E-mail: 3rproductions@tinet.ie

  I hope you enjoyed the Christmas holidays.  On our first tape this year we have a meditation for the forthcoming Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  We hear what it is like for a gay person to grow up in Irish society, and we look at the issue of dysfunctional families.  We also hear about the pre-budget submission of the Conference of Religious of Ireland.

Side One:

1. Crossways:  News in the Church and the World. For our main report this week Antoinette Harbourne asked Gerard Gallagher of the Catholic Youth Council what the Catholic Church can do to involve young people.  The news was read by Elaine Comerford and Liam Greene, SJ.

Time:  5.40

2. Growing Old - Victor Wheatley: Victor Wheatley is 76 years old, and is married with no children.  He talks to Kathleen Dooris RSM now about his apprehension for the future.

In   Wheatley:  "The first thing I'd like to say............beauty of thy peace"  Time:  5.14

3. Dysfunctional Families:  'Dysfunctional' is one of today's buzz words and is applied to families.  But have we always had them?  Kathleen Dooris RSM asks counsellor Alan O'Dwyer.

In  O'Dwyer:  "Yes, I think that would be..............................something like that." Time: 5.52

4. Bernard Lynch - Gay Experiences: Fr Bernard Lynch has been well known over the past ten years for his work in AIDS ministry.  As an openly gay man he has contributed to a recently published collection of pieces called Gay and Lesbian Visions of Ireland, Towards the 21st Century.  Graham Dowling asked him about his own experience of growing up as a gay person in Ireland.

In   Dowling:   "Bernard, you are a recent..............................and the least."  Time: 6.20
 
5. Bríde McGee - Future of the Church:  For the past ten years Bride McGee has worked in many ways with the Church.  She taught pastoral care in Milltown Institute, Dublin, and was involved in a lay team of formation with the Marist Fathers.  Bríde talks to Antoinette Harbourne about her vision for the future of the Church - a vision which would further involve trained lay people.

In   Harbourne:   "Do you not think that lay.....................their life to the Church." Time:  6.03
 

Side Two:

1. Jane Aidam - Trainee Teacher Programme: Jane Aidam (pronounced I-dam) has been Principal of Peki Teacher Training College in Ghana since 1922.  For a number of months she has been in Ireland as part of the Trainee Teacher Programme, organised by Interculture Ireland.  Ann Kennedy spoke to Jane and first asked her what the teacher programme is all about.

In Aidam: "The Interculture Ireland............and copying of notes."   Time:  3.16

2.  AIR the Breath of Life: 'Air is very intimately connected with prayer because some of the most ancient forms of prayer are praying with the breath', says Fr John O'Donohue, theologian, philosopher, writer and poet, as he continues his reflections on the four elements.  Enclosed this week is a photocopy of the covers of the books giving a little more information.

In  O'Donohue: "Now the third book..............refreshes you and renews you." Time:  2.52

3. FIRE at Home at the Hearth of Spirit:  John O'Donohue talks about Fire as 'one of the most classical and beautiful images of the power and creativity of God' in this final reflection on the four elements.

In  O'Donohue: "Now the fourth book..............there is passion there is God." Time:  3.29

4. AFrI - Weaving a New Vision: AFrI (Action from Ireland) was founded in 1975 by a Salesian missionary returned from India after 39 years.  The initial aim was to provide aid for India.  Despite the efforts of many agencies nothing was changing in the majority world, or third world as we might say.  In 1982 AFrI changed direction and started to focus on the causes of recurrent famine, hunger and food insecurity, which they identified as the arms trade, the debt issue and the inequality of wealth between the rich world and the poor world.  Over the past four years AFrI and the Brigidine Sisters in Kildare have organised a conference focusing on issues of Poverty and Injustice in the Third World, and possible Irish responses.  In this interview Joe Murray, Director of AFrI, talks to Marie Stuart RSM about the connection between AFrI and St Brigid and about the forthcoming conference.  Conference brochure enclosed.

In:  Stuart:  "What's the connection.......................of which they are victims." Time:  5.38
 
5. Reflection - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity:  All the main Christian Churches mark the period from the 18th to the 25th of January each year as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  This year we present a meditation on Christian Unity by Fr Michael Hurley, SJ.  Fr Hurley is the founder and a former director of both the Irish School of Ecumenics and of the Columbanus Community of Reconciliation in Belfast.

In  Hurley:  "For me.........................grow and develop in our parishes."  Time:  9.55

6.  CORI Pre-Budget Proposals: In the run up to the budget many groups are putting forward proposals as to how the National cake should be divided.  CORI - the Conference of Religious of Ireland - believe that we need a different model if we are to address the questions of poverty and exclusion.  Marie Stuart RSM asked Fr Sean Healy about their proposals.

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