 |
Media’s Role in Highlighting Plight of Haiti Praised
Sr Marian Moriarty, IBVM, was launching a new documentary in Dublin on the life of her foundress when she referred to the “positive power of the media” in informing the public about the unfolding disaster in the Caribbean state. She highlighted how “people are so aware of the human disaster there” thanks to the media’s coverage, and she noted that this awareness in turn had evoked a response from the public. Collective concern was evident in the “wonderful, compassionate, generous movement of personnel and goods we have seen,” she said. However, Kerry-born Sr Moriarty, who is based at the Loreto Sisters’ headquarters in Rome, urged the media to be more willing to give “space to good news stories” throughout the year. She was speaking ahead of launching, ‘Mary Ward – Dangerous Visionary’ which tells the story of Yorkshirewoman Mary Ward (1585-1645) whom the Vatican declared Venerable just before Christmas. Known as a ‘seeker of truth and worker of justice’, Mary Ward was a religious and educational pioneer. However, in her own lifetime, she was imprisoned by the Church and all her convents and schools were suppressed in 1631. Her Institute, which nonetheless, survived, was only permitted to acknowledge her as foundress in 1909. Sr Moriarty is General Superior of the Loreto (IBVM) Branch of the Institute founded by Mary Ward in 1609. This Saturday, (23 January) 2,000 people, including Sr Moriarty, will attend a Mass in Westminster Cathedral, London, to mark the conclusion of a year-long celebration of the 400th Jubilee of Mary Ward. The Most Rev Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, will be chief celebrant while the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams will give a post-Communion address. There are now two branches of Mary Ward’s Institute today - the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Loreto Sisters) and the Congregation of Jesus. The 3,000 Sisters in these two branches minister in 44 countries across five continents and educate up to 100,000 students. The Speaking of Mary Ward’s efforts to win the Church’s support for her idea of an apostolic order for women religious along the lines of the Jesuits, Sr Marian Moriarty said, “We know that it was a deep sense that God was calling her to 'some other thing' in 1609 that drew her to the apostolic religious life without enclosure in response to critical needs in Church and society of her time.” She added, “Today there is a sense that 'some other thing' is trying to happen/emerge in society and in the Church. Out of the collapse of institutions there is a hope that some other way of living and engaging with life will evolve.” The Loreto General Superior posed the question, “Are we, Mary Ward women of the 21st century, listening and ready to engage with this new, challenging reality in Ireland and elsewhere? I sincerely hope so!” Producer of ‘Mary Ward – Dangerous Visionary’, Sarah Mac Donald said the one-hour documentary “tells the story of this educational pioneer through re-enactments of seminal moments in her life and this is interspersed with historical commentary. The documentary also has its lens on the 21st century as it incorporates footage from South Sudan and Canada where Mary Ward’s Sisters are working at the coalface today.” Mac Donald added, “Mary Ward was one of the great female travellers of the 17th century, who journeyed back and forward over the Alps during the Thirty Years War to meet Popes Gregory XV and Urban VIII in the Vatican to try to persuade them as to the true worth of her Institute’s work. However, it was to little avail as the Church shut down all her schools and convents and ordered the members to find another life for themselves. In some respects it is a tragic story. But December’s declaration brought long-awaited official vindication for Mary Ward and more people will now get to hear her heroic story of perseverance through this and through the Director, Ciaran O’Connor of New Decade, expressed his satisfaction with actress, Sinead Murphy’s interpretation of Mary Ward, saying it was a fine performance. New Decade produced the highly acclaimed recent series on the Rutland Clinic as well as a number of high profile documentaries, the most recent of which was The Secret Billionaire: The Chuck Feeney Story. For more information: http://www.marywarddocumentary.com/ Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tel: 087 2396903 |
The Superior General of the Loreto Congregation has praised the role of the media in alerting the world to the plight of the people of Haiti.