Hubby arrived home from town and announced that the builders have commenced demolishing the Parochial House at the Chapel.

We knew this was being done, just didn't know exactly when.

The old one was dangerous and too expensive to renovate.

Changes all round.

Hi Ann,

Changes all round in Chapel Hill,as you say Parochial House very old and too expensive to repair.

Ann, I had trouble with my computer all day
yesterday it kept sticking, although I was very busy with other things.

How is Rachel this week?

Katie

Hi John,

Yes you can.


Katie

Rachel was here all day as my daughter started back to work this morning and the older girl is back to Rathmore today. Had the younger one as well.

Rachel is great, looking forward to her holiday in Spain on 8th September for a week. She goes with the Downs Syndrome Association. The volunteers are lovely people to give up their time to ensure the children (Rachel would eat me for calling her a child) have a super time.

Are the Reverend Fathers camping out in the grounds until a new residence is built?
Seriously, as boys we were often heard Mick Sharkey from Hilden or his parents once owned some property around there, can anyone confirm that? Whenever I'm in Lisburn I still like to have a look around the old graveyard at the back of the chapel. Especially interesting is for me the grave from the founder nuns from the Lisburn convent. Reading the headstone you can see they originally came from France and a lot of the other headstones were paid for by relatives of the deceased in America.
Donald

Donald, times are hard. We only have 2 Reverend Fathers for our whole congregation. They have to do sick calls, services on Sunday, morning Mass during the week, emergency calls to the hospitals and goodness knows what else.

I know the Catholic church has had a lot of bad publicity recently with bad priests and bishops, who have at last been exposed and dealt with as they should have been, but we still have genuinely good priests as well.

Our two in Lisburn are the best.

Donald, I don't know where they're staying but I'm sure someone will lend them a house for the time it takes to build the new house or houses. There'll be a new community centre as well which hopefully will cater for old and young alike.

Time marches on.

Ann,

A new Parochial House is badly needed in Lisburn, I noticed the lovely new house built for the Ministers of Christ Church, while passing on the Dublin Road
this evening although I always loved the ministers old house, I always thought it very regal just like the old Parochial House, but things have to move on, and those old houses would have been very hard to maintain.

I have to agree with you, the nuns do great work in the parish visiting the sick and old as do the priests of the parish.

I am on late as I have been in and out all evening.


Katie

I have to say, I love the way you Catholic people jump to the defences of your nuns and priests, when anyone should be less respectful of them than they should. Rightly so! I admire you for that. I might be wrong but I think Protestants could learn from that. Nothing controversial intended nor desired!

liz

Thanks Liz. I think that all good clergymen and women should be treated with the respect they deserve whatever their religion.

Yes but as humans, not as God as I remember a lot of the older generation over 50 years ago in Lisburn did. Lots of them really believed the Clergy had special powers and treated them so. As boys we were told stories about Clergy striking people dead for disrespect and believed it also.

Donald,

In Lisburn 50years ago there were a lot of people treated like Gods, but we used our brains & thought for ourselves, now some of us don't even treat God like God.
Pat

Donald, I said "treated with respect" , not like God.

Thank God, we have moved on from 50 years ago. I remember those times too when, as a child, I was frightened to go to sleep in case I would die and go to hell for some small transgression or other.

Those times weren't right, we were frightened into doing what was right, or maybe not doing what was wrong, but for the wrong reasons if you know what I mean. But that's the way it was then.

The Church has come on now too and realises that it has to move with the times.

The younger clergy take a different approach and it is a much more effective and realistic one.

I hope this satisfies anyone who is interested.

The Parochila House is now almost down, saw the digger on top of a massive pile of rubble and the crowds were watching the man inside the digger
manovering the digger, knocking down the next big piece, I was afraid the digger would topple over but
away he went again to the next bit, another piece of history away. The new house can now be seen a looks lovely, just like the new one belonging to Christ Church which is really modern.

Thanks Liz for your comments, they are really appreciated, I was always taught by my family to always be respectful of other peoples faith.

Katie

Katie, I didn't even know the new house was built. Shows what I know and me there every week. Must go past tomorrow on our way to the Oyster Festival in Hillsborough to see the empty space. I'm sure it's strange looking. See, I told you all, Chapel Hill is changing. In fact, lisburn is changing fast. You can see the changes every week, so anyone coming on holiday would notice a big difference from what was once a country town with one main street.

Saw a bit of the Diana tribute tonight on the news. What I notice is that her style is still right up to date. Hair, clothes, make-up, everything. Brought a tear to my eyes I have to confess.

Anyone with intelligence and courage should read The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins. I would not advise it for happy churchgoers, who do not wish to explore atheistic beliefs; only for those with some curiosity left, who are prepared to accept that life may actually end - completely.

Hi Dabbler,

Did you ever read Malcolm Muggeridge The Man Who Lives?
An interesting book to read.
I used to watch him on television, and thought him a very controversial man, but with great intelligence,I could have listened to him all night, he also wrote great articles in the papers which again were somewhat
hard to grasp, but a superb writer and speaker.

Katie

Dabbler

One thing is for sure, we are on the short road to finding out. Joe

Joe - So let's make the best of what's left!

Katie - No; I am familiar with the thinking of Muggeridge, and other similar philosophers.