today heralds the welcoming of Spring in Ireland! Enjoy your special day!
Our snowscene thawed in time for our Bishop Hil Kabashi to make the six hour journey here to say Mass yesterday. Afterwards, we invited him with his driver, Dimitri, for dinner. We were also joined by Anne, a young teacher who is unbaptized and Greek Orthodox. She has expressed great interest in our Catholic Church and was at Mass with us yesterday. Anne was a great help as a 'bridge' enabling conversation! Usually, the talk would quickly drift into German but not yesterday. We welcomed blue skies and great sunshine as our visitors left for Vlore.
Today, we are back to white skies and snow. Spring does not begin here for another month! Hope you have Spring weather to celebrate the day!
Thursday, 28 January 2010
'RAINER TOOK COMPUTER' AND CAROLINE!
28 JANUARY 2010 'RAINER TOOK COMPUTER' AND CAROLINE!
'Rainer took computer' - this little note in my diary on Monday last ended a weekend in which I experienced my first significant computer virus! This computer has served me without a problem since 2004. On Saturday last that situation changed when a severe rash of problems developed very quickly, complicated by a double virus infection! Rainer, one of our Maltese friends, led the treatment team of three! They worked all week and this evening the computer has come back. It was discharged from treatment, renewed, full of new life and truly remade. I am so grateful to Rainer, David and our Mirjam.
On Tuesday I visited the wife of an American pastor, at her invitation. Caroline has lived here for 20 years. She told me it has taken her most of that time to understand the Albanian culture. With four of us in community, plus the support of friends and neighbours, I am optimistic we will have at least some cultural understanding much more quickly please God.
Winter has visited us with snow-covered ground and rooftops and even the disappearance of the mountains for a few days this week. Surprisingly, it is not as cold as previously but calls for caution when out and about!
Christmas cards continued to arrive until earlier this week and mostly matched the local scene here, where we all keep well.
Have a good weekend and enjoy the feast of our Irish patron - St.Brigid on Monday.
'Rainer took computer' - this little note in my diary on Monday last ended a weekend in which I experienced my first significant computer virus! This computer has served me without a problem since 2004. On Saturday last that situation changed when a severe rash of problems developed very quickly, complicated by a double virus infection! Rainer, one of our Maltese friends, led the treatment team of three! They worked all week and this evening the computer has come back. It was discharged from treatment, renewed, full of new life and truly remade. I am so grateful to Rainer, David and our Mirjam.
On Tuesday I visited the wife of an American pastor, at her invitation. Caroline has lived here for 20 years. She told me it has taken her most of that time to understand the Albanian culture. With four of us in community, plus the support of friends and neighbours, I am optimistic we will have at least some cultural understanding much more quickly please God.
Winter has visited us with snow-covered ground and rooftops and even the disappearance of the mountains for a few days this week. Surprisingly, it is not as cold as previously but calls for caution when out and about!
Christmas cards continued to arrive until earlier this week and mostly matched the local scene here, where we all keep well.
Have a good weekend and enjoy the feast of our Irish patron - St.Brigid on Monday.
Thursday, 21 January 2010
SPECIAL DAY AND MOROVA MOUNTAIN SUMMIT
21JANUARY 2010 SPECIAL DAY AND MOROVA MOUNTAIN SUMMIT!
Today is special for me so I decided to make a blog entry. I first visited Good Shepherd in Cork on this date and entered later that year. So, I decided this morning to give myself a treat!
With blue skies, great sunshine and the Temp. -4, I headed for the mountains! I have wanted to do this since I arrived here. Shqip lesson, dinner and off I went and had a tough climb. It was tarmac until the last 100 yards or so as two hotels are being built at a high altitude. At last I reached the Cross on the summit of Morova. This is a landmark as it is illuminated at night. On the way up, I passed two shepherds guarding their flocks, and a man protecting a herd of goats. The goats were bigger than I have ever seen! Also, I saw at least 20 waterfalls all like giant icicles in the rocks. The view from the top was superb looking down on the city encircled with snow-capped mountains. I forgot to take my camera!
I returned from my adventure in good time for our Communion Service. I feel truly delighted and not at all exhausted. In fact I have energy to get a little study done now!
Have a good weekend!
Today is special for me so I decided to make a blog entry. I first visited Good Shepherd in Cork on this date and entered later that year. So, I decided this morning to give myself a treat!
With blue skies, great sunshine and the Temp. -4, I headed for the mountains! I have wanted to do this since I arrived here. Shqip lesson, dinner and off I went and had a tough climb. It was tarmac until the last 100 yards or so as two hotels are being built at a high altitude. At last I reached the Cross on the summit of Morova. This is a landmark as it is illuminated at night. On the way up, I passed two shepherds guarding their flocks, and a man protecting a herd of goats. The goats were bigger than I have ever seen! Also, I saw at least 20 waterfalls all like giant icicles in the rocks. The view from the top was superb looking down on the city encircled with snow-capped mountains. I forgot to take my camera!
I returned from my adventure in good time for our Communion Service. I feel truly delighted and not at all exhausted. In fact I have energy to get a little study done now!
Have a good weekend!
Monday, 18 January 2010
MIMOSA, "SCHOOL", MADRID AND BRUSSELS
18 JANUARY 2009 MIMOSA, "SCHOOL", MADRID AND BRUSSELS
On Saturday, Mirjam arrived in with a lovely bunch of bright mimosa. I was surprised to hear it was readily available at our street corner. Yesterday, as I was en route to church, I met a girl with a simiar bunch and could only recall a line in Patrick Kavanagh's poem "Advent" -'And Christ comes with a January flower'. In Ireland I would be on the lookout for a snowdrop!
There was a 'back to school' air over the last few days and it was not just the 7.30a.m. bustle of children passing to school. My companions all decided to double their Shqip sessions. I decided to stay with the four hours I have as they provide enough study. Also, I have got involved in a few little projects that are English-based so I am content. May I add that seeing a book on our table - " 541 Albanian Verbs" each with 10 Simple tenses and 10 Compound tenses, suggested as a good BEGINNING, I decided to be moderate in climbing the 'Shqip Mountain'!
As I wrote this blog date I was aware of Church Unity beginning and also of the Madrid Meeting of Provincials ending. Seeing a copy of the structure being proposed to replace our Justice and Peace and European Action groups, I now await hearing of a good outcome!
I really enjoyed reading a Brussels report forwarded from Wurzburg - "EU Ministerial Conf. - Towards Global Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings". Very interesting reading with a former colleague of mine - Statia Crickley, a front-page speaker who gave truly relevant input. With 600 participants that included Queen Silvia of Sweden, who is German and Queen Paola of Belgium, it was surely a fitting way to mark the annual Anti-Trafficking Day, 19-20 October.
I finish with a little flashback evoked by seeing Statia's name. Way back I did some family reports for her when she worked in London and I was at Social Services, Limerick. Later, when Head of Social Studies at Maynooth she came to dinner at Sussex Place on her way to an evening function at Queen's University. I had not even heard of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency she now Chairs in Brussels!
With a wee prayer that you have a good week!
On Saturday, Mirjam arrived in with a lovely bunch of bright mimosa. I was surprised to hear it was readily available at our street corner. Yesterday, as I was en route to church, I met a girl with a simiar bunch and could only recall a line in Patrick Kavanagh's poem "Advent" -'And Christ comes with a January flower'. In Ireland I would be on the lookout for a snowdrop!
There was a 'back to school' air over the last few days and it was not just the 7.30a.m. bustle of children passing to school. My companions all decided to double their Shqip sessions. I decided to stay with the four hours I have as they provide enough study. Also, I have got involved in a few little projects that are English-based so I am content. May I add that seeing a book on our table - " 541 Albanian Verbs" each with 10 Simple tenses and 10 Compound tenses, suggested as a good BEGINNING, I decided to be moderate in climbing the 'Shqip Mountain'!
As I wrote this blog date I was aware of Church Unity beginning and also of the Madrid Meeting of Provincials ending. Seeing a copy of the structure being proposed to replace our Justice and Peace and European Action groups, I now await hearing of a good outcome!
I really enjoyed reading a Brussels report forwarded from Wurzburg - "EU Ministerial Conf. - Towards Global Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings". Very interesting reading with a former colleague of mine - Statia Crickley, a front-page speaker who gave truly relevant input. With 600 participants that included Queen Silvia of Sweden, who is German and Queen Paola of Belgium, it was surely a fitting way to mark the annual Anti-Trafficking Day, 19-20 October.
I finish with a little flashback evoked by seeing Statia's name. Way back I did some family reports for her when she worked in London and I was at Social Services, Limerick. Later, when Head of Social Studies at Maynooth she came to dinner at Sussex Place on her way to an evening function at Queen's University. I had not even heard of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency she now Chairs in Brussels!
With a wee prayer that you have a good week!
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
ITALIAN EVENING, FLOODS AND RESIDENCE!
12 JANUARY 2009 ITALIAN EVENING, FLOODS AND RESIDENCE.
I noted the words "was unable" were repeated in error in my last entry. In fact those words were key to that morning as I "WAS UNABLE" to access my desired BBC website! My computer screen informed me - "This BBC website has no coverage in your territory". Much later I successfully accessed BBC radio just in time to hear "The Priests" sing "Receive his soul" for Cardinal Daly and I was quite content!
On Little Christmas Day we were invited by the Italian Sisters to Bilisht. Luckily, it was a clear, bright, frost-free evening. We got a drive from our Maltese friends and all enjoyed a marvellous evening. Italian tradition supplied each one of us with a miniature Christmas stocking. Our group of eleven included six nationalities and as many languages. This enriched the whole experience for us.
Early yesterday morning I got a few emails - Albania had made the National News in Ireland because of flooding here. This was completely new for Albania and happened in the North of the country. Damage, as in Ireland when the situation was similar, was extensive. The poor people were totally unprepared.
Today is of importance to me as I was with the Police and have got - "Temporary Residence" for a month. This is while my papers are being processed in Tirana. There was almost a last minute 'glitch'. My Birth Certificate had been translated and legalized by a Notary here, but was without an "Apostille" stamp from Ireland. Let's hope Tirana will accept it as genuine!!
Au revoir and God bless.
I noted the words "was unable" were repeated in error in my last entry. In fact those words were key to that morning as I "WAS UNABLE" to access my desired BBC website! My computer screen informed me - "This BBC website has no coverage in your territory". Much later I successfully accessed BBC radio just in time to hear "The Priests" sing "Receive his soul" for Cardinal Daly and I was quite content!
On Little Christmas Day we were invited by the Italian Sisters to Bilisht. Luckily, it was a clear, bright, frost-free evening. We got a drive from our Maltese friends and all enjoyed a marvellous evening. Italian tradition supplied each one of us with a miniature Christmas stocking. Our group of eleven included six nationalities and as many languages. This enriched the whole experience for us.
Early yesterday morning I got a few emails - Albania had made the National News in Ireland because of flooding here. This was completely new for Albania and happened in the North of the country. Damage, as in Ireland when the situation was similar, was extensive. The poor people were totally unprepared.
Today is of importance to me as I was with the Police and have got - "Temporary Residence" for a month. This is while my papers are being processed in Tirana. There was almost a last minute 'glitch'. My Birth Certificate had been translated and legalized by a Notary here, but was without an "Apostille" stamp from Ireland. Let's hope Tirana will accept it as genuine!!
Au revoir and God bless.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
KORCE NEW YEAR AND CARDINAL DALY RIP
5 JANUARY 2010 KORCE NEW YEAR AND CARDINAL DALY RIP
Our New Year's Eve gathering place was the nearby Greek Cathedral. We joined the crowd, met some young friends and watched a most lavish and amazing firework display. At 12.00 the Cathedral Bells rang out for about 10 minutes, signal for all to exchange -"GEZUAR VITIN E RI". We returned home to surprise callers - two friends, Maltese catechists and Caroline, sister of one, who was visiting from Malta. We were delighted to celebrate with chat and refreshments.
On New Year's Day our invited guest, Nicky, an English lay missionary who lives alone in a Muslim village, joined us for dinner after Mass. We enjoyed a Christmas meal that was fully traditional! All relaxed and even shared a few thoughts from the Irish "Get up and Go" Diary sent with other gifts from Kilmacud! This was surely a good beginning to 2010.
As 2009 was in its final hours, a telephone call from Sister Anne, Belfast, brought the news that our neighbour and friend Cardinal Daly had just died. Surely a moment to celebrate and share on his wonderful life that left us rich memories. For me, probably because I had just heard of the burning of his former Cathedral, St. Mel's, I recalled a memory too, even if not the year! In my Diocesan role, I had arranged a series of Day Retreats for Sisters. Less than 24 hours before one of these retreats, I got a phone call to say our famous speaker, Jean Vanier, was unable was unable to complete his journey, due to suffering a bout of malaria in Paris! The day could not be cancelled. I telephoned Bishop Daly way down in the Midlands, and he immediately agreed to substitute. He arrived at Belfast Good Shepherd en route to his home after 9.30p.m. to plan the next days programme!! My abiding memory is of standing at the retreat centre gate early on the following morning, to explain the change of speaker to the occupants of each car. Not a word of disappointment but delight at the thought of meeting and hearing "their" Bishop -the eighty Sisters that attended were quite happy. I gave Bishop Daly a book of Jean Vanier's for his travels and contribution to 'saving' the day! Years later he confided that he had not HEARD of Jean Vanier when I gave him the book. He thanked me for introducing him to Jean's wonderful work for mentally-physically challenged persons when I gifted him with it. May his precious soul rest in peace!
An early morning email has given me the link for Armagh. I hope to join the funeral service there for a time via the BBC. Maybe, I'll even catch up with the contribution of "The Priests" who are scheduled to sing at the finish. A very special 'Merci', Glen!
May 2010 be a good year for each one of us!
Our New Year's Eve gathering place was the nearby Greek Cathedral. We joined the crowd, met some young friends and watched a most lavish and amazing firework display. At 12.00 the Cathedral Bells rang out for about 10 minutes, signal for all to exchange -"GEZUAR VITIN E RI". We returned home to surprise callers - two friends, Maltese catechists and Caroline, sister of one, who was visiting from Malta. We were delighted to celebrate with chat and refreshments.
On New Year's Day our invited guest, Nicky, an English lay missionary who lives alone in a Muslim village, joined us for dinner after Mass. We enjoyed a Christmas meal that was fully traditional! All relaxed and even shared a few thoughts from the Irish "Get up and Go" Diary sent with other gifts from Kilmacud! This was surely a good beginning to 2010.
As 2009 was in its final hours, a telephone call from Sister Anne, Belfast, brought the news that our neighbour and friend Cardinal Daly had just died. Surely a moment to celebrate and share on his wonderful life that left us rich memories. For me, probably because I had just heard of the burning of his former Cathedral, St. Mel's, I recalled a memory too, even if not the year! In my Diocesan role, I had arranged a series of Day Retreats for Sisters. Less than 24 hours before one of these retreats, I got a phone call to say our famous speaker, Jean Vanier, was unable was unable to complete his journey, due to suffering a bout of malaria in Paris! The day could not be cancelled. I telephoned Bishop Daly way down in the Midlands, and he immediately agreed to substitute. He arrived at Belfast Good Shepherd en route to his home after 9.30p.m. to plan the next days programme!! My abiding memory is of standing at the retreat centre gate early on the following morning, to explain the change of speaker to the occupants of each car. Not a word of disappointment but delight at the thought of meeting and hearing "their" Bishop -the eighty Sisters that attended were quite happy. I gave Bishop Daly a book of Jean Vanier's for his travels and contribution to 'saving' the day! Years later he confided that he had not HEARD of Jean Vanier when I gave him the book. He thanked me for introducing him to Jean's wonderful work for mentally-physically challenged persons when I gifted him with it. May his precious soul rest in peace!
An early morning email has given me the link for Armagh. I hope to join the funeral service there for a time via the BBC. Maybe, I'll even catch up with the contribution of "The Priests" who are scheduled to sing at the finish. A very special 'Merci', Glen!
May 2010 be a good year for each one of us!
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