Edited by John Littleton and Eamon Maher
As part of their ongoing attempt to map the evolution of contemporary Irish Catholicism, the editors invited people to share their experience of what being Catholic means to them. It was not an easy task to get twenty-two individuals to commit to such a project. In the current religious atmosphere of Ireland, with the horrific revelations of the Ryan Report fresh in people's minds, and the findings of the investigation into the handling of clerical sex abuse in the Dublin Diocese about to be made public, it is clearly not an easy time to be a Catholic in Ireland.
One might expect a book like this to be tinged with pessimism and bitterness. However, this is not the case. Even those who have suffered huge psychological pain at the hands of priests and the institutional Church, still retain nostalgic memories of the comfort of seeing the Sacred Heart lamp burning in the kitchen, or the awe-inspiring beauty of religious ceremonies and rituals, the security of feeling part of a community. There is also a welcome mix between what might be considered the 'conservative' and 'liberal' camps of Irish Catholicism. The book will be compelling reading for anyone interested in the significant role Catholicism plays in contemporary Irish society.
The contributors include: Conor Brady, Finola Bruton, Patricia Casey, Thomas Finegan, Mark Patrick Hederman, Seán Kelly, Mary T. Malone, Enda McDonagh, Patsy McGarry, Peter McVerry, Andrew O'Connell, Mary O'Donnell, Colm O'Gorman, Nuala O'Loan, Mary O'Rourke, Garry O'Sullivan, David Quinn, William Reville, Brendan Ryan, Aidan Troy, D. Vincent Twomey, John Waters.
John Littleton is Head of Distance Education at The Priory Institute, Tallaght. Eamon Maher is Director of the National Centre for Franco-Irish Studies in IT Tallaght.