Tape Date: 7^th December 1998

Happy New Year from all the team here at 3R. We have a wide and varied tape to start 1998. In the aftermath of Christmas celebrations many people run into debt and money problems, we have an interview with the National Director of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service. As Christian Unity Week approaches (Jan.18th -25th) the Bishop of Limerick, the Most Revd. Donal Murray spoke to us about Christian Unity, and we also look forward to the festival of St. Brigid. Both Kenya and Algeria have been in the news lately, and we have pieces that look into the problems both countries face in the new year. We also have a piece on a new initiative to encourage young people to go to Mass - the rave Mass, and more thoughts from best-selling author Charles Handy.

1. Crossways: News in the Church and the World. In our main report this week we hear from Mary Lawlor, Director of Amnesty International. The Algerian Government has refused calls for an international inquiry into the hundreds of murders carried in Algeria recently. Amnesty International have called on the Irish Government to press for this inquiry. Mary Lawlor describes the kinds of things which have been happening in Algeria. The news was read by Alan McGuckian, SJ, and Elaine Comerford

Time: 7.03

2. Debt: Current episodes of Fair City remind us of the difficulties associated with debt and money lending. In 1992 the Money Advice and Budgeting Service was established by the Department of Social Welfare working in co-operation with Health Boards, Credit Unions, St. Vincent de Paul Society and other non-statutory groups. Now eighty professional money advisers cover most parts of the country. Huge numbers of people are availing of the service, working themselves out of debt and gaining access to credit at normal lending rates. Liam Edwards is National Director of the service and he talked to Marie Stuart, RSM, about dealing with debt in this post Christmas period and planning for First Communion and Confirmation expenses.

In: (Stuart) "For somebody who is ............ money on which to live" Out: (Edwards)

Time: 4.55

(Enclosed is a list of the telephone numbers of the local Money Advice and Budgeting Service offices lest you would like to contact the adviser in your area)

3. Poverty and the Meaning of Life: Charles Handy is a well-known broadcaster and renowned author. His books include Beyond Certainty, The Empty Raincoat and his latest publication The Hungry Spirit. On his recent visit to Dublin, Marie Stuart, RSM, talked to him about poverty and its effects on people. They went on to talk about the meaning of life and the change of heart needed to generate hope for the next century.

In: (Stuart) "You talk about your ................. hope for the next century" Out: (Handy)

Time: 5.40

4. Gangland Priest: Fr. Jarlath Cunnane is from the West of Ireland where he grew up with the local farm, local football field and the Parish Church. He then found himself working in Los Angeles, with 10 - 12 million people, a change he says he was not emotionally prepared for. Fr. Jarleth recently returned from Los Angeles having spent 18 years working among gangs. In this interview Alan Buckley asks him about life in Los Angeles among the gangs, and about the negative mentality which exists there.

In: (Cunnane ) "Los Angeles is probably.............ones are organised " Out: (Cunnane )

Time: 7.48

5. Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is marked by all the Churches each year between January 18th and 25th. Given that relationships between the Churches in Ireland have been characterised by some intemperate comments in recent times, many people feel that this year's week of prayer will be especially important. Martin Browne asked the Bishop of Limerick, the Most Revd. Donal Murray, what we mean by the term 'Christian Unity'.

In: (Murray) "Christian Unity is ........that Christ wishes for us." Out: (Murray)

Time: 6.18

Side Two:

1. Alcoholism: John Bradshaw is a world-renowned psychotherapist and author of many best sellers including Reclaiming the Inner Child and Shame. He has extensive experience in the area of alcoholism, being an alcoholic himself and having worked in treating alcoholism and many other addictions. When he was in Ireland recently Marie Stuart, RSM, talked to him about how a person who is addicted can be helped. First she asked him about his personal experience of alcoholism.

In:(Bradshaw) "I experienced my father ........... a meeting that day" Out: (Bradshaw)

Time: 6.07

2. Kenya: In 1998 Trocaire will celebrate 25 years of work with and for the poorest of poor people in the developing world. As part of the preparations for that celebration a number of people including Bishop Eamonn Walsh of Dublin visited Trocaire projects in Kenya and Rwanda. In Kenya, Trocaire helped the Maasai people provide a well and Bishop Walsh told Marie Stuart, RSM, about this project. He also talked about a project run by the Franciscan Brothers in Molo and his experience of one slum in Nairobi. In the wake of the elections in Kenya great difficulties face the country and Bishop Walsh reflects on some of these.

In:(Stuart) "On your trip to .................... them any other day apparently" Out: (Walsh)

Time:6.16

3. Dublin Slums: Dublin Slums 1800-1925 is a new book based on source materials ranging from public inquiries and property valuations, to the records created by women charity workers, such as Mary Alyward. Andrew Lawless spoke to author, Dr Jacinta Prunty, CHF, about the Church's response to the slums at the time. He began by asking about the implications of overcrowding on Dublin's slum population.

In: (Prunty) "The spur for reform........this is coming from." Out: (Prunty)

Time: 6.30

4. Festival of Brigid: The feast of St. Brigid, February 1st, marks the beginning of spring. Recent years have seen a renewal of interest in Brigid with pilgrims coming to Kildare, from all over the world, in large numbers. Over the past six years AfrI, the Brigidine Sisters and Cáirde Bhríde have organised a Conference to mark the feast. The theme of this year's conference is `On the threshold with nature'. Mary Minihan, a Brigidine Sister, talked to Marie Stuart, RSM, about the importance of Brigid and gave her the details of the forthcoming conference.

In: (Minihan)"The 1st of February .............the house that shelters you"Out: (Minihan)

Time: 5.51

(The celebrations take place over a four-day period, Fri. Jan 30th to Mon. Feb 2nd. Enclosed on a separate sheet are details of all the events, together with the telephone numbers of AfrI for further information on the conference and the Brigidine Sisters for details of other events. You might like to use this piece in advance of Feb. 1st lest some of your listeners are interested in attending the celebrations. We will have another piece on St. Brigid suitable for use on Feb. 1st.)

5. Rave Mass: American musician Greg Fromholz has lived in Ireland for the last eight years and is a member of the spiritual rock band Emmaus. He and his friend Dominic Greene were wondering how they could make Mass and Prayer more attractive to a younger age group. The solution they came up with was to mix popular dance/club culture with going to Mass. Robbie Foy spoke to Greg and asked to explain the Rave Mass and how the idea came about.

In: Music.................................................horse get away from us." Out: (Fromholz)

Time: 6.09

6. Finding my Mother: For a person who is adopted the search for their birth mother is always an emotional experience and often a very traumatic one. In this interview Maria, who is in her late thirties, talks to Marie Stuart, RSM, about her own experience of having it confirmed late in life that she was adopted, searching for her mother and eventually having a phone call from her birth mother.

In (Maria) `Well my own story ................. more intense than you expect (Maria)

Time: 6.33