On 1st January, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the presence of the Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in the parish of Wexford and in the diocese of Ferns who arrived in Bride St on New Year's Day 1875. For the past century and a half, these sisters have dedicated themselves to the ministry of listening, presence, intercession and prayer for the people of Wexford and beyond. Pictured above is Bishop Ger cutting a cake with Srs. Finbarr, Peter, Dominic and Gabriel after the Mass of thanksgiving that was attended by a packed congregation in Bride St. In his homily below, Bishop Ger led the congregation in thanksgiving to God and in appreciation of the contribution of the Sisters to the faith life of Wexford parish and the diocese of Ferns.
Bishop Ger's homily, Bride St, 1st January 2025.
As we gather here this morning to celebrate 150 years of ministry by the Sisters of the Adoration, the word that springs to mind is the word PRESENCE. Not presents, like we might have received at Christmas but PRESENCE – the great gift of putting ourselves aside and truly being aware of the presence of another. Today is 150 years since the work begun by Bishop Furlong, who had a firm belief in the value of Eucharistic Adoration of the Presence of Jesus invited Sisters of Marie Repatrice to help found a house of Adoration here in Ferns. 150 years ago, the memory of the Famine was beginning to fade, as younger generations were being born who had no memory of it. The great rebellion of 1798 was approaching it’s centenary and a lot of the old grievances that Catholics had were being laid to rest. People were still poor but it was in those years that some of the foundation stones of the Ireland we all know were being laid. As a nation we were discovering the forgotten treasure of our language and our games and we were beginning to understand also that we belonged to a universal church, a church that we could learn from and contribute to as we made our way through life. Bishop Furlong’s work and organisation in Ferns lead to the founding of the Saint John of God Sisters, the Adoration Sisters and the organisation of viable parishes. It was the beginning of a confident time in the Church in Ireland.
The Adoration Sisters saw that their call was to be present on behalf of the People of Wexford and Ferns, to God who was present in the Eucharist. While people worked and slept, while children learnt and teachers taught, while the sick were cared for at home and in hospital, while the world rejoiced in sunshine and play, they were represented before God by the faithful presence of the Adoration Sisters. In those hours of prayer through the day and in the silence of the night, the needs of people were remembered. Some of them were general prayers and more were for very specific needs.
These needs were brought to the Sisters regularly by their attendance at the door of the Convent in Bride St. And this listening, to fears and sorrows, real and imagined was also a presence. Sisters who had been in the Presence of the Lord, listened sympathetically to family stories told in stumbling words. Probably not clear and direct, because none of us are that clear when we are upset. But they listened, and in that listening they became the presence of God to those that he loved. God is present we know in the Real Presence of the Eucharist but he is also present in the gift of time given to him. One of the ways in which the Hebrew scriptures translated PRESENCE was in the word for FACE implying a close and personal encounter with the Lord. And no doubt, sisters often saw in the troubled faces of visitors to the convent, the face of Christ, who stands at the door and knocks. We know Christ is present to us in Eucharist, in the Word and in people, but when we ask why is he present, the only answer we can give is so that all people, his people may be loved. In the part of Ireland where I grew up, a young person in love will often be described as “stone cracked” about someone. It is love beyond reason, beyond measure and I like to think of Christ as being “stone cracked” about us.
The other skills and tasks of the sisters also brought other visitors to the Convent and ensured that there was a strong and prayerful link between them and the parishes and people of the rest of the Diocese and beyond. Their production of breads for the celebration of Mass, brought priests to the convent regularly. No doubt that some of the concerns of the Diocese and its parishes made their way into to Sisters prayers following these visits, not least prayers for the priests who might have been struggling with the burdens of ministry. But it is also worth recalling that in every Mass for many years, in village and town, early and late, the bread offered to the Lord was made in Bride St. Parishes came also to get cloths for the Altar and young priests came preparing for ministry to get the Diocesan Vestments, with it’s distinctive logo. No doubt the sisters got great joy from the many new ordinations each year.
The Sisters gave their lives and much of their waking time to sitting in the Eucharistic Presence – but there are also many here today who took on the role and responsibility of representing us all before Jesus. This happened with the establishment of the Adorers group in 1991.
Many of you are here today and indeed I know that some who were faithful adorers are listening to our celebration on the radio or watching on the webcam. May the Lord continue to bless and reward the sisters for their huge contribution, presence and place in our lives.
Comments