Fr. Gerard 25th Anniversary

In honor of my 25th anniversary I got an artist in Ireland to carve a symbol which is very close to my heart as a Priest  ,  the triple spiral of the burial mound in Newgrange, Ireland. This famous site was built before the arrival of the Celts approx 5200 years ago , older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids in Egypt. 

 

 

This spiral is found within the chamber but other spirals are found on the big rock at its entrance.

 

 

 

 

The spirals for the early inhabitants of Ireland connected them to life and death . This burial mound is also called a passage tomb where the people believed the deities were present .

 

When St Patrick arrived in Ireland with Christianity in 432 he was drawn to Newgrange and lit the first paschal fire on the sacred Hill of Tara close by . He used the triple spiral of Newgrange to explain the relationship between the Father , Son and Holy Spirit of the Trinity to the Celts at the time . 

 

As a Priest this symbol connects me with the culture and faith journeys of the people’s of my homeland and challenges me as I share the Good News here Long Beach like St Patrick did in Ireland.

 

 

As you can read this Irish oak was part of the library shelves in the seminary I attended in Dublin, Ireland .

 

 This carving is interconnected with the rich history of Ireland , the Ancient  Oak forests , the Holy Trinity , All Hallows’ Seminary , My Vocation and Priestly preparation, My Ordination , My sending forth to Los Angeles and presently Long Beach To Preach Good News .