Aidan Troy

Had a wedding in Tooreen, Co. Mayo, last week. Visited Knock Shrine with the local priest of the parish. What a prayerful place. Got back to Dublin in time to get to Croke Park for the All-Ireland Football Final. Good wins for Armagh (Minor) and Kerry. Next year watch out for Wicklow! Back to Paris next day to deliver a talk to American Catholic Women’s Organisation in Paris. This was my second time addressing this group.

Have signed up for a full medical examination, half of which takes place tomorrow. This is part of the Ministry of Health preventative policy. Hope all turns out ok.   AT

Got back Friday lunch- time from a retreat I was making at Trosly-Breuil, a l’Arche community. The retreat was organised for 35 Irish priests as part of the year of the priest (2009-2010). The retreat director was Jean Vanier, 81 years of age today, who founded l’Arche (Ark) over forty years ago. l’Arche has spread all over the world providing a community of love and care for the people with severe mental and physical needs. To say the retreat was amazing is a total understatement. In time, I would hope to be able to spell out something of what happened and what it meant to me. It is good to be back and ready for another weekend at St Joseph’s Church. Catching up on letters, emails, etc is keeping me busy all afternoon and into the evening. I think I will turn over to RTE on the computer and have a look at the Late Late for a while.                                                         AT

It was with sadness that I emptied the holy water fonts in St Joseph’s Church and sealed them with cardboard for the time being. This is part of our effort at preventing ’swine ‘flu’. The Ardiocese of Paris has issued some helpful suggestions without imposing anything. In this  week’s bulletin, I have suggested that the handshake at the sign of peace can be replaced  with a bow or a salute. Receiving Holy Communion in the hand rather than on the tongue is being encouraged, without, of course, prohibiting receiving on the tongue. At the morning Mass on weekdays, Communion is given under both species. Receiving by intinction (placing the Host into the chalice) rather than drinking from the chalice is being encouraged. Posters have been placed on toilet doors beside the church, highlighting the importance of washing hands and the use of handkerchiefs. It will be interesting to see what the reaction is this weekend. While we pray and hope there will not be an outbreak of this deadly illness, it is only responsible to take whatever steps we can as a community and as individuals to prevent the spread of this illness. With schools reopening this week, the French press has been full of comments and instructions about how to protect pupils from catching and spreading the illness.                               AT                                                

People coming back into the city after the summer break. Schools have reopened and a lot more traffic. Going on my annual retreat next week under the direction of Jean Vanier of l’Arche community outside Paris. Will be one year here on 28th September.                  AT