President's WelcomeThe handing on of the Presidential chain of office in the Clongowes Union is always an important, if relatively low-key, moment at the conclusion of the Rhetoric Graduation ceremony ......................the torch is handed on. This year the occasion was unique in that it is the first time the Union has had two brothers as President – and also the first time that three members of the same family have been honoured in this way. My Twin-Brother, John, held office in 2001, as did our Father, Charles, in 1956.
Clongowes has been more than just a school for me: for nearly half of my life it has been a home,my home, both as a Jesuit and as a past pupil. So my feelings can perhaps be imagined when, on Union Day, I was conferred with the honour of becoming the Union's 73rd President. It was a proud moment – but especially a moment of deep felt gratitude, for it was here (as well as in my Family) that my vocation was nurtured. It has also been my great good fortune as a Jesuit to have been assigned to my alma mater, where I have greatly enjoyed my time (twice-nine!) as Higher Line Prefect and also a term as Rector. Now I am simply another in the long tradition of Spiritual Fathers (to the Third Line) as well as being in my fifth decade of coaching rugby (admittedly at the rather ethereal level of Panel IV!)
My distinguished predecessor, David Kearney, has given of himself generously and tirelessly to the service of the Union and the College, as President and also as a Parent on the Board of Management. His dedication and commitment (especially in the hours spent on the road from the Cooley Mountains to meetings!) are a model which I will do well to follow – and I thank him, on behalf of us all,for what he has contributed. Our thanks are also due to the retiring Union Secretary, Peter McElwee, who has earned our admiration and gratitude for his unfailing courtesy, unflappability and efficient handling of Union affairs. I join David in thanking all the members of the Committee, especially our hard-working (and long-suffering!)Treasurer, Mark Lochrin, for their work to ensure that the Union continues to prosper.
For myself, I see the coming year as one in which I hope I can be of service to both the Union and the College.Given my personal role in times past in the privileged job of Higher Line Prefect, I hope to encourage many relatively recent OCs to become more involved in the Union and to strengthen their ties with their alma mater. It is known as calling-in-credit! – And I trust I will not be disappointed.
David, in his presidential address of welcome last year, recalled and underlined the objectives of the Union as set out in our Constitution (cf. our website – www.clongowes.net) He listed many of the activities of the Clongowes Union – the Plan of Service,the Benevolent Association, the Youth Club, the Satu Maré and Declan Collins projects, the twinning with Portora. This indicates how faithfully your Union is trying to take up the challenge of our former Fr General (Pedro Arrupe) to become men-for-others wherever we are called to live out our lives in this world of ours.
I say your Union advisedly – for, without you, the Union would have no purpose, no reason to exist. It exists both because of you and for you ............ The more you become actively involved in the Clongowes Union, the stronger will the Union become. The recently elected President of France, Nicolas Sarkosy, had, as his election slogan: Ensemble, tout est possible!(Together, everything is possible) Jesus Himself put it thus: Where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them! So, let us get together!
I see the Union's vocation as being at the service of others – the whole community of the College – the Society of Jesus –the Students and Staff and Parents – OCs - and everyone who is in need in any way in which we can be of help. We can do that by supporting the Union's projects – by showing interest in the welfare of the Clongowes of today – by welcoming the increasing emphasis on Jesuit ethos here –and by renewing our personal efforts to be men proud of our Ignatian heritage, confident in ourselves and generously sharing our riches with others – and remember, our greatest “riches” is ourselves!
I am happy and proud to be part of the community which is Clongowes to-day – my own “friends-in-the-Lord”,the Jesuits in the Community – our colleagues in the Staff in all areas of College life, be it in the classroom or in all the myriad areas where many unsung heroes look after the welfare of the Students.
Under the continuing and inspiring leadership of our Headmaster, Fr Leonard Moloney, the energetic and committed Board of Management, the Clongowes Foundation and the Foundation Office, the College has set itself an ambitious programme of enhanced buildings and scholarships. The “Master Plan” is very appropriately called Clongowes Towards 200. I hope that,in 2014, you will be able to celebrate the Bicentenary, proud of your College and its achievements – and confident in its future and in its contribution to the Ireland of tomorrow. One of the Characteristics of Jesuit Education is to prepare students for active participation in the service of others in their local community and the Church. As I write this word of welcome, a band of Poetry students is off in Lesotho on a Clongowes outreach programme in a country area, Malealea, and, at the end of June, I myself will accompany a group from Rhetoric to a similar building project in Kokstadt in KwaZuluNatal, South Africa. This is part of a ten-week summer commitment from the five Jesuit schools in Ireland [Belvedere – Coláiste Iognáid – Crescent – Gonzaga and ourselves] to work for the relief of children there with Friends-in-Ireland.
As an important objective of my presidency,I hope to help in the revival and renaissance of the Union's Branches.As a boarding school we have groups of OCs living, however scattered,throughout Ireland and all over the world. I would like to see us come together more frequently to share and enjoy our common heritage and to encourage each other to be faithful to our calling to be, indeed, and in deed, men-for-others. In as far as possible I will make myself available to attend any such gatherings – and would ask anyone organizing one to inform the Foundation Office [ louise@clongowesfoundation.com ] and also myself [ msheil@clongowes.net ] well in advance. For this to be successful all organizers need to keep the calendar of events up to date well in advance so book your date early and thus avoid clashes.
We live in a stressful world and need to call-a-halt from time to time. I would encourage more OCs to avail of the opportunity afforded by the Union's Annual Retreat (Holy Thursday to Good Friday here in Clongowes). It is an occasion to take time off to take brief stock of one's life and to profit from “touching base” with the Lord – the still point in our busy lives.
As I mentioned above, our Bicentenary Year beckons........... 2014 will be upon us very soon. We are now only just over a“generation” away from the Bicentenary year: Rudiments who will enter next September-twelve-months will be the Graduation year of 2014! I would like to help set in motion remote and proximate preparations – in co-operation with the College - to enable the Union to prepare well to mark and celebrate this important milestone in the history of Clongowes. Successful planning is not done overnight – and so I will be inviting you to offer your suggestions and practical help in many ways.
I would also like to see much more news of our Past Pupils in the annual Clongownian. In the past this has been an important historical record of the contributions made to society by our alumni – but, in recent years, the Editor has found a paucity of reports. So please send in news – either to myself or to the Editor - about yourself and your contemporaries so that we can celebrate your achievements in a fitting manner and record them in the annals of the College!
Lastly, I would like to mention the families and friends of deceased Old Clongownians. Too often the passing of a past pupil goes unnoticed by us – and this is a great pity. Please do not feel that you are imposing if you inform us,for we do want to know so that we can offer our sympathy and prayers,even if it may not always be possible to attend the funeral in person.We now have the tradition of celebrating an annual Mass for deceased Old Clongownians on the “middle” Sunday of November (18th Nov. this year) and we always like to be able to extend a special invitation to the family of those OCs who have been called home during the current year. Obituaries of OCs are particularly welcomed for the Clongownian –and they are an important record also - so do please send the min(preferably with a photograph, please)
As I begin my term as President of the Union, may I ask for your prayers – and, in turn, may I wish you and your families God's blessings and good health during the coming year. Together may we enrich each others' lives so that we may help make the world a better place, quite simply because, wherever we are, we will share with others what God has first shared with us (His Love, His gift of the talents each one of us has – for everything is gift and for giving away) may our sharing be a giving without conditions.
Michael Sheil S.J. |
