Retreat Venues in Ireland

I can't find a good list anywhere else, so am making my own.   In no particular order:

Lay Retreat Association of St Ignatius


Donegal

• Lough Derg (There are also places called Lough Derg in Clare and Galway, but they're not the retreat centre)

Galway

• Esker
• Jesuit
• Croi Nua

Kilkenny

• Integritas Centre

Mayo

• Ballintubber?

Some interesting books

Catholic Music through the Ages: Balancing the Needs of a Worshipping Church

Edward Schaefer

Sacred Treasure

Joseph P. Swain


Conveys deep understanding of issues without needing technical vocabulary.

A lamentable eurocentrism

Read a great comment from the Church Music blog

There is a lamentable eurocentrism to our music in Church. What we now loosely call sacred music was merely the secular music of another age co-opted by the church and old enough now that no-one remembers that organ music was originally popular entertainment and frowned upon by the Church. Besides the Psalms call for stringed instruments, not organs.

This popular music called Rock comes from Black, Jewish and Scots-Irish sources, and has much to recommend it. Certainly in Australia rock music means more to people than church organ music (unsuited to hot climates where pipe organs suffer in any case).

I've been contemplating researching the history of the pipe organ to try to understand why some people think it is so much more suitable for liturgy than any other instrument. Sure, the church says so - but why???

Personally I find it that the way it is used in church is often distant, pompous, antagonistic, triumphal - anything but able to encourage a personal or communal relationship with a loving God.

Obviously other people don't have the same visceral reaction I do - but mine is no less valid, and I suspect not all that uncommon.

Some phrases about music from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

Paragraph 1157, lists three principles for selection of music for liturgy:

• Beauty
• Expressive of prayer
• Unanimous participation of the assembly at the designated moments, and the solemn character of the celebration.

You could summarise this as saying that it's got to be something prayerful and solemn that someone having no special musical training can actually sing.

Paragraph 1158 says that songs are

"all the more expressive and fruitful when expressed in the cultural richness of the People of God who celebrate".

So contemporary styles of music, which are a part of our cultural richness, can be used.

Some short and sweet words about liturgy

Some short-and-to-the-point statements about liturgy - adapted from here:

People have repeatedly observed the transformative power of ritual.

Liturgical celebrations are times when people come together to be nourished and transformed, and then sent back into the world on
mission.

The Lamb of God - Twila Paris

A hymn style song from the CCM genre, that I'd like to see us start using.

It's not often that one of these works crosses over and becomes a song for the whole church but this one does it for me.

Some thoughts about a music ministry vision statement

Why do we sing? 

“God has bestowed upon his people the gift of song. God dwells within each human person, in the place where music takes it source. Indeed, God, the giver of song, is present whenever his people sing his praises.”

Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, November 14, 2007, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

So what is the mission of people who lead music within liturgy?

To enable the full, conscious, and active participation of the assembly, by inspiring those assembled to sing, by performing music that connects with the congregation’s hearts, minds, and spirits thereby fostering and cultivating each member’s relationship with God. This connection is prayer, and it is where true Christianity begins.

An effective music ministry needs to spiritually connect with the people in order for them to fully participate in singing.

Different people connect with different styles of music. So to address the needs of the entire parish, we utilize many different genres of music. Distinguished by song selection and performance style, all the music attempts to draw parishioners into song through its distinctive sound.

A “prayer-first” approach to music ministry is necessary. If we are not able to know our music well enough to pray with it, we will be unable to lead the assembly to do the same. Approach every note and every chord, being disciples of Christ first while striving to give breath to the spiritual life within each song.

Acknowledgement

Thanks to St Catherine of Sienna parish for these statements:  They have put things far more eloquently than I ever could, the above simply edits their text for more universal application.