In 1947, at the age of 7, my father volunteered me to serve Mass for the first time. It was in a convent in Donnybrook full of nuns. From there I went on to serve Mass in my own parish in Mount Merrion. My pal and I volunteered to serve at any church function on offer, not because we were little angels, but as an excuse to get out of the house in the evening times. In those days there were many different church functions, including week long retreats for men and then for women. Of note was that when it came to the homily at the women's retreat, the priest would signal us two to leave the altar and go into the sacristy where we could not hear what he said to the female congregation.
As you can guess I knew my faith and lived through the times where on a Sunday morning the streets of Dublin were alive with people going to and coming from Mass. 7.30, 8, 9, and 10-o-clock masses served Holy Communion, but not 11 or 12. Probably because one had top fast from midnight. In my college in the 50s all the teachers were priests, up to 50 of them. Today not one priest teaches in that college where Archbishop Lefebvre's order once did. I remember 100 Christian brothers out for a walk from their house and lands, a place now a Raddison hotel.
I lived to see Vatican II, the New Mass and girl servers, the tearing out of the altar rails, moving tabernacles, getting rid of so many sacramentals. I once saved three beautiful church wooden and brass crucifixes from a skip. I saw bishops and priests confused trying to keep Catholicism Catholic. No matter how much we complained we were told Rome gave the orders that must be obeyed. In those days you did obey when popes told you to do things. I recall word going out that nuns were to get out of their convents, take off their hoods and do social work instead of praying. Priests were told to say the new Protestant form of Mass. Slowly both priests, nuns and Christian Brothers began to disappear and their property sold off.
In the 1960s also came about the sɛҳuąƖ revolution. With Vatican II, Satan timed it well. In Ireland women took over the drive for contraception. Over the years came divorce, then abortion and a ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖ revolution. Everywhere rainbows are to be seen and they hold a march every year through the capital Dublin supported by thousands.
A few comments made already. Yes, RTE's gαy Byrne's Late Late did dreadful damage. This was a show with guests etc, the most watched show in Ireland. He demonstrated how to use a condom on it once, shocking most watching it. He exposed a popular bishop and priest as having fathered sons by bringing the mother on the show. Then there were scandals galore over the years. Ireland's RTE, radio and TV station have been run by ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖs since the 1950s. My brother got a job in it and left after a few weeks left and fled to England. He told me he left because it was so homo he couldn't stay there. Its the same today.
I recall there was a fair number of Jews in Dublin. I used to see shops cater to their foods. Over the years, when Isreal became their new home, most left.
Archbishop McQuade was one bishop who thought he could put Vatican II aside. He was always traditional. But Rome had ordered that Catholicism was to be taken out of politics and there was no longer to be a special place for Catholicism. I knew a couple who were in "Maria Duce" an organisation that defended Catholic politics. Two years ago, when the people of Ireland voted for abortion and homo 'marriages,' she said she wanted to die, to get out of this Hell. She did die. Obviously McQuade was ordered to do things he did not want to do. In no time at all he was replaced.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Charles_McQuaidPlease excuse any typo errors.
Topic: 'Have sex online' to limit spread of virus, advises Ireland's HSE (Read 681 times)