THE DERRY NEWS: NEWS WITHOUT BORDERS
St Patrick's Church and Pennyburn School are quite within their rights to attempt to establish formal structures for his year's Confirmation ceremonies. Moreover, what they are proposing - given the scale of this year's ceremonies - might actually be necessary.
While everyone realises the importance of the Sacraments, and the importance of formally recognising our children's coming-of-age, in recent years there has been a tendency for more and more parents (and grandparents) to overdo things.
There is not, nor should there be, any limit to the love and respect we have for our children. But the over-extravagance, and expense, visible at some of the ceremonies is in danger of sending confusing messages to children. There is a lot more to life than having the dearest clothes or collecting the most money.
Furthermore, the pressure less privileged families are under on occasions like First Communions or Confirmations, to keep up with their neighbours, can be extremely stressful.
A number of schools in the North have previously suggested children take part in ceremonies should wear their uniforms with a simple sash. This would certainly take the worry, and debt, out of the equation for those struggling to make do.
Any changes as to how the congregation might participate at these ceremonies should however involve consultation with all those involved - including the grandparents, who have a key role as our children's guardians and spiritual guardians.
It might, perhaps, be more diplomatic for the Catholic Church going forward to initiate these broader participatory discussions, and hold them openly, rather than to attempt to impose a set of rules which risk upsetting and excluding some of their most faithful followers.
Taylor and Hegarty have served their time
It is both poignant and sad that, on the weekend that Derry marks the 46th anniversary of an atrocity committed against those protesting against internment, the issue of imprisonment without process is back on the agenda.
Aoife Hegarty's daughter speech in the Bogside on Saturday, in which she spoke of her heartache at her father Neil's re-detention on what appear to be entirely spurious grounds, strikes a chord with older generations, who remember when such human rights violations were commonplace.
Ms Hegarty pointed out that her father was not deemed a threat and had been previously complied with earlier parole conditions to attend a family funeral before returning voluntarily to jail. He had served his time and just wanted to get on with the rest of his life. Instead, he was arrested 36 hours after his release, for allegedly querying the necessity for a tag, and was removed once again from a family who had spent five years just living for the moment they would get him back.
The Creggan republican Tony Taylor has now served almost two years in Maghaberry since his licence was revoked without any form of public process. Both before and since his re-arrest, he has been an advocate for peaceful political change - and many across the political, social and trade union spectrum have testified to his integrity and commitment.
Indeed, it is unlikely that last week's ONH ceasefire would ever have happened without the political and diplomatic lead previously shown by Mr Taylor, both when he was free and in jail, and by others.
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