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Caring for the dying: Reflecting on End of Life

24 May 2013 in /by

We all need to love and to be loved. We all have a need for relationship and for respect. We all need to know our story has been heard. These needs come into sharp focus when we know we are dying. This wisdom was presented at the End of Life Seminar recently organised by the […]

Signs of life: Alleluia!

12 April 2013 in /by

We continue our thoughts on wellbeing through Easter with a new series, Signs of Life. This story is contributed by the Rev Daniel Nuzum, who serves as a chaplain at Cork University Hospital. You can find more of his writing at Soulbalm. John (not his real name) had lived with Motor Neurone Disease for many […]

Lent and Well-being: Enough is enough

27 March 2013 in /by

So here we are in Holy Week, and while tomorrow, Maundy Thursday, I’ll be thinking about Jesus in the Garden, begging his friends to stay with him, to pray with him, and all the anguish that follows before we emerge blinking into the light of Easter resurrection, today my thoughts are bent in a different […]

Lent and Well-being: Telling stories

22 March 2013 in /by

I remember a much-loved literature professor impressing upon us the importance of story. ‘Why does it matter?’ he asked. ‘Because that’s what we are. You’re more than a personality; you’re more than your DNA. You’re a story, and your story is unique. Even if you and your identical twin did exactly the same things side […]

Lent and Well-being: Quiet Day

14 March 2013 in /by

The Dublin & Glendalough Diocesan Committee of the Church’s Ministry of Healing hosted a Lenten Quiet Day last Saturday. The following report comes from one of the attendees, Hilary Ardis: Those of us who were able to attend the Quiet Day on 9th March were so grateful to our speaker, Bishop Patrick Rooke, who introduced […]

End of Life Seminar

8 March 2013 in /by

The Dublin & Glendalough Diocesan Committee has organised a seminar on End of Life for those serving in parochial ministry. From the brochure:  During his Presidential address at the Diocesan Synod in October Archbishop Michael outlined some areas that he would like to highlight in the years ahead. One of these was our response to […]

Lent and Well-being: Re-filling the feeder

7 March 2013 in /by

The Underworld By Sharon Bryan When I lived in the foothills birds flocked to the feeder: house finches, goldfinches, skyblue lazuli buntings, impeccably dressed chickadees, sparrows in work clothes, even hummingbirds fastforwarding through the trees. Some of them disappeared after a week, headed north, I thought, with the sun. But the first cool day they […]

Lent and Well-being: White space

27 February 2013 in /by

No one can say I don’t pay attention to a good sermon. One of my favourites was delivered several years ago by the Reverend Canon Maureen Ryan–priest, writer, and poet. Her sermon, preached at Trinity College Chapel and now published in the chaplaincy journal Spiorad (Spring 2012 issue), was entitled ‘Lent as Poetry’. Since just […]

Lent and Well-being: One-minute meditation

20 February 2013 in /by

Yesterday’s mention of the one-minute vacation led me to this video of the one-minute meditation.  Focusing on our breath not only slows us down, relaxes tensions, and improves circulation, but it also reminds us of God’s immanent presence. It reminds us that we are God-breathed, that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (or Wind […]