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Standún's Station By Fr. Padraig Standún This is my twenty seventh Christmas as a priest, but only the third in my home County of Mayo. The others were spent in Conamara and the Aran Islands, looking in or looking out across the sea. I have good memories of those Christmases, of midnight Masses mainly in Inis Meain and in Lettermullan, but in Inis Oirr and Tir an Fhia as well. Midnight Masses were making a comeback around the time I was ordained. They had been frowned on for many years before that because a few people always tended to arrive full more of the sprits than of the sprit of Christmas. I heard of one priest who dismissed the commotion at the door of the church with the observation: "Sure there was a donkey at the stable of Bethlehem too." Although I was based in Carraroe (An Cheathru Rua) for twelve years, it was the Parish priest, Father Martin Lang, whose own father was once station master in Castlebar, who said Mass in the local church. I headed off to Lettermullan about twelve miles away, while the other curate in the parish said the Tiranea mass. I always loved that late night drive out across the bridges that connect the islands of that part of Conamara. It is a highly populated area and every house had candles lighting in the windows. When I reached Lettermullan church, built high on a hill, I took a few moments to soak in the Christmas atmosphere in the lights of Aran and Carna flickering across the sea. I spent nearly as many years in the islands that straddle Galway Bay, looking out at the lights along the coast of Galway and away down through the Burren area of North Clare. I always got the warm glow of feeling that Christ was still alive in the hearts and faith of so many people after nearly two thousand years of what was often turmoil and tribulation. I always remember feeling too at a certain time on Christmas eve when the last ferry had gone and the final plane flown, that "We're on our own now." The lights on the mainland, and nowadays the phone, the radio and television soon dispelled all feelings of isolation, and the awareness that this was a worldwide festival soon took hold. My first Christmas in Tourmakeady two years ago was a white one. I'm not suggesting that the Lord laid it on specially for me, and I wasn't too happy as my car slid around sluggishly in the snow. But snow does give a beautiful atmosphere to the feast, and especially going to Mass in the dark. And of course Christmas in Mayo after nearly a quarter a century away was very special. I can't guarantee a white Christmas this year, even though its cold enough for anything as I write this. Whatever colour the ground is I hope you have a peaceful and a happy Christmas, and that the Christchild will shower his blessing on you and all belonging to you. Nollaig faoí sheán agus faoí mhaise daoibh ar fad. NB From Tourmakeady? Send for a copy of Waterfall. |
