“Saint Patrick might well be considered a patron saint of migrants … As we think of Irish emigrants who sometimes struggled to gain acceptance in foreign lands, we also turn our hearts to the many newcomers who have arrived among us”

On Saint Patrick’s Day our thoughts and prayers naturally turn to our Irish emigrants abroad.  Some left Ireland many years ago and have set down roots in other countries; others, including many thousands of our young people, have only recently gone in search of new places and opportunities.  Wherever they are in the world – from Sydney to Toronto, from Manchester to Dubai – we wish them all a very happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Nearly 64,000 people left Ireland in the year to April 2023 – around half of them were Irish citizens; but many Irish also returned home during that period bringing valuable new life skills.

I spoke recently to one mother whose two eldest daughters – both of them recent graduates – have now followed many of their friends to Australia.  She was clearly missing them a lot, but she tried to put a brave face on it, saying, “They’re having a great time and a better quality of life; hopefully they’ll be back, and anyway, what is there here to keep them?”

As a prayer for her daughters, I offered a line from Psalm 121: ‘The Lord will watch over your going and your coming, both now and forevermore’.

Going and coming is a major feature of the modern world.  Millions of people are on the move. Some are voluntary migrants, seeking exciting new challenges and opportunities; others, sadly, are forced to leave their homes and families, displaced by war or economic hardship.  Still others are cruelly deceived, captured and exploited by human traffickers.

Saint Patrick might well be considered a patron saint of migrants.  He certainly understands the predicament of the trafficked unaccompanied minor; the exploited labourer; the escaping refugee; the immigrant, the emigrant; the expat; the student or missionary abroad! Saint Patrick wrote about enduring many hardships, hatred and insults in Ireland for being a foreigner (Confession, 37).

But having escaped his persecution, and finding himself back amongst family and friends, Patrick heard the voice of the Irish, calling him, “Come back gentle youth and walk once more among us”. Returning to our shores, Patrick made Ireland his home and liked to call himself ‘one of us’.

Today, as we think of Irish emigrants who sometimes struggled to gain acceptance in foreign lands, we also turn our hearts to the many newcomers who have arrived among us.

Pope Francis often speaks about migrants and refugees in terms of ‘welcoming’, ‘protecting’, ‘promoting’ and ‘integrating’ them:

• ‘welcoming’, in the sense of offering adequate and dignified initial accommodation;

• ‘protecting’ by defending their rights and dignity;

• ‘promoting’ opportunities for their employment, learning the language and becoming active citizens; and,

• ‘integrating’ them, by fostering a culture of encounter and mutual understanding, inclusion and diversity.

These are the very hallmarks of the kind of society that we would want for our own young people and families who travel to other countries – either willingly, or out of necessity.

It is worth asking ourselves this Saint Patrick’s Day, ‘how can Ireland live up to its reputation as a land of welcomes, renowned not only as a place of great natural beauty, but also as a country of warm hearted and charitable citizens who are prepared to offer sanctuary to those who arrive in need?’

Ireland – north and south – needs an honest and open conversation about migration, both outward and inward.  How can we truly become an island of belonging and hope where our own young people, health workers and teachers want to stay, and where others want to come and live among us?  This important discussion will only move away from the extremes when we recognise legitimate anxieties and resolve to tackle together, at national and community level, the immense challenges of providing affordable homes and services for all.

When Saint Patrick walked among us, he brought the Good News of a merciful and compassionate God, who accompanies all of our comings and goings; God who wants us to welcome the stranger, to reach out to the margins and hear the cry of the poor.  An Ireland worthy of Saint Patrick is an Ireland of welcomes which does not tolerate hatred or racism, and which embraces both its returning citizens and its newcomers.

May we always, like Saint Patrick, see Christ behind and before us; on our right and on our left, in quiet and in danger; and in the mouth of friend and stranger.

Amen.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh go leir.

Archbishop Eamon Martin

Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of All Ireland
 

Church Leaders’ statement 

Today, 2 February, the Church Leaders Group (Ireland) welcomed the anticipated restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland and recognised the challenges in reaching necessary accommodations to enable this to happen.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the Church of Ireland, Catholic Church, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches in Ireland, and the Irish Council of Churches said, “As Church leaders we have consistently called for the UK Government to take all necessary steps to facilitate the restoration of good governance in Northern Ireland and the return of fully functioning and resourced devolved institutions, north-south and east-west bodies.

“As the final steps are taken that should lead to the welcome restoration of devolved government, it is important to recognise that government is never simply an end in itself, but rather a means to an end.  A re-established Executive and Assembly are first and important steps towards re-establishing hope and a vision for the future. However, for that to be achieved it will mean a commitment to focus on the common good.  It will mean prioritising the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalised of our fellow citizens.  And it will mean at times taking the long over-due hard decisions necessary to transform our public services, many of which are close to breaking point.”

The Church Leaders continued, “Partnership government will almost always be challenging, but at its best it can be much more than the sum of its collective parts.  It can be the means of delivering together a better and more secure future for all of our fellow citizens, as problems are faced up to and solved, and the new opportunities opening up are grasped.

“In November 2023, we met separately with each of the main Northern Ireland political parties and those discussions were both positive and constructive.  Each party expressed a desire and willingness to step up to the mark and play their part in restored institutions, if only the challenge of restoring devolution could be overcome.  We are now approaching that moment.”

The Church Leaders concluded, “As in these coming days our political parties seek to move forward together, acting for the common good and governing for all, they do so with the support and prayers of many in our society, ourselves included.”

Archbishop Eamon Martin
Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland

Archbishop John McDowell
Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland

Right Reverend Dr Sam Mawhinney
Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland

Reverend David Turtle
President of the Methodist Church in Ireland

Bishop Andrew Forster
President of the Irish Council of Churches

 A Year of Celebration to Saint Brigid 524 – 2024

“St. Brigid is a beacon and guide to us today in these times of transition and change. Her spirit filters down through the history and culture of our land… She provides us with a glimpse into the past, but her story can also illuminate our future.”

The Archdiocese of Armagh announces the commencement, on the 1^st February 2024, of a year-long celebration and calendar of events marking the 1500th anniversary of the life and ministry of Saint Brigid. This year represents a tribute to the enduring legacy of this remarkable woman, born in Faughart Parish in north Co. Louth, whose spirit continues to inspire and guide us to this day.

In a joint message to parishes, Archbishop Eamon Martin and Auxiliary Bishop Michael Router expressed their excitement about the upcoming commemoration, describing St. Brigid as a beacon and guide for contemporary society. The year ahead promises a rich calendar of events and activities, honouring the faith and values embodied by St. Brigid, and aims at fostering connections between the past and our present.

The celebration is not merely a historical reflection but an invitation for all parish communities to participate and embracing the values championed by St. Brigid—spirituality, compassion, healing, environmental stewardship, arts, social justice, peace, hospitality, and education.

The year-long commemoration in the Archdiocese of Armagh features a series of faith-based events which are designed to inspire a new generation to engage with St. Brigid and the faith she embraced. The organizers encourage and invite everyone to not only celebrate history but to craft a vibrant legacy of their own by incorporating St. Brigid’s teachings into their lives and communities.

St. Brigid’s life was rooted in compassion and serves as a testament to her timeless spirit. The Archdiocese of Armagh aims to ensure that her light continues to shine brightly through the unwavering commitment of individuals and communities to create a better world.

Archbishop Eamon Martin and Bishop Michael Router invite the public to join in this celebration of St. Brigid, expressing their hope that the festivities will resonate in the hearts of all, creating ripples of hope and renewal not only across the island but wherever Irish people have settled around the world.

As the year unfolds, the Archdiocese of Armagh looks forward to engaging with communities, fostering a sense of unity, and celebrating the extraordinary legacy of St. Brigid.