BICENTARY CELEBRATION OF FR. GAILHAC'S BIRTHDAY

Sr. Madeleine is the Director of a Sabbatical Course in All Hallows College Dublin. It is called Renewal for Ministry and was attended by 46 participants, one of whom was myself - Mary Murray. The Course ended on December 13 after twelve weeks. The participants were mainly from different religious communities, both male and female. Hovever five were diocesan priests and there was one lay woman. Madeleine and I decided we would mark the RSHM Celebration of Gailhac's two hundreth birthday with the other members of the Renewal Course so we invited them to join with us for the day. We had a prayer together in the morning using the Litany and the Novena prayer. I introduced the occasion by giving a short resume of Fr. Gailhac's life and ministry. We had his picture displayed on a table so all could see what he looked like. Someone remarked that he had a kindly expression and did not look severe. At the morning break Madeleine produced a box of biscuits which Catherine Quilligan RSHM donated and within seconds they had disappeared.

In the evening at 5.00, we had a Happy Hour together when all enjoyed a glass of wine, some nibbles and there was singing and story telling. Mary Mullins RSHM joined us for this time together. The group presented Madeleine and I with a bouquet of beautiful flowers to each of us to mark the occasion. We gave one of them to Mary to bring to the funeral next day of a young woman ex- prisoner who had died of an overdose. Mary is a chaplain in Mountjoy Prison.
The 13th of November was a meaningful day for Madeleine and me because the group of 45 really entered into the spirit of the occasion and rejoiced with us that our Founder was truly a man of and for God and for others.

Mary Murray RSHM