CATHOLIC PRIMATE Cardinal Seán Brady has praised two Tyrone families
for the dignity with which they dealt with the violent death recently of
younger members.
He was referring to Michaela Harte, who was
murdered on her honeymoon in January, and to PSNI constable Ronan Kerr,
who was murdered by dissident republicans earlier this month.
“These
tragedies have plunged the families concerned into the depth of grief
and loss . . . But, with the help of each other, and of their families
and friends and the local community, they somehow got the strength, not
only to cope, but to present a wonderful example of deep spirituality,”
he said.
He described as “a powerful and wonderful piece of television” the documentary
Michaela – Finding Peace , shown on RTÉ I on Wednesday night.
Among
those interviewed on the programme were Michaela’s husband John and her
father, Tyrone county football manager Mickey Harte.
Speaking at
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, the Cardinal said: “What a consolation
and a grace to see people speak so clearly, and so convincingly, about
their faith in God and their faith in life after death, and their faith
in the communion of saints.
“How refreshing to find prayer and love and moderation treated with such respect and such dignity,” he said.
It was, he felt, “an outstanding example of the presence of the Holy Spirit”.
It
was “not always easy to dislodge despondency and to replace it with
praise”, he said.
Yet “that is what we have seen happen when Mickey
Harte gave thanks for the 27 happy years of Michaela’s life, and Nuala
Kerr called for the tragedy of Ronan’s death to be transformed into an
incentive to strive ever more earnestly for the garland of a just and
lasting peace”, he said.