St. Patrick's Day
Cobh
17 March 2026
A chairde,
Earlier this month the Annual Trócaire was given in Maynooth by Dr. Hugo Slim of Blackfriars Hall, Oxford. An English gentleman to his fingertips. His theme was “Care for Creation amidst the cries of War.” It was an excellent lecture but that’s not why I mention his talk. It was his words of introduction in which he commended the work of Trócaire, through which the “Irish genius is so evident, in its mission, its people and its ways of working.”
“Trócaire lives out great Irish and Catholic virtues everyday with communities around the world, where it shows immense kindness, lasting friendship, good humour, practical wisdom, and a strategic determination for justice and peace.”
High praise indeed. However, it was his next observation that really struck a chord when he said, “Trócaire does all this with the intelligence of faith – the intelligence of faith?” Intelligence of any kind is an ability and capacity to understand the nature of things. The intelligence of faith which we share deeply in our culture has been a long time in the making. We have been fashioned and forged by a unique history as an island people. Some commentators are prone to view our pre-Christian heritage as some idyllic age of civilisation which Christianity distorted. No less than St. Paul naming the unknown God to the Greeks, so too our best-known immigrant valued what he experienced and in successive generations fashioned a spirituality that embraced the language and culture and fused it with elements of European and Roman culture.
Migration has been a constant across our history – every period has witnessed both emigration and immigration. A vibrant economy like ours at this time, naturally provides opportunities for those seeking a better life. The numbers coming amongst us provides challenges on the part of all to seek integration. Despite some unseemly incidents, great efforts have been made by workplaces and schools to ease possible difficulties. We should take credit for that. Our history credits us with doing so.
Yet we must not underestimate the potential difficulties. If the economy slows down rapidly there are hazards that lie ahead.
With regard to emigration – this is an unusual time in our history that we have so many well-educated young people, who for a myriad of reasons, chose to live and work abroad. They too face the challenge of integration into a different culture.
A very important question prevails for this much changed Ireland. How would you go about taking a measure of what’s unfolding in the spiritual lives of people? Religious practice has fallen dramatically. Yet parents request the Sacraments for their children. It appears to be taken for granted – a formula without substance?
Then political turmoil generated by wars leave us wondering about leadership. This is not the kind of leadership that humanity deserves. It may move us to think more seriously about our own support for those who wish to build a society of virtue and values and to find their inspiration from what Patrick and others have left as a legacy of their lifetime.
On this St. Patrick’s Day, we renew our gratitude to God for the legacy of faith we inherit through his servant, Patrick.
As the world yearns for peace, we pray for the witness and work of the peacemakers.
As we share our island with many immigrants we pray for the gift of hospitality, patience and acceptance of the stranger in our midst.
