This week we have items covering St. Brigid’s Day, The Presentation of the Lord and The Feast of St. Blaise. Fr. Sean McDonagh talks about the Third World Debt conference organised by the Irish School of Ecumenics and journalist Kevin Myers speaks about the Euro and it’s implications for Ireland. Fr. Edmund Grace SJ talks about the year of God the Father. Lesley Whiteside talks about her new book, The Book of Saints. Johnny McEvoy muses about his life and his music and Martina Lehane reports on Flame ’98, a celebration of faith, which attracted over 1,400 people in Galway.

Side A:

1. Crossways: News in the Church and the World. In our main report this week, we hear from Bishop Fiachra O’Ceallaigh on the Christian Churches joint statement calling for Irish people to provide a welcome to Refugees and Asylum seekers. The news was read by Alan McGuckian SJ and Martin Browne.

Time: 6.03

2. The Ethics of Debt Forgiveness: Muslim, Jewish and Christian perspectives on the Third World Debt Crisis were shared at a conference hosted by the Irish School of Ecumenics from 12th-13th January, where representatives of all three faiths joined in support of the Jubilee 2000 Campaign for debt cancellation. Peter Scally spoke to Fr Sean McDonagh of the Columban Missionaries, who was the keynote speaker from the Christian tradition, and asked him why the conference had been held.

In: (McDonagh) "Well the conference ……..won’t be any future." Out: (McDonagh) Time: 5. 47

3. Brigita and Brigid: Irish people have traditionally seen February 1st, the Feast day of Saint Brigid, as the first day of Spring. But long before Brigid was walking the plains of Kildare, Irish people honoured the pre-Christian goddess Brigida. Many of the characteristics attributed to Brigida and Brigid are similar. A painting by Deirdre Walsh at the new ‘Celtic Furrow’ centre near Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo reflects the qualities of these two powerful figures. While looking at the painting in the company of Father Frank Fahey recently, Martin Browne was intrigued by the depiction of a swastika. He asked Frank to explain.

In: (Fahey) "Well the swastika is…………vigour and spirituality." Out: (Fahey) Time: 5.45

4. The Year of God the Father: In preparation for the Millennium, the Church has been focusing on the three persons of the Blessed Trinity. This is the Year of God the Father and Edmond Grace SJ talked to Marie Stuart RSM about the meaning and significance of fatherhood. Edmond works as a curate in an inner city parish in Dublin. Some of his insights into fatherhood come from his experiences in the parish.

In: (Stuart)"Who is God ……………..….. something inclusive about it" Out: (Grace) Time: 5.50

5. Kevin Myers - Ireland and Europe: In a recent newspaper article, Irish Times columnist Kevin Myers stated that Ireland is ending the century in a comparable way to how she began it:- "Now we belong to another union, in which we are as fiscally dependent as we are militarily" (An Irishman’s Diary, The Irish Times, 05/01/’99). In view of these comments, and in the light of the official launch of the Euro, Mark Harkin went to speak to Mr Myers at the offices of The Irish Times about Ireland’s further integration into the EU.

In: (Harkin) "Bank balances………………..………century ago wasn’t." Out: (Myers) Time: 4.58

Side B:

1. The Presentation of the Lord: February 2nd is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, commonly called Candlemas. It recalls the day when Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem, and encountered the old people Simeon and Anna. Canon Mícheál Liston suggests that we might all learn from listening to those who are older and wiser than ourselves. This message is particularly apt for 1999 — the European Year of Older people. Mícheál, who is a parish priest in Limerick City, spoke to Martin Browne recently.

In: (Liston) "The way Saint Luke………………… have faith in God." Out: (Liston) Time: 5.00

2. Reflections with Johnny McEvoy: Johnny McEvoy set out to develop a career in advertising. At that stage, he was playing in pubs and clubs. Then he recorded Mursheen Durken and was catapulted into fame over night. It was a terrifying experience as he wasn't used to dealing with fame, or record companies or doing spots with big bands. For the past 35 years, he has been a professional musician. It wasn't easy in the early days when his children were small but now that they are grown up it's like his wife and himself are growing closer again and going out together is like going out on a date. Recently he talked to Marie Stuart RSM about his life and his music. She asked him when he first decided to become a full time musician.

In:(McEvoy)"I think maybe …………..… that would mean a lot to me" Out:(McEvoy)  Time: 5.48
(At the end of the interview Johnny refers to his new CD, the title of the CD is Portrait Johnny McEvoy)

3. The Feast of St. Blaise: In the Catholic calendar, February 3rd is the Feast of Saint Blaise, and in churches all over the country, people will be queuing up to get their throats blessed. But who was St Blaise? And what has he got to do with throats? Peter Scally asked these questions of Fr Fergus O'Donoghue SJ, who teaches Church History at the Milltown Institute in Dublin.

In: (O'Donoghue) "Authorities differ.…...… is meant to be about" Out: (O'Donoghue) Time: 4. 40

4. Flame '98: Martina Lehane works as a Faith Development Officer for Galway diocese. From February to August 1998, she met monthly with the priests of Galway diocese. Together they reflected on what was and wasn't happening for young people in the church. They concluded that young people do not need more studies or surveys, they need an experience of God. Flame '98 was a two-night event held in Knocknacarra church in Galway, where young people presented a journey from darkness into light. When Martina Lehane talked to Marie Stuart RSM about the event, she explained the idea behind it and the on-going impact it has had. Marie started by asking her exactly what happened on the two nights of Flame '98.

In: (Lehane)"In night one we ……. the offspring now, the mini flames" Out: (Lehane) Time: 5.05