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\nMany don\u2019t realize that staying in Ireland after my two years in Wexford were up wasn\u2019t an \u201cautomatic\u201d thing. In fact, I decided pretty late in the game that I was going to take a leap of faith and turn down a full scholarship\/assistantship offer at an American college in order to attend the Irish Pontifical University of St. Patrick\u2019s College, Maynooth.
\nMy first day was a blur. One of my lecturers even commented, \u201cIf you\u2019re an international student, I promise you this will be the hardest day of your graduate career.\u201d Boy was he right! Between figuring out the \u201cschool\u201d language, finding classrooms with Irish names and no numbers, and not knowing a soul, I was pretty discouraged.
\nHowever, I found solace in attending daily Mass in St. Mary\u2019s Oratory. Little did I know that my decision to follow the Eucharist that day would lead to a two-year relationship with Ireland\u2019s National Centre for Liturgy (NCL), a body committed to promoting quality liturgy throughout the country.
\nThat first day, the Director of Music for the NCL, Sr. Moira Bergin, picked me out of the crowd because she could hear me singing confidently and needed a cantor. Thus began my two-year tenure as the Cantor for the National Centre for Liturgy. I cantored daily Mass several times per week in addition to helping lead the occasional Evening Prayer. I also had the opportunity to participate in several televised Masses for RTE , (think CBS or NBC here in the U.S.,) which was a great honor.
\nMost importantly, ministering with the NCL connected me with people from around the world. I met African Priests and Sisters, Irish laypeople, and Chinese Seminarians, to name a few. Once again proving the universality of the Catholic faith, we were able to work, learn, and minister as one.
\nI hope you\u2019ve enjoyed my Irish tidbits over the last few weeks. I\u2019d be happy to answer any other questions you have about my time in Ireland!
\nHymnal Scavenger Hunt How\u2019d you do with last week\u2019s Hymnal Scavenger Hunt? It was Send Us Your Spirit, found in the green hymnal at #433 and the red hymnal at #476. Here\u2019s this week\u2019s clue: This Trinity Sunday, we celebrate the \u201cGod in three Persons\u201d that this hymn sings of, complete with a threefold exclamation. Hint: This song may be found in both hymnals!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"