Hello everyone
I hope you are at peace and had a blessed Easter.
At the end of March we started a parish mission in Bray
by the sea in Ireland, It was a very well attended mission
with an almost full church each night. I often hear on my
travels around the world that the Church in Ireland is in
real difficulties, with people stopping going to Mass.
However my understanding is very different. The people’s
faith in Ireland is wonderful with so many people giving up
their time for their love of Christ. With the missions we
run the Churches are normally full each night, and a great
number at the weekday morning masses. Maybe it is the
hundreds of years that the Irish people have prayed the
Rosary and kept that closeness with Our Blessed Mother,
who always brings us to Jesus’s Heart of Love. Bray was
very Blessed with a real hunger for God in the people.
Whenever I am by the sea I think of God and thank him
for my conversion, because I remember many years ago
I was in a prison, and my cell overlooked the beach, each
day I would watch people walking or swimming and
enjoying their freedom. I always thank Jesus for the freedom
he gives me now. Also when I give talks in prison now I like
the fact that when I want to leave they let me out because
there was a time they would not let me out :-]
Next I traveled to give a mission in Arklow, County Wicklow.
There were many Graces with lots of people making great
confessions and finding that personal love that Christ has for
each one of us.
After this mission I went to Croatia to promote my first book
which is now in 9 languages including Croatian. This was a very
special visit, I gave talks in Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik. The
publisher traveled with me and was a great host and a real man
of prayer. About 300 to 400 people came to each talk and there
were lots of radio, TV and newspaper interviews. It always amazes
me how much the media can be used to proclaim the wonder of
God and how little it happens. So every chance I get, I give the
fullness of Christ's truth.
When I got back to Ireland it was Holy week and I had my mum
come and stay with me. My mum is a big reason why I am with God
she never stopped praying for me and a bit like St Monica
stormed heaven for me. It was a good Easter with lots of
lessons for me. One Priest said to me a long time ago,
every day we need conversion and if we stop being open
to conversion we are spiritually dead, so I pray to be
converted and change every day.
After Easter I gave a talk for my friend Patrick McCrystal who
runs Human Life International, They are a real powerhouse
of Grace against the culture of death and proclaim the
teachings of the church in mercy and love, it is always a
privilege to be asked to talk for them.
Lastly I gave a mission in Rathkeal near Limerick. When I arrived
in the church, I knelt down at a statue of Our blessed Mother
and was reflecting on how unworthy I am to speak on behalf of
Jesus, with all my sins and failings, but Mary seemed to touch
my heart with the love of the Holy Spirit and say it is OK to be
broken and a mess just keep on getting up saying sorry, because
God loves you so much. And I thanked Jesus for my life in him.
Please pray for me, I travel to Northern Ireland, Southern Ireland ,
Chicago, England, Spain and France in the next 2 months giving
missions and talks. You are very much in my heart and prayers
God bless you in his deep love.
John Pridmore
Posts
