Postulator’s Desk
Autumn 2005
Summer Happenings (and Some
Non-Events!)
(1)
Mea Culpa!
Now
that I am back at my desk after a busy summer of events, a
belated apology for a breakdown in communications from this end.
Work and vacation took me to various places in Ireland and
England during parts of July and August, and every other day
that I was away from base, I checked on my e-mail. Most days I
received a few messages, and I presumed that I was receiving
all my incoming messages. Imagine my horror on my return to
Rome to find that there was a batch of about 100 messages that
had not been passed on! How did the machine decide which ones to
forward and which ones to retain? I am not a computer whiz kid,
but I would really like to know! One of the messages that I did
NOT receive was a message from Br Tim Smyth, Promoter for North
America in early August proposing that he and I organise a tour
to meet groups of Edmund Rice supporters across the US beginning
in mid-September. Seeing that I did not read the message until
my return to Rome on 2 September (and Tim was wondering why I
was not replying, I imagine!), we have had to cancel the
American trip until Lent 2006. Sorry about that, but there were
too many people in too many places to contact at too short
notice, and I had no air ticket booked! Such is life with
modern technology!
(2) Death of Bridget Mayberry
I
received the sad news while I was on holidays in Dover in Kent,
UK, that Bridget Mayberry, one of the people we were praying for
during our Annual International Novena, died and went to God on
14 July. I had really hoped that she would be cured of her
cancer but God who sees the larger picture decided to take her
home to himself. She was only 29 years of age and leaves a
sorrowing husband, Doug, and a sick little boy, Cody. I had
already informed all the Congregation centres on 1 July that
Bridget was seriously ill and that our prayers should be
continued. On hearing of her death, I once again informed Joyce
Hunter in Rome, Secretary to the CLT, who passed on the news to
our various Province Centres, etc. Being holiday time in the
northern hemisphere, I am not sure if the news reached too many
of our Brothers there.
Bonnie
Schott, Bridget’s wonderful aunt (and mother of Katie, Daire
Keogh’s wife), did most to organise the novena. Here is her
e-mail message announcing the death of Bridget:
“I
want to thank all of you for all your prayers for my niece,
Bridget Mayberry. She died today (July 14) at about 2.40 p.m.
It was very sad. She leaves behind a husband and baby boy who
adored her. She was 29 years old. Her mother died at the exact
same age. Looking back, her mom (my sister) had the Light Chain
Deposition Disease like Bridget, but it was not being diagnosed
at that time. Bridget had many other problems connected to the
chemo treatments she had for the Lymphoma. She is now in heaven
with her mom and her baby sister she never knew.
God
was with us the whole way. All of her family supported her
100%. I was very grateful that Joe and I were with her when she
died. We are her godparents. We could not be with her when she
was baptized at birth, because they had to do it very quickly in
the hospital because they didn’t think she was going to make it
then, because she was born a little too soon. But God in His
Infinite Goodness saw to it that we would be with her at the
time of her death.
Bridget was baptized at birth, but after her mother died, she
was not raised a Catholic. But she was able to receive her
First Holy Communion this month, and Fr Wilmoth anointed her six
days before she died. Today I was able to say the Divine Mercy
Chaplet by her side when they took off the ventilator. May she
rest in peace. Many thanks again for all your love and support
and prayers. Please continue to pray for her family. Bonnie.”
In a
previous e-mail, Bonnie described for me Bridget’s First Holy
Communion:
“I
gave her his First Holy Communion today (29 June). It was very
peaceful and wonderful at the same time. It was like watching a
little innocent lamb eat its first meal. Her faith and hope in
God is phenomenal for a girl who has never had any real
religious training. Other than what she has seen through
example. She had more reverence for the Eucharist than 99% of
the people (including myself) going to Communion these days. We
talked about it a little, and I offered a short prayer after she
received Our Lord. Thank God no nurses or doctors or visitors
came in during our “First Communion Time”. That is a miracle in
itself. Later she showed me that she had Doug bring her Blessed
Edmund Rice relic to the hospital and she keeps it in her little
drawer all the time now. God was there in full force today, and
I am sure that Joe and Hazel Burns were there, too, along with
her mom and sister. It was a privilege to be there.”
All I
know is that there is a new saint in Heaven talking to Blessed
Edmund., and how fortunate Bridget was to have an aunt like
Bonnie! Let us keep them all in our prayers. I am sad for the
family and, yet, happy for Bridget. May she rest in peace. My
thank too to Br Tim Smyth, Edmund Rice Promoter for North
America, who drove from Chicago to Indianapolis, and spent two
days with the family. I’m sure Blessed Edmund would approve.
(3) The Presentation Brothers’ General Chapter.
I
attended the first week of the General Chapter of the
Presentation Brothers as a guest. This year, the Presentation
Brothers, in a journey back to their roots, held their General
Chapter in Waterford during July 2005. They had hoped to have
it in Mount Sion itself, but current renovations being carried
out there precluded this. The new international community is
settling in well. The Pres. Brothers settled instead for the
Sacred Heart Fathers’ Retreat Centre, Gracedieu, and made a
memorable pilgrimage to Edmund’s Blessed Sacrament Chapel, Mount
Sion, on Friday, 22 July. It was moving to see Edmund’s two
successors, Br Andrew Hickey, Leader of the Pres. Brothers, and
Br Philip Pinto, Leader of the Christian Brothers, who had
travelled from Rome, praying before the Blessed Sacrament side
by side, while the rest of us supported them by our presence. On
Saturday, 23 July, I gave an update on the Cause of Blessed
Edmund to a group of about 200 Pres Associates who had gathered
for an Open Day. In mentioning the death of Bridget Mayberry, I
burst into tears, and took a minute to regain my composure. A
sympathetic audience shared with me afterwards that this was the
most powerful part of my presentation, as I was obviously
speaking from the heart. Something about ‘the Heart of being
Brother’ perhaps?
In the
subsequent elections, Br Martin Kenneally was chosen as the new
Congregation Leader. Our congratulations and prayers reach out
to him. His predecessor, Br Andrew, remains on as a member of
the Leadership Team. Martin, as you know, is Vice-Postulator
for the Edmund Rice Cause. I will now be requesting him to
supply me with the name of another Pres. Brother to present to
the Vatican to succeed him as Vice-Postulator.
(4) ‘Heart of being Brother’ Retreat, August
In
August I attended a week’s Retreat with a group of 45 Christian
Brothers over in Esker Retreat Centre, Athenry, Co. Galway. The
theme, ‘The Heart of being Brother’, was suggested at our last
General Chapter in Rome, 2002. The idea is to get us to think
with our heart rather than with our head about what it means to
be a Christian Brother today and to get to grips with our recent
history of brokenness (and giftedness). Our community
aspiration, “Live Jesus in our hearts forever” may have much to
say to us in our journey. Last year’s Retreat was directed by Br
Philip Pinto and Mrs. Monica O’Reilly and was soul-stirring.
This year’s retreat was no less soul-stirring and challenging.
It was directed by Br Barry Lynch, former Provincial of Canada,
and Mrs Monica O’Reilly. Towards the end I made an input on the
present state of the Edmund Rice Cause and what we can all do,
in our own small ways.
So here
I am back at Rome once more. I will do my best to keep in touch
and, if anything momentous happens regarding Causes at this end,
you will know immediately. In the meantime, please keep up your
prayers and good works. The real Edmund Rice initiative, of
course, goes on where you, and others like you, share his
giftedness with others, in ways both small and great, even if
it’s only “crossing a street to help a neighbour for the love of
God.” You are the ones who will canonise Edmund. What will
happen in Rome will be the icing on the cake! Blessed Edmund,
pray for us now and at the hour of our death.
-Br
Donal S. Blake CFC,
Edmund
Rice Postulator/
Congregation Historian,
+39 06
360 8971
20
September 2005
