1st. MARCH 2011 BLOG, MIRJAM, IRISH POLITICS AND SPRING!
On Sunday, our Bishop, Mons.Hil Kabashi came to Korce for our Mass. We invited him to lunch, with his driver Dimitri. One of the first words he shared was - "Pope Benedict would like us all to blog!" I was surprised to hear this. However, as I was "busy about many things", being 'cook of the day' I did not have time to question the context of the Pope's suggestion!
We missed Mirjam! Mons. spent 12 years in Germany so, he usually speaks to Mirjam in German and she shares with us. In fact, we managed well in Shqip and English. Mons. is very anxious to improve his English, so we had good practice all round. We finished with a prayer from Amira in Arabic.
Elections in Ireland over the weekend changed the political face of the country. I pray the new Government will renew the life of the country.
Last evening was Spring Eve for the Orthodox people, Muslims celebrate on March 14, so Spring arrives a few times! There were fires here and there in the city and on the hills "to burn out the last of Winter". I think a few of the fires must have failed in their task! We had light snow this morning and we have had a "snow-filled wind" all day!
Enjoy the spring!
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Thursday, 24 February 2011
URAT MEETING, MIRJAM AND PEACE CORPS.
24TH. FEBRUARY 2011. URAT MEETING, MIRJAM AND PEACE CORPS.
Today, we are in 'snowtime' and I understand now why Spring starts quite late here!
Lalini, Mirjam and I were in Tirana for a URAT meeting on Tuesday. Fr. Johann, Italian Barnabite, was invited. He chairs the Major Religious Superiors group here in Albania. He listened to our story of URAT so far. He was most positive about our work focus. Now, our group has the possibility of affiliation with the Religious Superiors. We look forward to this development.
Mirjam remained in Tirana to gain experience in our particular work with women. An email from her last evening brought the good news that this experience is working out well. Sister will be back after two weeks.
The Peace Corps. have had their pre-closure conference in Korce over the past few days. Their term of volunteering finishes in May. Lauren, who is the girl we have worked most with, surprised us with the news that she will complete her work this weekend. She will head back to New York at the end of next week. We are all pleased that Mike returns here tomorrow. He is the volunteer, who is also a doctor, and helped me when I broke my arm. He has had an eventful 10 days supporting hisfriend, Catherine. She was knocked down by a car in Tirana and was unconscious, so the Peace Corps. got her to hospital in London. Thank God she has awakened and, we hear, she is making great progress back to good health.
Take care and God bless!
Today, we are in 'snowtime' and I understand now why Spring starts quite late here!
Lalini, Mirjam and I were in Tirana for a URAT meeting on Tuesday. Fr. Johann, Italian Barnabite, was invited. He chairs the Major Religious Superiors group here in Albania. He listened to our story of URAT so far. He was most positive about our work focus. Now, our group has the possibility of affiliation with the Religious Superiors. We look forward to this development.
Mirjam remained in Tirana to gain experience in our particular work with women. An email from her last evening brought the good news that this experience is working out well. Sister will be back after two weeks.
The Peace Corps. have had their pre-closure conference in Korce over the past few days. Their term of volunteering finishes in May. Lauren, who is the girl we have worked most with, surprised us with the news that she will complete her work this weekend. She will head back to New York at the end of next week. We are all pleased that Mike returns here tomorrow. He is the volunteer, who is also a doctor, and helped me when I broke my arm. He has had an eventful 10 days supporting hisfriend, Catherine. She was knocked down by a car in Tirana and was unconscious, so the Peace Corps. got her to hospital in London. Thank God she has awakened and, we hear, she is making great progress back to good health.
Take care and God bless!
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
LIN, ABC SCHOOL AND WYD MEETING
16 FEBRUARY 2011 LIN, ABC SCHOOL AND WYD MEETING
Following our early Mass in Bilisht, Sunday was a real day of "gemutlich". For non-German readers, this is a word we have adopted to describe a time of enjoyment and sharing. Sr. Daniela used it in Belgium, so we decided to bring it to Albania! We went to Pogradec and then onto a little lakeside village called Lin. There we visited its fine archaeological site, with timeless mosaics. These were protected only by sand. Our guide carefully removed sand from a section and then, almost at once, covered the mosaics again. It is the largest such site in the Balkans. We had lunch at Korca restaurant, recalling our visit there, with Sr. Gudula, on the feast of Blessed Maria Droste. En route back to Korce, we had a coffee at Enkalana Hotel - all four of us have now seen where the Peace Corps. Conference was held last June!
On Monday, Ana, my teacher and I were passing the "First School in Albania". This is a local cultural monument. To our surprise, it was open so we went in. As we were being shown around, there was a group filming a documentary for 7 March, and we were being filmed too. We have been seen on the local TV news at least twice since!!
Yesterday, on Amira's feast, we had our World Youth Day Group Meeting. This was the first time the seven persons taking part in the proposed two-week experience in France and Spain have met! There is a lot of preparation needed. All seven are really looking forward to the project. Watch this space and I may add their website in due course.
All the very best for the rest of the week!
Following our early Mass in Bilisht, Sunday was a real day of "gemutlich". For non-German readers, this is a word we have adopted to describe a time of enjoyment and sharing. Sr. Daniela used it in Belgium, so we decided to bring it to Albania! We went to Pogradec and then onto a little lakeside village called Lin. There we visited its fine archaeological site, with timeless mosaics. These were protected only by sand. Our guide carefully removed sand from a section and then, almost at once, covered the mosaics again. It is the largest such site in the Balkans. We had lunch at Korca restaurant, recalling our visit there, with Sr. Gudula, on the feast of Blessed Maria Droste. En route back to Korce, we had a coffee at Enkalana Hotel - all four of us have now seen where the Peace Corps. Conference was held last June!
On Monday, Ana, my teacher and I were passing the "First School in Albania". This is a local cultural monument. To our surprise, it was open so we went in. As we were being shown around, there was a group filming a documentary for 7 March, and we were being filmed too. We have been seen on the local TV news at least twice since!!
Yesterday, on Amira's feast, we had our World Youth Day Group Meeting. This was the first time the seven persons taking part in the proposed two-week experience in France and Spain have met! There is a lot of preparation needed. All seven are really looking forward to the project. Watch this space and I may add their website in due course.
All the very best for the rest of the week!
Saturday, 12 February 2011
A CLINIC TASK AND A NARRATIVE REPORT
12 FEBRUARY 2011 A CLINIC TASK AND A NARRATIVE REPORT.
On Monday last, Mirjam had a phone call from our Bishop. He suggested that I get involved with a fundraising need at the "Mary Potter" Clinic. I had already arranged with Sister Lalini that we would visit the Clinic yesterday. It was the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, day for the sick and their carers. Very quickly, their urgent need for help was clear. They had tried in vain, and urgently needed, a letter from our Bishop!! The application, for which they needed the letter, closed on the 8 February. However, they had managed to get an extension, from the USA organisation, for the letter. I returned here, wrote the entire letter, sent it to the Bishop, explaining how to complete it. I was delighted when he rang this morning saying he had sent it to me. Later, I had to request another copy, as there was an error in the date. Now, thank God, all is in order for Monday. I was really amused when the Clinic Director said yesterday -"It was much easier dealing with you, in what is a foreign language for me, than to succeed in my task, speaking Albanian to an Albanian!!
I have had a truly reflective day today! A word of request from a friend, led me to reflect on a particular aspect of my life in 1969-79. At the time, I was Diocesan Social Worker for Down and Connor - 88 parishes. The remainder of Northern Ireland was thrown in for good measure, in relation to Child Care and Adoption placements. I found it interesting, that the memories came so swiftly and were fresh. I enjoyed penning them, though not the memory of the early days of our political Troubles! At the time, for my first month in social work, I was faced with the re-housing of 50 families, that were made homeless by our civil disturbances. I knew my professional skills were brand new and mainly untried. We did not have time to work out a support structure, trying to cope with the crisis. Thank God, it all worked out well for the families. For sure, that month moved me well beyond my 'comfort zone'!!
Today, I only reviewed my role in our Adolescent Centre. My work there was delightful! It was an additional post I had, together with the fulltime Diocesan work! It was one of the few periods in my life, when I was in direct Good Shepherd ministry. Hopefully, the report I completed will prove useful at some point too.
Have a good Sunday. We hope to go to Bilisht for Mass tomorrow!
On Monday last, Mirjam had a phone call from our Bishop. He suggested that I get involved with a fundraising need at the "Mary Potter" Clinic. I had already arranged with Sister Lalini that we would visit the Clinic yesterday. It was the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, day for the sick and their carers. Very quickly, their urgent need for help was clear. They had tried in vain, and urgently needed, a letter from our Bishop!! The application, for which they needed the letter, closed on the 8 February. However, they had managed to get an extension, from the USA organisation, for the letter. I returned here, wrote the entire letter, sent it to the Bishop, explaining how to complete it. I was delighted when he rang this morning saying he had sent it to me. Later, I had to request another copy, as there was an error in the date. Now, thank God, all is in order for Monday. I was really amused when the Clinic Director said yesterday -"It was much easier dealing with you, in what is a foreign language for me, than to succeed in my task, speaking Albanian to an Albanian!!
I have had a truly reflective day today! A word of request from a friend, led me to reflect on a particular aspect of my life in 1969-79. At the time, I was Diocesan Social Worker for Down and Connor - 88 parishes. The remainder of Northern Ireland was thrown in for good measure, in relation to Child Care and Adoption placements. I found it interesting, that the memories came so swiftly and were fresh. I enjoyed penning them, though not the memory of the early days of our political Troubles! At the time, for my first month in social work, I was faced with the re-housing of 50 families, that were made homeless by our civil disturbances. I knew my professional skills were brand new and mainly untried. We did not have time to work out a support structure, trying to cope with the crisis. Thank God, it all worked out well for the families. For sure, that month moved me well beyond my 'comfort zone'!!
Today, I only reviewed my role in our Adolescent Centre. My work there was delightful! It was an additional post I had, together with the fulltime Diocesan work! It was one of the few periods in my life, when I was in direct Good Shepherd ministry. Hopefully, the report I completed will prove useful at some point too.
Have a good Sunday. We hope to go to Bilisht for Mass tomorrow!
Saturday, 5 February 2011
ELBASON MEETING AND VISIT TO SISTERS
5TH. FEBRUARY 2011 ELBASON MEETING AND VISIT TO SISTERS.
A beautiful sunny day in Korce and I am glad to see the snow disappearing from the rooftops!
We enjoyed our day in Elbason on Wednesday, in spite of our early start! We were happy to travel with our Maltese friends. The roads were fine even though there was plenty of snow on all sides. The upgrading of the road, which has been in progress since we came, has now been successfully completed. About 50 religious came together and our bishop was absent,due to 'flu. All nationalities were included in the prayer. I detected an American accent as one of the psalms was read in English. Later, I sought out the reader and met a fine American, Sister Adrienne, member of a German congregation. Sister said she had also identified an Irish accent as I read! The Bishop had already given Adrienne my name and phone number, in case she ever wanted to talk English! We had lunch together with Mirjam and Adrienne's community leader whom Mirjam already knew. We plan to keep in touch. Their convent is more than five hours away. They would like us to visit in the summer, please God.
We were invited to Mother Teresa's Sisters in the afternoon. The Sister that invited us had lived in Korce for a few years. They have a nursery for children, aged 0-6 and they are caring for 26 very small children. Their house is newly built but with few facilities,- they do not accept State Aid. They picked two bags of lovely oranges from the garden for us as we left.
The recent problems in Tirana have had only a few ripples here. A march planned by the Opposition here yesterday passed off peacefully, thank God.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
A beautiful sunny day in Korce and I am glad to see the snow disappearing from the rooftops!
We enjoyed our day in Elbason on Wednesday, in spite of our early start! We were happy to travel with our Maltese friends. The roads were fine even though there was plenty of snow on all sides. The upgrading of the road, which has been in progress since we came, has now been successfully completed. About 50 religious came together and our bishop was absent,due to 'flu. All nationalities were included in the prayer. I detected an American accent as one of the psalms was read in English. Later, I sought out the reader and met a fine American, Sister Adrienne, member of a German congregation. Sister said she had also identified an Irish accent as I read! The Bishop had already given Adrienne my name and phone number, in case she ever wanted to talk English! We had lunch together with Mirjam and Adrienne's community leader whom Mirjam already knew. We plan to keep in touch. Their convent is more than five hours away. They would like us to visit in the summer, please God.
We were invited to Mother Teresa's Sisters in the afternoon. The Sister that invited us had lived in Korce for a few years. They have a nursery for children, aged 0-6 and they are caring for 26 very small children. Their house is newly built but with few facilities,- they do not accept State Aid. They picked two bags of lovely oranges from the garden for us as we left.
The recent problems in Tirana have had only a few ripples here. A march planned by the Opposition here yesterday passed off peacefully, thank God.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Saturday, 29 January 2011
SNOWY KORCE, PLANS AND FEASTDAYS!!
29TH. JANUARY 2011 SNOWY KORCE, PLANS AND FEASTDAY WISHES.
We have had snow here most days this week! Thank God we have been able to get out and about each day and all is well! Next Wednesday, snow permitting, we will travel to Elbason, three hours or so from here for a 9.00a.m. meeting of religious. There are no talks on the programme, this time, for our halfday meeting. Usually these are in Shqip/Italian or Italian/Shqip so we will not miss them!
On Tuesday last we were invited to "Cut the cake" at our landlady, Behije's 50th. Birthday! She was very happy when we invited her to join us for dinner the next day, when we presented her with a gift.
During our Community Meeting this week, we planned for the coming months! A number of exciting moments are included - visitors early in June, World Youth Day in Madrid, for which a Korce group is shaping up nicely. This will also include the Eudist preparation experience. Later on, there is a European Conference at Krakow, to be facilitated by Sister Clare Nolan, New York Province. Hopefully, Mirjam will attend as she has been invited to represent Germany and I will go for Albania.
However, before any of these events, next Tuesday is a special feast of an Irish Patron! Happy Feastday, dear Sisters Brigid, in Rome, Belfast, Derry, Waterford and wherever this name heralds the arrival of Spring! Blessings on each one.
We have had snow here most days this week! Thank God we have been able to get out and about each day and all is well! Next Wednesday, snow permitting, we will travel to Elbason, three hours or so from here for a 9.00a.m. meeting of religious. There are no talks on the programme, this time, for our halfday meeting. Usually these are in Shqip/Italian or Italian/Shqip so we will not miss them!
On Tuesday last we were invited to "Cut the cake" at our landlady, Behije's 50th. Birthday! She was very happy when we invited her to join us for dinner the next day, when we presented her with a gift.
During our Community Meeting this week, we planned for the coming months! A number of exciting moments are included - visitors early in June, World Youth Day in Madrid, for which a Korce group is shaping up nicely. This will also include the Eudist preparation experience. Later on, there is a European Conference at Krakow, to be facilitated by Sister Clare Nolan, New York Province. Hopefully, Mirjam will attend as she has been invited to represent Germany and I will go for Albania.
However, before any of these events, next Tuesday is a special feast of an Irish Patron! Happy Feastday, dear Sisters Brigid, in Rome, Belfast, Derry, Waterford and wherever this name heralds the arrival of Spring! Blessings on each one.
Saturday, 22 January 2011
FIRST REPORT, CLINIC AND CREPERIE!
22ND.JANUARY 2011. FIRST REPORT, CLINIC AND CREPERIE!
Over the past week, we completed a report on our first year here! As we concentrated on learning Shqip at first, our projects are in the early stages with sound roots! As usual, we included a number of photos.
On Tuesday, Mike, our American Peace Corps. Volunteer, and I visited the Mary Potter Clinic. This Cancer Clinic was built by the Little Company of Mary, that we know so well in Limerick. It was opened in 1996 and was considered a 'State of the Art' facility. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the civil unrest of 1997 and the Sisters left. Now, a very skilled staff continue the good work, with patients coming from as far away as Tirana and Durres for day and overnight treatment. The Director and staff welcomed us warmly and invited us to work a little with them. Mike may have time for a project before he leaves. I will have to get in touch again to see what role they would envisage for me - I got the impression they would just like to see a Sister now and then!
Tomorrow, we hope to have a Franciscan Friar from Fier - about five hours from here -for Mass.
Have a good week. Politics in Ireland, I hear, are exciting these days, with a General Election in the offing!
Over the past week, we completed a report on our first year here! As we concentrated on learning Shqip at first, our projects are in the early stages with sound roots! As usual, we included a number of photos.
On Tuesday, Mike, our American Peace Corps. Volunteer, and I visited the Mary Potter Clinic. This Cancer Clinic was built by the Little Company of Mary, that we know so well in Limerick. It was opened in 1996 and was considered a 'State of the Art' facility. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the civil unrest of 1997 and the Sisters left. Now, a very skilled staff continue the good work, with patients coming from as far away as Tirana and Durres for day and overnight treatment. The Director and staff welcomed us warmly and invited us to work a little with them. Mike may have time for a project before he leaves. I will have to get in touch again to see what role they would envisage for me - I got the impression they would just like to see a Sister now and then!
Tomorrow, we hope to have a Franciscan Friar from Fier - about five hours from here -for Mass.
Have a good week. Politics in Ireland, I hear, are exciting these days, with a General Election in the offing!
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