Sr.
Marie Paul shares with us some of her memories of the early foundation
in Ireland ....
"In 1963 two
Disciples of the Divine Master came from Italy to work in collaboration
with the Society of St. Paul and to offer their hours of adoration for
the progress of the mission of the Pauline Family in Ireland.
Then in the
year 1965 the sisters acquired their own convent in Ballykeeran with
sisters from Brazil, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, Mexico
and the Philippines.Those were the days of difficult beginnings but
since all the sisters were in their twenties they were able to face,
with courage, vigour and much laughter all that came their way. They
were good times.
During
those years the sisters supported themselves by making church vestments
and many priests came from afar to purchase them. On the 8th
December 1969, at the service of the Church, the Religious Goods Centre,
better known as the Liturgical Centre, was opened in Athlone, on Castle
Street. Then, in addition to church vestments, good quality religious
art pieces were on offer to the public. Religious art can help people
be mindful of an unseen God who cares for them, a God in whom they can
trust.
In 1981
the sisters bought the pub adjacent to them and built the present
convent building in Athlone. This made front page news in the newspapers
and was an item of interest even on Gay Byrne's morning chat show:
“NUNS BUY PUB”. However the nuns had a different "Spirit" in mind! In
fact the Chapel of Adoration is exactly on the spot of the former pub.
In 1983 the community of sisters transferred from Ballykeeran into the
new house on 8 Castle Street. When Pope John Paul II came to Ireland in
1979 all the papal flags were sold out and the sisters had to work day
and night to meet the demand with the queue for flags stretching from
Liturgical Centre and up the Main Street in Athlone.
History
of Adoration Programme in Athlone
The
official opening of the Chapel for Perpetual Adoration is dated in May
1985, with Mass celebrated by the late Bishop Dominic Conway in the
parish Church of Ss. Peter and Paul. He had great devotion to the
Eucharist and in his homily he stated that “the Eucharist is the
centre of the parish, the source of all graces”. For this reason he
strongly encouraged the people to be part of the Adoration Program. At
the end of Mass Bishop Conway carried the monstrance from the altar of
Ss. Peter and Paul and placed it on the altar of the Divine Master
Chapel of Perpetual Adoration. The procession was formed by priests and
a large following of people all singing hymns of praise. It was a joyful
and solemn moment in the history of Athlone!
Placing the
monstrance on the altar Bishop Dominic commented that this chapel was a
gem in our diocese and that many graces would flow from here for priests
and all people.At that time, between 300 and 400 men and women enrolled
in the Adoration Programme, committing themselves to spend one hour a
week in Adoration. Many of those are now reaping the glory in heaven
for the many hours they spent in keeping Jesus company in the Eucharist
here on earth.
A special thanks to all who keep the Adoration going day and night; and
to the good reader of this article please remember if at times you are
worried or can’t sleep at night know that there is always someone in the
Adoration Chapel praying for you. You are not alone! New members are
encouraged to join this great force of prayer in Athlone because “more things are wrought by prayer than this world ever dreams
of”.
Every year the sisters organize a Thanksgiving Mass and Social so that
all the Adorers can meet each other."
