Dear Friend

Welcome to our February ezine.

Glimpses of “Reality”

In his editorial in the March issue of Reality, Fr Gerard Moloney looks at the return of forced emigration.

“The poet W.B. Yeats wrote that this is no country for old men. At the moment it is no country for young men either. Or young women. Or even for middle-aged men and women.

We thought it was a thing of the past, but once again the terrible scourge of emigration is torturing our land. It’s as if the good years of the nineties and the noughties were a mirage and the Celtic Tiger never really happened.

Once again from every town and village, from every neighbourhood and almost every family, our young people are being forced into involuntary exile.

Once again GAA clubs and sporting organisations up and down the country are being denuded of their very lifeblood as younger members leave by boat and plane in search of work and hope and a future.

We thought that the ancient curse of emigration, which brought so much heartbreak to individuals and families and communities and which stripped our country of its brightest and best, had been consigned to history along with the American wake – but we were wrong. Fooled by the false dawn of the Celtic Tiger years, we thought those dark days were gone for good, but we were wrong.

Can you imagine what it is like to be a young (or not-so-young) person in Ireland today? To be finishing school or college or just out of it, to be in your 20s or 30s or 40s without a job and with no prospect of one, to have a young family to support and not be able to support them?

Since the global economic meltdown of 2008, as many as 150,000 people have left our shores. And even if the economy picks up, all the indications are that tens of thousands more will depart this year and next year and the year after that.

Can there be a greater monument to our failure as a nation than the spectre of renewed mass emigration? Can there be a greater barometer of national shame?

What is extraordinary is how passive we are in the face of this scandal. How there are no mass demonstrations, no howls of outrage, at what is taking place. It’s as if something deep in our national psyche has conditioned us to accept it, as if enforced emigration is simply part of what it means to be Irish.

But we should be angry and we should express that anger forcefully and without pause, because passivity perpetuates injustice.

What is telling, too, is the reluctance to give emigrants the vote.

It’s as if the political establishment is afraid to do so, because who knows how emigrants might vote, and emigration has always been a handy safety valve that reduces dole queues, removes the disaffected, and quells the potential for public unrest.

But people forced to emigrate through no fault of their own deserve to have a say in how to shape a better country for future generations.

Enforced emigration is an injustice we all have a duty to confront. We have a responsibility to our emigrants to do our best to support them wherever they find themselves (something our church is trying to do in its own way, as our cover story reports). We have an obligation to work for a fairer society at home, where all our citizens are valued and not regarded simply as disposable, and where people are put before profits and bank bailouts. And we must insist on real and lasting reform of the culture and institutions of the State, so that the current wave of emigration will be the last this country will ever have to endure.”

Your chance to win a year’s free subscription to Reality – Tell us what you think!

We hope you take time to fill in and return the survey in the March issue. Alternatively, you can complete our short survey online. Simply click here. Tell us what you think of the content and design of the magazine, and what you would like to see in it.

There are five free subscriptions to be won from completed returns.

We’d love to hear from you.

Also in the March issue of Reality:

A different approach to Lent

For Lent, forget about doing penance and giving up things. Instead, ask Jesus to touch, heal and restore whatever in your life is wounded or broken. By Paddy O’Meara

The Church needs structural reform

It’s clear that our church cannot renew itself unless radical structural change takes place. By Sean O’Conaill

Something about being Catholic?

What makes Catholicism attractive to people is the rich stories, images, icons and symbols it brings to their everyday lives? By Brian Conway

Don't worry, be happy

Opening our hearts to the light of God’s presence brings happiness – even when there’s a recession and things are going wrong. By Marie Gallagher

“They burnt down our homes but we won't give up"

You’d think the right to own a piece of land would be universal. But some families in Honduras face violence and intimidation in their quest for a better life. By Meabh Smith

Time, tea and sympathy

One of the most valuable gifts you can give someone is your time. And, as the director of a Dublin-based charity supporting the homeless, Alice Leahy is a firm believer in this maxim Interviewed by Sue Leonard

Support your local – and not so local – seminarian

The journey to priesthood is a long one compared to many other professions. That’s why the assistance of the St Joseph’s Young Priests’ Society has proved so invaluable to seminarians like Anthony Buckley

Courage in the face of death

When confronted with their own mortality, some people demonstrate surprising strength and unshakable faith. By Anne Kerrigan

The need for apologetics

We must be able to give reasons for the faith that is within us if we are to successfully challenge the militant new atheists of today. By Anthony Redmond

Another nail in Christendom's coffin

To restore its credibility the church must stop ‘playing at Christianity’ and embrace the Incarnation it proclaims. By Mike Daley

Click here to order your copy or to subscribe for the year.

What’s up in “Face Up”?

Her death shocked everyone. Michaela McAreavey had been married to John for just 10 days when she was brutally murdered while on honeymoon in Mauritius. Michaela and John had just bought a house, they had lots of plans for the future and had everything to look forward to – and then this happened. People couldn’t believe that such a tragedy could occur in such circumstances to such a lovely couple. It was beyond shocking. It’s hard to imagine how John and the Harte and McAreavey families will ever get over it, how they will be able to deal with the pain of losing Michaela. It’s such a gaping wound. While we may not have suffered a tragedy as terrible as that which happened to the McAreaveys and Hartes, and hopefully never will, grief and loss are part of life. From the death of a loved one to the pain of a relationship break up, by the time we hit our mid teens, most of us will have experienced loss of some kind. And no matter what that loss is - even if it’s the death of a much-loved family pet - it can be very hard to cope with. We can feel crushed, empty, angry, bewildered, broken. This month’s cover story is about coping with grief. Face Up talks to some teenagers about how they have dealt with personal loss and she offers tips on how to cope when it comes our way, too.

Also in the March issue of Face Up:

VIP

“I’m not here to be a celebrity”: X Factor winner Matt Cardle reveals why he loves performing but hates being photographed.

REAL LIFE

“We’re voting for change” With the Irish political world in turmoil Face up readers tell us who they’re voting for and why…

“My invention is a winner!” He loves tennis, he’s a computer wizard and he’s just emigrated across the pond from America... it’s this year’s Young Scientist of the Year.

“We’ve seen the scary effects of climate change” In her follow up feature, Marie Duffy and her eco-group report back on their life-changing Arctic adventure.

“Clique off” Whether you’re part of a clique or snubbed by the cool crew, Jim Auer is here to help.

JUSTICE

“They burnt down our homes but we won’t give up” Meabh Smith reports on Trócaire’s campaign to give Honduran families their rights and their freedom. 

“Independent woman” The story of an orphan who’s survived the odds thanks to her faith, a big dose of hope and the generosity of SERVE.

SPIRIT & SOUL

“Shape up your spiritual life” It’s all me, me, me!… Why we need to break free from self-obsession.

“The 40-Day challenge” Lent is on its way. Here’s a few tips on how best to celebrate the countdown to Easter.

Click here to order Face Up.

Want to Get More out of Sunday Mass?

We have some copies of our beautiful book ‘The Year of God’s Justice – Getting More out of Sunday Mass in the Year of Matthew’ - NOW ½ PRICE!

Scripture scholar Fr Brendan McConvery provides reflections and insights into the weekly readings for the coming year.  Written in a warm and accessible style, this beautifully designed book will encourage you to be a little better prepared for Mass. It is a perfect companion for those who are Readers in church or those who wish to know more about the Word of God.  The book can be used by individuals, groups or families.

Now only €3.00 (plus p&p)

Click here for more information or to order your copy.