Side One:

1. Crossways: News in the church and the World. In our main report this week, we hear from Archbishop Oscar Rodriguez of Honduras who is the Pope’s spokesman on the debt question. The news was read by Alan McGuckian and Paula O’Gorman.

Time: 6.43

2. Patrick Comerford on Lent: Patrick Comerford, foreign correspondent with the Irish Times is a member of the Church of Ireland parish of St. Maelruan’s in Tallaght. He talks to Alan McGuckian, SJ about the meaning of Lent in the Church of Ireland.

In: (McGuckian) "Is there a penitential feel….…..that Wednesday." Out: (Comerford)

Time: 5.35

3. St. Patrick's Day in Birmingham: There are more Irish people living abroad than in Ireland itself, and St Patrick's Day is often a big event for these ex-patriots. But why do young people still leave our shores, and what is life like for them abroad? Rosalyn Comerford left Castelcomer, Co Kilkenny, four months ago. Peter Scally met her serving drinks in the Dubliner pub in Birmingham, and asked her what her plans were for St Patrick's Day, and the rest of her life....

In: (Comerford)"Erm, stay working…............. have all the dreams." Out: (Comerford)

Time: 5.22

4. Beatification of Nicolas Barré: On Sunday March 7^th Nicolas Barré will be beatified in Rome. Born in France in 1621, he became a Minim Father and founded the Infant Jesus Sisters. (In some parts of the country they are better known as the Drishane Sisters.) Nicolas Barré was a man of extraordinary insight and wisdom, a man before his time. Marie Stuart RSM talked to Sr. Peter Fahy IJ about the kind of person Nicolas was and about what motivated him in his life and work. Sr. Peter lives in Millstreet and teaches in Ballincollig in Cork.

In: (Stuart) ‘Tell me a bit ………. must be treated as their own needs are’ Out: (Fahy)

Time: 5.19

5. Archbishop Oscar Rodriguez - Campaign for the cancellation of unpayable debt: Archbishop Oscar Rodriguez from Honduras is the Pope’s spokesman on debt in the developing world, and he has represented the Vatican at meetings with world leaders, the World Bank and the IMF. He’s an expert on the debt crisis, having first hand experience of the situation relating to debt in Honduras both before and after Hurricane Mitch. His campaign for the cancellation of unpayable debt in Central American and African countries is part of the Jubilee 2000 campaign. Mark Harkin asked him how the two are linked.

In: (Rodriguez) "Well, the Holy Father………want you to develop." Out: (Rodriguez)

Time: 4.33

Side Two:

1. Changes in Local Government: What do you know about the changes that are coming in local Government, that is in our Co. Council? Are you involved in a voluntary group or organisation? If so do you know that your group could get involved with the Co. Council and have input into planning for the county? Dan O’Connell explained the changes that are coming to Marie Stuart RSM and told her how local voluntary, community and disadvantaged groups could get involved. Dan is a Vincentian priest who works in the parish of the Travelling people in Dublin.

In: (Stuart) ‘We’ve had a lot …… ………...of the person you make’ Out: (O’Connell)

Time: 5.19

2. Seoda Outreach Volunteers: A year out for young women, spent living in community and working on social projects in Limerick. That’s what’s planned when the first group of Seoda Outreach Volunteers get together next September. This new project is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, and is being developed by a group of recent Mercy past pupils. One of them, Aoife Darcy, spoke to Martin Browne.

In: (Browne) "What is, or what…………………….……in that respect." Out: (Darcy)

Time: 4.31

(People interested in knowing more about Seoda Outreach Volunteers should contact Sr Anne Doyle, 4 Lacken View, Naas, Co Kildare. Tel: 045-874168.)

3. Green Paper on Adult Education: The International Literacy Survey

conducted in 1996 has shown an alarming standard of Adult Literacy in Ireland. Of the twelve countries surveyed, Ireland was the second worse with 25% of the Adult population having literacy problems. Tom Collins, Director of the centre for Adult and Community Education in National University of Ireland, Maynooth, talked to John O’Reilly about the recent Green Paper on Adult Education. Tom was one of the people behind the Green Paper. John started off by asking him for more details about the International Literacy Survey.

In: (Collins) "The recent International…..…for getting a qualification." Out: (Collins)

Time: 5.24

4. Challenging Voices: Challenging Voices, Pathways to Change is the title of a study, which was launched in Knock recently. (Launched on March 1^st) The study focuses on the experiences of groups of people in eight Western counties who are not doing well in our Celtic tiger economy. Groups in the study include people who are unemployed, women, people who had disabilities, travelers, refugees and asylum seekers and people who are homosexual. Marie Stuart RSM talked to Siobhán Airey, author of the report, about it’s findings and what is to be learned from it. First she asked her about the aims of the report.

In: (Airey) "The aims of the study ……...… tackle those at a broad level" Out: (Airey)

Time: 5.55

(Copies of the report are available from Caoineas, Society Street, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway. Tel: 0905 45202. Cost: £5 plus £2 p&p)

5. Patrick the Pilgrim: Pilgrimage is a word that’s being mentioned a lot in the run-up to the celebration of the Millennium. Perhaps the most significant of all Christian pilgrims in Ireland was Saint Patrick, a man who left his own family and people in order to travel through Ireland sharing the Good News. Martin Browne explored this whole idea of Patrick as a pilgrim with Fr Frank Fahey from Ballintubber Abbey.

In: (Browne) "Was Patrick a pilgrim………………..a rebel and worse.." Out: (Fahey)

Time: 4.36