Clongowes Stories

5th May 2020

In a wonderful initiative between three Jesuit schools, we are excited to be part of ‘The Full Story’ writing competition which takes place this month. We are teaming up with Belevedere College SJ and Gonzaga College SJ to showcase the wealth of creativity and talent amongst the students in all three colleges. Award-winning author, Dave…read article

5th May 2020

It is just over 50 days since the anti-covid-19 strategy brought about the closure of places of gathering. After the initial shock, people began to improvise – and everywhere there was surprise at how well this was succeeding. There was joy at values, for so long forgotten [or taken for granted] – were now coming…read article

29th April 2020

One hears a lot these days about people, unable to put up with the current anti-covid lockdown – wanting to leave their “prison-space” and head away beyond the imposed 2 kms from home. There is a well-known story of two men fleeing their fear-imposed lockdown. It is told in last Sunday’s Gospel in  St Luke’s…read article

21st April 2020

They all lived together and shared everything in common ……. [Acts 2:44] The first reading of last Sunday’s Mass describes the first Christians – after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost – living together and  sharing everything in common – and recognized as associates of Christ [Acts 4:13] Future generations reading that line…read article

14th April 2020

My Little Friend Anne Marie’s Alleluia! I first met little Anne Marie on this very Easter Monday – 8th April 1985. I was on my first of nearly 20 visits to Lourdes with the Irish Children’s Pilgrimage. She was about 10 or 11 – and, like others with Down’s Syndrome, she was affectionate, tactile, generous…read article

7th April 2020

The other day I saw in a newspaper a photograph of a very busy Grafton Street – it looked a scene from the shop-till-you-drop Christmas shopping madness.  There was a caption underneath with the following three questions: When can we expect normality to return ? When our freedom returns, will it be by degrees –…read article

1st April 2020

A strange question, perhaps – but I hope it may make you think back for a moment and see that special tree in your mind’s eye. I am lucky that – even in these times of lockdown – I don’t have to go very far to actually see mine! I pass it several times a…read article

27th March 2020

Some years ago I spent a few weeks helping out in a parish in the middle of Paris. One morning I switched on to Radio Notre-Dame the station run by the Archdiocese.  The speaker asked a question: “Why do we all love to go to a night club?” He had my attention right away. He…read article

24th March 2020

Rest – read – work/walk – show love – be at peace – pray!   I came across those ten words the other day – in a church notice in Normandy – in a parish on the WWII Landing Beaches. Lion s/mer was liberated by the Royal Ulster Rifles in June 1944 – which gives…read article

20th March 2020

Last Thursday, TY students were visited by guest speaker Alex Hibbert – a polar expedition leader who spent six months living and working among the Polar Eskimos of remote northwest Greenland. The boys listened on intently as Alex recounted his journey into some of the harshest environments known to man. He explained that he had…read article