Bruree Church

100th Anniversary of Laying of the Foundation Stone

100 years ago this day, just after the War of Independence, the foundation stone for this beautiful church was laid. The inscription on the stone states that the man who built Hiberno-Romanesque church was Jeremiah J. Coffey from Midleton in Cork. The architect was a Mr. Hynes from Cork. We are grateful to them. But, of course, we are thinking this evening of all the great people of Bruree who contributed so much to the building of this church, not least Canon John Breen then parish priest.

Looking back, we recall the generosity expressed in so many gifts and bequests people made over the years: stained glass windows, the altar, the altar rails, the Mission cross. Apart from these, there were many acts of generosity on the part of people, day to day.

This church building speaks of faith. Statues, pictures, stained glass windows, the Stations of the Cross lift up our soul and invite us to remember we are people who journey together to God with so many in heaven and on earth to help us. As we go around this church building, we meet images of the Sacred Heart, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Patrick, St. Brigid. We can’t but think too this evening of those engaged in helping out in the upkeep of this parish church in so many ways – sacristans, cleaners, those who serve on committees and ministers as readers or ministers of the Eucharist, those who sing, those who count money, those who administer, those who welcome, those who arrange flowers, those who work on the pastoral and finance councils.

Yes, what we are celebrating this evening is not just a church building. During the Covid pandemic, when churches were closed for short periods, we all came to realise more deeply that, as one report put it, “the church is more than a building”. To state the obvious, a building is only bricks and mortar. What gives meaning to church buildings is the living faith and love of the parish communities. Church buildings are constructed and maintained with care because people recognise in them sacred spaces that symbolise their spiritual home as a community united in Christ.  Here in Bruree which is the Irish for the “Dwelling place of the Kings”, we are grateful that the people wanted to find a fitting building to symbolise their fidelity to the King of Kinds, Jesus Christ.

The philosopher Kierkegaard wrote that we must interpret life looking backwards, but we must live it looking forward. This evening’s ceremony certainly offers the opportunity to stop and look back with admiration and gratitude. We give thanks for the faithful witness of so many lay faithful, priests and religious linked to the parish. We think of the many spiritual moments lived in these churches. The evening, however, also nudges us to look forward and commit ourselves to building up our parish community for the future, in particular, as a community of prayer and love for one another.

We remember this evening that the date chosen for the foundation stone was December 8th. This, I’m sure, was not by chance. They choose the date because of its significance – the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This Feast Day is such a lovely Feast Day. It tells us Mary was without sin. Sometimes we think of that negatively – she was “without” sin. But, it is a very positive statement. Mary was full of grace, that is, full of love, a love that reached out to everyone with a love that is a caring maternal love.

Mary is our mother. And we are called to imitate her in our care of others. We know we are not immaculate! And yet, St. Paul is clear – that is our vocation: to let Jesus work in us to make us immaculate, spotless, that is, full of love of God and our neighbour. Every time a baptism is celebrated in this church, a white garment is placed around the child. It’s a sign that no matter what sin or negative aspects might hit the child as he/she grows up, the basic calling in their lives is to be pure, to be love, to be what the Angel said to Mary at the Annunciation: full of grace.

It might seem hard to believe that but it’s our faith. In his Angelus message this morning, Pope Francis spoke of the Immaculate Conception, reminding us of how important this doctrine is for each of us:

Let’s hear God who says to us: “Son, daughter, I love you and I’m with you always, you’re important for me, your life is precious”. When things don’t go well and we’re discouraged, when we’re downcast and risk feeling useless or wrong, let’s think about this, about this original grace.”—which sinless (meaning most loving) Mary had, to share with us, insofar as she can, immaculatizing us.

Each of us is important to God. That’s why God always comes close to us to help us, give us a hand, helps us start again. How many people have found the closeness of God reach them in this church. How many have been sustained by the sacraments celebrated in this building.

This evening as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of this church, let’s decide in our hearts to ask Mary to help us now. She is our mother. She wants us to trust in her motherhood. Pope John Paul used to encourage us to say “we are totally yours, Mary”. And Mary, of course, wants to respond “And I am totally yours…”. So let’s entrust ourselves to her. And again Pope Francis this morning said that in this time of Advent, ‘God wants to see us and awaits our “yes”.’

By entrusting ourselves, consecrating ourselves to Mary, we say to her: “Take me by the hand, lead me: with you I will have more strength in the battle against evil, with you I will rediscover my original beauty”. Entrusting ourselves to Mary today, every day, repeating to her: “Mary, I entrust to you my life, my family, my work, my heart and my struggles. I consecrate myself to you”.

And then, going out from here, let’s imitate Mary, the Mother of the Church, the Mother of each one of us by making the effort like Mary to be the first to love, not waiting to be loved. Mary didn’t wait to be loved; she took the initiative. She went to visit Elizabeth; she did something to help when she noticed the wine had run out at the Wedding Feast of Cana; she came with relatives to help Jesus during his public ministry and see if he was ok, she stood by the Cross when he was dying.

While we can rightly be proud of this church and be thankful, the best way to celebrate the laying of the foundation stone of this church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary is to be like Mary and let God work in us as we our love of one another. We will be building the Church outside the church in our families, our work, with our neighbours.