The Legion of Christ uploaded a new video of the Irish Foundation to YouTube on February 1, 2012.
It is an interesting but rather long (37 minute) work produced by their audiovisual master, David Murray, an Irish former Legion member.
It cannot help but be a Selective Memory of the foundation. The Legion always writes its history selectively, omitting any "problematic" people or facts. I wrote my impressions of the foundation in "Our Father Maciel who art in Bed" . I should know at least part of the truth because I was there.
One particular group comes up for almost Total Amnesia: the group of eight 16-18 year-olds who on August 26, 1961 went to Salamanca with Fr. Maciel to begin their "Holy Novitiate" thinking we were "The First Irish Legionaries"; that is what Fr. Maciel told us.
Only one of those 8 "persevered in his Legionary vocation" to the present day;
Some of us were ordained in the Legion and left, staying in the diocesan priesthood for some years:
Declan Murphy,
Paul Lenno,
Michael Caheny left the Legion and was ordained for the diocesan priesthood in Ireland, became a missionary in Brazil and later left the ministry, married and had children. Michael wrote me that he had been sexually abused by Fr. Maciel.
Maurice McGowan, the first Irishman ordained to the Legionary priesthood (circa 1968), left the Legion and the ministry after a relatively short period. Fr. Maciel did not like Maurice Oliver to go by his middle name -which he had done until joining- and wanted him to be called "Brother Maurice". (He might have been afraid that Mexican wags would have called him "Fr. Oliver Twist" -not joking)
One of our group is a bishop of the Church working in the Roman Curia in the Department for Christian Unity, Mons. Brian Farrell
Pearse Allen, Declan French, and Francis Coleman did not last long and were never ordained.
Good luck and the Blessings of St. Patrick be with you all.
No comments:
Post a Comment