A Life In Mission

Brother Patrick Madigan cfc
St Helen’s Community Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

Can you share an anecdote from your life as a Christian Brother which shows you in action?

I am not sure I can single out a single anecdote but rather I would say that my life, my life as a person, and as a Christian Brother, has been defined by contemplation and action, across all of the roles, joys, challenges and difficulties I have faced. In all of this I am guided by the words of Micah (6.8) in the actions of promoting social justice, being among the poor and marginalised, and respecting the planet: It reads: “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.”

Tell me about your parents: what did they do, how did they influence you, and what did you learn from them?

 I was born in Co Clare in the West of Ireland, the second youngest of eight children, into a farming family and community. Hence I grew up with a love of nature, farming and animals. I learned from my parents about the care for plants and animals from an early age. This led to a particular interest in fairs, and markets, and the development of entrepreneurial skills – in the buying and selling of cattle – and the sense and thrill of a good deal has never left me! My family home was also one of prayer, spirituality, encouragement and positivity, all of which I still hold and value to this day.

How did you know when you wanted to be a Christian Brother?

This desire began around the age of 15, with the influence of one of my teachers at Kilrush Christian Brothers’ Secondary school, Br Tony McGeagh. Br McGeagh had a huge interest in the missions and work in Africa, and often spoke about going there; he ultimately led the first Christian Brother mission to Zambia in 1968. It was his frequent reference to working in Africa that fuelled my interest in something similar, and I joined the Christian Brother community in 1959. I too went on to work in Africa, many years after joining the order, when I was privileged to become Director of Novices in Lusaka, from 2003 – 2007.

Can you describe your biggest obstacles in life and how you have mastered them?

Life brings challenges to everyone, and religious life too, has many challenges. I have served many communities and felt the wrench of leaving places where I had developed strong bonds of community, friendship, and even family; things which are arguably even more important in a religious life. Transitions are not easy, and may be even harder as one gets older. The things that formed me from early childhood – family, nature, prayer, spirituality – are the things I constantly return to when faced with life’s challenges. At this moment, I am grappling with the challenges of older age and ill-health, and I pray daily for acceptance, courage, and peace. In more recent years, I get great solace from poetry as well as prayer, and I really like the work of the Austrian poet, Erich Fried. In his poem “What it is”, Fried urges us to accept life, and that we are best advised, in life’s challenges to say to ourselves: “it is what it is”. The poetry of Wendy Cope is helpful also when dealing with life’s challenges, and reminds us that however unhappy or lost one may be, that simple bliss exists in the simplest of things:

The Orange

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—
The size of it made us all laugh.
I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—
They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,
As ordinary things often do
Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.
This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.
I did all the jobs on my list
And enjoyed them and had some time over.
I love you. I’m glad I exist.

What do you consider to be your greatest weakness?

Sometimes I feel things very deeply and may be prone to being too sensitive and easily hurt. What helps me with this, as always is prayer, spirituality and reflection.

How did you develop your life philosophy?

Again I return to my origins on a farm in the West of Ireland, where as I have said, I learned the value of positivity, prayer, and living in the now. Each community I have  served in since, has developed my philosophy and values in different ways, and Africa was deeply significant among those, especially in terms of living and staying present, and acceptance of what is. Where there is joy, I am a great believer in celebrating it, and the words of Mary Oliver, in her poem “Don’t Hesitate”, are very apposite in this regard:

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case.
Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

This is so resonant with the God I believe in, A God of unconditional love, mercy, kindness and forgiveness.

What would you say have been the moments of life-defining change that have shaped you into the person you are today?

There have been many and in differing contexts. But what comes to mind here is the opportunities I have had through religious life for formal spiritual development and further study. Significant among these have been: FOCUS FOR ACTION run by the Redemptorists in Dublin; Loreto House Dublin Formation; Theology at Jesuit School, Berkeley, California; Sangra De Cristo Spirituality Programme at Santa Fe, New Mexico; as well as Trasna and Ruah international spirituality programmes run by the Presentation sisters, Presentation Brothers, and Christian Brothers.

What has been your favourite role within the congregation?

I have enjoyed many roles, for example, teacher, principal, manager, novice director, community leader. It is hard to choose but if I were to pick one, it would be where I started as a primary teacher in 1964 in Templemore, Co. Tipperary. I loved preparing young children for Holy Communion and Confirmation, something I continue to do to this day in various schools.

What would you say to someone considering joining the congregation?

If someone was thinking about joining the Brothers, I would talk to them about the joys and challenges it has brought me, some of which I have mentioned earlier. It is often said that joining religious life is a vocation and it truly is. The reality of religious life in Europe is now one of older congregations and fewer numbers. If seriously considering religious life, I would suggest that as well as where one is in themselves, the question of geographical location is significant; Asia, Africa and Latin America have vibrant religious communities and may be the places best suitable for one thinking about a vocation. However, whether it be religious life, lay missionaries, priesthood or life as a lay person, my final words are on the need for kindness wherever or whatever one chooses. Given the current conflict in Gaza, the words of Naomi Shihab Nye, a poet of Palestinian background are appropriate here:

Kindness

Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.
Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to gaze at bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend.