Bishop Cullinan defends Good Friday alcohol ban - CatholicIreland.net

What kind of example is Irish society setting its young people if it cannot do without alcohol being on sale for one day."
                                  

What kind of example is Irish society setting its young people if it cannot do without alcohol being on sale for one day, the Bishop of Waterford & Lismore has questioned, as he defended the Good Friday alcohol ban.

In a letter to the Irish Independent, Bishop Phonsie Cullinan on Thursday warned that the problems associated with the abuse of alcohol are there for all to see.

He said these problems were evident especially in terms of the health impact on the individual, damage to family stability, and public order offences.

“If Ireland can at least do without the sale of alcohol on Good Friday, we can show our young people that alcohol does not have to be an integral part of our national character and, as importantly, that we can restrain ourselves for a higher goal at least to some degree,” he wrote.

In recent days it has been claimed that the ban on the sale of alcohol on Good Friday is “archaic” and “discriminatory” and causes a loss of income to the pub trade especially during this year when the 2016 celebrations will be particularly intense around Easter.

In reply to this, the Bishop said, “we should ask why we have the ban on the sale of alcohol on that day in the first instance”.

“Good Friday is one of the most sacred days of the year. It is called ‘good’ because it is the day on which the Saviour was put to death for us and opened for us the way to eternal life. The ban is a mark of respect for the Lord and what He did for us, and helps us to make this sacrifice for Him who sacrificed everything for us,” the leader of the Church in the diocese of Waterford & Lismore said.
He acknowledged that some will object and say that this day is therefore only for Catholics and other Christians and only for practicing ones, and that the ban therefore discriminates against those of other religions or none.

Responding he said, “If that is the case, then in order to be consistent our society would have to get rid of the public celebration of all Christian feast days which affect the public calendar: Christmas, Easter, St Patrick’s Day, St Valentine’s Day, etc., since all of these days were established, and are still celebrated, as religious feast days.”

28th June 2015 - Interview with Bishop Phonsie Cullinan

On this weeks programme John interviews Fr (as he was then) Phonsie Cullinan in advance of his consecration as bishop of Waterford and Lismore. Bishop Phonsie had been a guest on the programme and a great supporter of SS102fm and the SS102fm wishes him the very best as he takes up his new ministry in Waterford & Lismore.

You can listen to the podcast of this weeks programme here.

Interview with Bishop Phonsie Cullinan

Bishop Cullinan was born in Lahinch, County Clare in 1959 to Christy and Rita and has four sisters and five brothers.  He was a priest of the diocese of Limerick.  His family moved to Limerick city where he attended the Salesians for early education, John F Kennedy National School and the Crescent College Comprehensive (SJ) for his secondary education.  From 1978-1981 he attended Mary Immaculate College of Education Limerick and qualified as a primary teacher (B.Ed) in 1981, and taught for six years in Castleconnell, County Limerick. He worked part-time during that time for four years with the Bunratty Castle Entertainers before going to Spain where he taught English for two years in a school in Valladolid.  

Bishop Cullinan studied at Saint Patrick’s College Maynooth from 1989-95 where he completed an STL (Licentiate in Theology).  He was ordained by Bishop Jeremiah Newman in 1994 in Saint John’s Cathedral, Limerick, and appointed Curate in Saint Munchin’s Parish Limerick city 1995-1996.  Father Cullinan’s next appointment was as chaplain to the Regional Hospital in Limerick from 1996 until 2001.  He studied for his doctorate in moral theology in the Alfonsianum in Rome 2001-2004.  Appointed chaplain to the Limerick Institute of Technology 2004-2011.   He was appointed Parish Priest of Rathkeale , County Limerick in 2011.

On April 12th 2015, Bishop Cullinan was consecrated bishop of Waterford & Lismore. The Diocese of Waterford & Lismore includes County Waterford, and part of Counties Tipperary and Cork.  There are 45 parishes, 85 Churches and a Catholic population of 152,107.  The patrons of the Diocese are Saint Otteran, Saint Carthage and Saint Declan.

You can listen to the interview with Bishop Phonsie extracted from the main programme podcast here.

Coverage of the episcopal ordination here.

Gospel - Mark 5: 21-43

The Healing of a Sick Woman by Bulgarian Artist Julia Stankova
(painting on wood panel; 2010).
Source

When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Sunday Reflections
Centre for Liturgy
Ennis Blue
Word on Fire
Limerick Diocese weekly newsletter

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours: Psalter week 1; 13th Week in ordinary time

Saints of the Week:

29th June - Ss Peter & Paul (Apostles)
30th June - The First Martyrs of Rome
1st July - St Oliver Plunkett
2nd July - Saint Bernadine Realino
3rd July - St Thomas (Apostle)
4th July - St Elizabeth of Portugal 

Ordination of new bishop for Waterford & Lismore

SS102fm joins in the congratulations to Bishop Phoncie Cullinan on his episcopal ordination yesterday. A friend of the programme who has contributed on a number of occasions to discussion and reflections we wish him every blessing and best wish as he takes up this new role serving the people of Waterford & Lismore. What is Limerick's loss is their gain.

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From Catholic Ireland.net:
 

“We put ourselves at the service of others especially those most in need in our society: the poor, the sick, the vulnerable, those who feel alienated from God”. 

 

On Sunday, the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore saw the torch of leadership “passed from one fine man to another” as Bishop William Lee presided at the ordination of his successor Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan. 

In his words of welcome as chief ordaining prelate, Bishop Lee told the incoming bishop that the ceremony was “a historic day” for all in the diocese.

 

 “We are privileged, Fr Phoncie, to have you as our bishop and you are certainly privileged to be entrusted with the care of the diocese of Waterford & Lismore,” he said.

 

 Noting that the ordination was taking place on Divine Mercy Sunday, Bishop Lee said mercy and love have been central to Pope Francis’ message since his election.

 

 Bishop Lee was assisted by Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly of Cashel & Emily, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown. 

The Apostolic Mandate from Pope Francis was read by Mgr Nicholas O’Mahony, the Administrator of the diocese.

 

The Mass was concelebrated by 29 bishops including Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, and Archbishop Michael Neary, as well as priests of the diocese of Waterford & Lismore and Limerick.

 

Other Christian denominations in the Waterford area included representatives from the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church, the Methodist Church, the Russian Orthodox and the Coptic Churches. 

President Michael D Higgins was represented by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Kiernan and the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny was represented by Commandant Kieran Carey.

 

In his homily, Mgr Michael Olden explained that Bishop Cullinan is the 26th Bishop of Waterford and Lismore since the Reformation and the second Limerick priest to ‘take possession’ of the See.

 

Through his new role in Waterford & Lismore, Bishop Alphonsus would enter into a Christian legacy that stretches back even to pre-Christian times and to long before dioceses or parishes came into existence in the 12th century.

   

Continue reading HERE
 
Other links about the ordination of the new bishop:

• Diocese of Waterford & Lismore including photos
• Coverage from RTE, Irish Times and Irish Examiner
• Some photos on Diocese of Limerick Facebook page