I received this notice from my Phoenix pal Kaiser today.
* * *
For 23 straight years, veteran journalist John Cooney of the Irish Independent has been producing a mid-summer jamboree of ideas that draws members of the Irish parliament and the EU parliament, along with a large crowd of priests, politicians, scholars and the media, to County Mayo, where they discuss and debate the issues of the day.
This year, they are discussing the so-far-inadequate response of the Irish bishops to the Ryan and Murphy reports, and, in consequence of that non-action, what they can do to make the Irish Church more accountable.
In that connection, Cooney and his organizers have invited me to give the keynote address (“No More Thrones”) as the conference begins on the evening of August 19.
I am preparing a challenge to Irish Catholics, that, inspired by their own best revolutionary traditions, they start pushing for a Church in Ireland where the people will start relying on themselves and the Holy Spirit to seize citizenship in their Church.
Cooney calls his annual conference “The Humbert Summer School.” This is in honor of the French General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert who brought troops to help the Irish fight the English for Irish independence in 1798. (In a marvelously written novel, Thomas Flanagan celebrates that romantic escapade. It is called The Year of the French.) The fact that the English vanquished Humbert and his French troops doesn’t seem to bother the Irish. They are still fighting for independence.
I am going to call on the Catholics among them to start fighting for a new kind of independence — from Rome — as a home grown, enculturated Irish Church, still in communion with Rome, but relying on its own Irish “sensus fidelium” and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The idea may sound Quixotic, but recent happenings in the Church tell me it is less Quixotic than we thought as little as a year ago. I will tell my audience why they, like General Humbert, have to give this revolution a go — and how they can. (The journalists among you might like to be there to chronicle the story.)
In case any of you, my friends, (or your friends) might be close enough to County Mayo to drop in on the beginnings of this revolution in Ireland (where Catholic public opinion may have already reached a critical mass), I am passing on the program for Thursday 19 August to Sunday 22 August 2010, 24th Annual Humbert Summer School
at Castlebar and Killala, County Mayo, Ireland.
Under the patronage of Nobel Peace Laureate, John Hume
And the direction of Journalist and Author, John Cooney.
* * *
Keynote Address: Harlequin Hotel, Castlebar, 7 p.m. 19 August ‘Catholic Church Reform: No more thrones’
by Robert Blair Kaiser
Response: Michael Kelly – Deputy Editor, The Irish Catholic.
Chair: John Cooney – Religion Correspondent,
The Irish Independent & Director HSS.
Reception
* * *
Friday August 21st
Session 2: Harlequin Hotel, Castlebar, 10am
Reflections on reaction of Pope Benedict & Irish Hierarchy to abuse crisis
Speakers:
Fr Iggy O’Donovan – OSA, Church Historian.
Bridget Mary Meehan
- Ordained Bishop of Roman Catholic Women Priests organisation in U.S.A
- Brendan Butler – Lay Catholic Activist & chairperson of the El Salvador Support Committee.
Chair: Patsy McGarry – Religious Affairs Correspondent, The Irish Times.
Coffee Break: 11:30a.m
Session 3: Harlequin Hotel, Castlebar, 12 Noon
Victims’ perspectives.
Speakers:
Marie Collins – Advocate of reform in the Catholic Church.
Andrew Madden – Author of “Altar Boy, A Story of Life After Abuse”.
Michael O’Brien – Former Mayor of Clonmel & Chairman of the Right to Peace Group.
Chair: Joe Little – RTE Religious Affairs Correspondent.
Session 4: Humbert Room, TF Royal Hotel & Theatre, Castlebar, 1.30pm
John Healy Luncheon Debate
Speaker: Patrick J Wall M.Div, LLM
(Wall, a former Benedictine priest, is an associate in the law firm of Manly and Stewart of Newport Beach, California. Wall and Manly appeared in recent one-hour-long TV report on the lying U.S. bishops-in-bankruptcy who tried, unsuccessfully, to lie to the courts about the assets of their dioceses.)
Chair: Mike Burns – Broadcaster.
* At end of Session 4 there will be a presentation of Humbert School 2010
Outstanding Merit Awards to Marie Collins and Andrew Madden.
Session 5: Harlequin Hotel, Castlebar, 8pm
Humbert Book Club
Readings by Robert Blair Kaiser from his book “Cardinal Mahony, A Novel”.
Saturday August 22nd
Session 6: Harlequin Hotel, Castlebar, 10am
A Constitution for 21st Century Ireland
Speakers: Noel Coghlan – Politics Expert& former EU Deputy Chef de Cabinet.,Eugene Regan, S.C. – Fine Gael Senator.
Chair: Maurice Regan – Humbert School Adviser.
Coffee Break: 11:30a.m.
Session 7: Harlequin Hotel, Castlebar, 12 noon
Humbert Foreign Policy Debate: Can the EU Survive the Euro Crisis?
Joan Burton T. D. – Deputy Leader of the Labour Party & Finance Spokesperson.
Jim Higgins – M.E.P for North West & Former Government Chief Whip.
Ed Kelly – East European Expert.
Chair: Dr Paul Gillespie – Former Foreign Desk Editor, The Irish Times.
Session 8: Harlequin Hotel, Castlebar, 9pm
Humbert Book Club
Reading by author Sean Boyd from his book “Behind the Horseshoe Bar at
Dublin’s Shelbourne Hotel”.
Housekeeping details:
€200 for full attendance or €50 per day ticket
Luncheon Debates will be charged separately
(prices to come)
Two Pay options:
1. Bank Transfer
Humbert School
Ulster Bank, Terenure
Sort Code: 98-50-70
Account No: 11294300
International Transfers:
IBAN: IE45ULSB98507011294300
IBANBIC: ULSBIE2D
.:
2. Send check to:
Humbert School
34 Eaton Square
Terenure
Dublin 6W
Other queries please contact: humbertschool@gmail.com
Accommodation
Humbert Summer School cannot arrange accommodation for attendees however you may contact:
HARLEQUIN HOTEL
Lannagh Road, Castlebar Co. Mayo
Tel: 094 928 6200 Fax: 094 928 6201
Email: info@harlequin.ie
Web: www.harlequin.ie
or their sister Hotel TF ROYAL:
Tel/Fax: 094 9023111
Web: www.tfroyalcastlebar.com
Email: info@tfroyalhotel.com
If there is no availability at the Harlequin or TF Royal Hotels they may be able to provide contact details of alternative local accommodations.
Other useful links:
:
Discover Ireland: www.discoverireland.ie
Failte Ireland: www.failteireland.ie
Mayo on the move: www.mayo-ireland.ie
Mayo is Magic: www.mayo.ie
Ireland Hotels (Hotels and Guesthouses Guide): www.irelandhotels.com
Town and Country Homes Bed and Breakfast Ireland: www.townandcountry.ie
Family Homes of Ireland Bed and Breakfast Accommodation Guide: www.familyhomes.ie
–
Robert Blair Kaiser
14249 North Third Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85023
(602) 358-7274
(602) 300-5773 – cell
(602) 801-3320 – fax
rbkaiser@justgoodcompany.com
Sample or purchase an eBook version of
Cardinal Mahony: A Novel here
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/7027
(Read the first 40% of it for free.)
Buy an autographed copy of the print version here:
http://www.robertblairkaiser.com