Spreading the good news

April 21, 2009 in Media

recession_01.jpgMedia-wise it was a fruitful Lent and Easter for Jesuits and their colleagues. Gerry O’Hanlon SJ entered the fray of the economic downturn, discussing his book ‘God and the Recession’ on TV3, BBC’s Sunday Sequence, and RTE TV’s Nationwide. Indeed, the same Nationwide’s ten-minute package broadcast on Spy Wednesday featured young people from various Jesuit works living out a faith that does justice with the homeless and those in prison (Slí Eile), migrants (Jesuit Refugee Service and Clongowes students) and the Jesuit University Support Trust in Ballymun. See it here: click on ‘Youthful Faith’. It was watched by over 400,000 viewers – an amazing 30.6% audience share – and stirred real Easter hope in the hearts of many viewers.

Sr Maureen MacMahon OP featured on the six o’ clock and nine o’ clock news on RTE 1 TV on Good Friday, presenting a copy of her recently published book Irish Art with Reflections to Donal Neary SJ. Gay Byrne presented a Holy Week series ‘Passion Players’ on RTE Radio 1, and Pat Coyle of the JCC, along with two Biblical scholars, was part of the conversation about Mary, the mother of God. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Barney McGuckian SJ spoke for an hour for EWTN about his DVD on the  history of the Sacred Heart. The command of the Risen Christ is to go out to the whole world and proclaim the good news, so be it.