13.01.2014
Fr Peter McVerry Outlines Cornerstones of His Belief at Killiskey Service
A large congregation gathered in Nun’s Cross Church, Killiskey, County Wicklow, last night (January 12) to hear Fr Peter McVerry speak on what he believes. The priest who, through the Peter McVerry Trust, helps thousands of homeless people every year, was speaking at a Gospel Eucharist which drew people from across the local community.
Fr Peter highlighted the three cornerstones of his beliefs, which he said contained good news and some bad news for everyone.
Firstly, he said he believed he was loved by God unconditionally and that nothing could separate him from the love of God. He suggested that this was the foundation of spirituality.
Secondly, he said he believed that if he was loved by God unconditionally, then everyone else was too – including people he might not like, which might not please all people.
He said the third thing he believed was that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came down among us. He said that God had a dream for our world, that we should live together in peace and harmony and with respect for one another.
Jesus came among us to show us how to live together as God’s family, yet there are a billion people in the world who do not have enough food and a growing number of homeless people in our own country, Fr Peter stated. He said Jesus gave up everything for us and that if we are to follow Him that we must be prepared to give up everything.
“I don’t want you to go and sell your house and give everything to the poor and then come to me looking for a bed for the night. But we must live simply and share generously,” he explained. “The world that we have today is not the world that God would want. People are not living the way God would want them to live.”
The service featured uplifting music from the Unity Gospel Choir and a collection was taken up for the Peter McVerry Trust. Associate vicar of Wicklow and Killiskey, the Revd Ken Rue thanked all for attending and Fr Peter for addressing the service. The service was also attended by the retired rector of the parish, Canon John Clarke.
Photo caption: Pictured at the Gospel Eucharist Service in Nun’s Cross are the Revd Ken Rue, Fr Peter McVerry SJ and Canon John Clarke.