Other Ministries

Collecting and Praying for Zimbabwe...

jimmysmalezim2

This is the smiling face of one of our confreres, Fr James Smale C.Ss.R., who preaches and gives appeals to help our mission in Zimbabwe as part of his ministry.

Fr. Jimmy travels around the country, visiting parishes, telling them about the work of our men in Zimbabwe. He has raised tens of thousands of pounds for the mission in Zimbabwe, and he can assure the people in their parishes that every penny will go directly to Africa.

The internet is a wonderful place for Fr. Jimmy to say a huge "THANK YOU" to all who have given so generously in the past.

It also gives the Redemptorist Province a chance to say another huge "THANK YOU" this time to Fr. Jimmy for his commitment and dedication to this work and the confreres in Zimbabwe.

Fr Tom Molloy a Hospital Chaplain...

tommolloy

Fr Tom Molloy holding the oil of the Sick and his prayer book.

A short account of my work as a chaplain at the Western and Victoria Hospitals in Edinburgh.

"I have now almost completed seven years as Chaplain to both hospitals. This means that I am on call sixty hours a week, beginning on Sunday 9.a.m till 9p.m and this runs through to Thursday. I have Friday and Saturday off duty which gives me an opportunity to visit my community in St. Mary's monastery in Perth, or St. Patrick's parish in Edinburgh.

The priests in the deanery look after the night calls and because I am able to spend ten to fifteen hours visiting the wards and attending to the sick each week, very few night calls are made.

I offer to cover the night calls now and again and if I get a call, a taxi comes to my place in Currie and brings me back home.
One problem we chaplains have is finding out who is who in hospital, this is the direct result of data protection.
Chaplains are not regarded as fully professional members of staff and so we have some difficulty in gaining access. However, I have good relationships with many of the staff who come to my rescue.

Despite the difficulties, I have managed to administer the sacraments to some 8000 people in the last seven years."

_________________

Fr Tom Molloy is a man of incredible energy.

Throughout his priesthood he has been involved in many projects

- that have seen him in Africa, and New Zealand!

Perhaps he will write something of these adventures for us!

This article was written in 2007 since when Fr. Terry has received the title Honorary Chaplain to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes.

I began this ministry about seven years ago. I had been going to Lourdes on pilgrimage for many years, latterly involved with HCPT - The pilgrimage trust, as director of the pilgrimage. In all my visits to Lourdes over the years, I had never been to confession in Lourdes (though I do go to confession regularly!).

I volunteered my services to the sanctuary and was accepted. The ministry involves about four weeks at a time, consisting of about six hours of confessions a day. If possible we also have a rest day. People don't talk about "miracles" very often in this day and age, but there are hundreds of miracles of God's grace and love daily in the reconciliation chapel in Lourdes.

My years of preaching parish missions had prepared me for hearing confessions, but a week in Lourdes is a bit like a year's confessions on a mission. The picture of Rembrandt's "prodigal son" is in the confessionals and is a marvelous starting point to help people experience the unbelievable love and forgiveness of God. The experience of hearing confessions in Lourdes is a truly humbling and uplifting experience, knowing that the Prodigal Father uses me to bring his peace and love into people's lives.