Cathcon is passed a letter!
Update on Amnesty in Mercy College Woodford, Galway
I am writing to you in a personal capacity as the teacher who facilitates the Amnesty group in our school and also as the person who designed our school website.
Thank you for taking the time to contact our school with your concerns about the running of an Amnesty group and the photograph that you came across on our site. It is always good to have feedback about our activities.
May I state firstly that we are a Catholic school in name and action. You will notice that the photograph in question has been removed from our school site. However, it should also be noted that the photograph is from a poster from the Equality Authority, a state body. The message of the poster is: Homosexual bullying is not tolerated in our school (we do not promote homosexual activity). This is, I believe, a conservative Catholic value to hold; indeed, bullying of any kind is not tolerated in this school - a value that would befit any decent Catholic.
The article you refer to on indymedia.ie was posted to show people that there are individuals in this area who are willing to stand up against war, torture, the death penalty and other actions (abortion included) that we believe are inhuman. Again, I think these are conservative Catholic values and values that I believe Jesus Christ would also hold.The idea of a weekly vigil came about from the Catholic Workers organisation who hold weekly vigils in Ireland, England, Australia, America, and more countries (for example Sr. Susan Clarkson - Oxford Catholic Worker holds one each week on Cowley Road in Oxford).
On the idea of abortion. May I begin by stating my absolute abhorrence of the act. I am deeply saddened (distressed actually) to learn that someone might think that I (whose wife gave birth six weeks ago yesterday to two beautiful twins after quite a difficult pregnancy - twins who spent the first month of their lives in a Special Care Unit and who are still been checked upon weekly by the Public Health Nurse and the hospital staff of Portiuncla Hospital) would ever consider abortion.
On the idea of Amnesty and abortion: I received a letter from Amnesty on the issue last September. I will quote from it for you: "Amnesty International Irish Section will not be working on the issue of access to abortion [...] The membership of the Irish Section on Amnesty International ... made clear its view that it was not in favour of this change in policy (from a previous position of neutrality on the issue). In reflecting the view of the vast majority of the Irish section membership, Amnesty International Irish Scetion will not be campaigning on acess to abortion. No reference will be made to this policy in any of our education materials or communications with schools in Ireland."
Mecry College Woodford does not support Amnesty financially; it is free for student groups to affilliate with Amnesty. Any monies given to Amnesty from members of the school community are given in a personal capacity.
I try to have a consistent life ethic; in that, I am against abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, war, famine, or anything else that lessens our time here unduly.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact the school. I hope the above clears up some issues for you.
Regards,
Mark Conroy
Teacher.
I am writing to you in a personal capacity as the teacher who facilitates the Amnesty group in our school and also as the person who designed our school website.
Thank you for taking the time to contact our school with your concerns about the running of an Amnesty group and the photograph that you came across on our site. It is always good to have feedback about our activities.
May I state firstly that we are a Catholic school in name and action. You will notice that the photograph in question has been removed from our school site. However, it should also be noted that the photograph is from a poster from the Equality Authority, a state body. The message of the poster is: Homosexual bullying is not tolerated in our school (we do not promote homosexual activity). This is, I believe, a conservative Catholic value to hold; indeed, bullying of any kind is not tolerated in this school - a value that would befit any decent Catholic.
The article you refer to on indymedia.ie was posted to show people that there are individuals in this area who are willing to stand up against war, torture, the death penalty and other actions (abortion included) that we believe are inhuman. Again, I think these are conservative Catholic values and values that I believe Jesus Christ would also hold.The idea of a weekly vigil came about from the Catholic Workers organisation who hold weekly vigils in Ireland, England, Australia, America, and more countries (for example Sr. Susan Clarkson - Oxford Catholic Worker holds one each week on Cowley Road in Oxford).
On the idea of abortion. May I begin by stating my absolute abhorrence of the act. I am deeply saddened (distressed actually) to learn that someone might think that I (whose wife gave birth six weeks ago yesterday to two beautiful twins after quite a difficult pregnancy - twins who spent the first month of their lives in a Special Care Unit and who are still been checked upon weekly by the Public Health Nurse and the hospital staff of Portiuncla Hospital) would ever consider abortion.
On the idea of Amnesty and abortion: I received a letter from Amnesty on the issue last September. I will quote from it for you: "Amnesty International Irish Section will not be working on the issue of access to abortion [...] The membership of the Irish Section on Amnesty International ... made clear its view that it was not in favour of this change in policy (from a previous position of neutrality on the issue). In reflecting the view of the vast majority of the Irish section membership, Amnesty International Irish Scetion will not be campaigning on acess to abortion. No reference will be made to this policy in any of our education materials or communications with schools in Ireland."
Mecry College Woodford does not support Amnesty financially; it is free for student groups to affilliate with Amnesty. Any monies given to Amnesty from members of the school community are given in a personal capacity.
I try to have a consistent life ethic; in that, I am against abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, war, famine, or anything else that lessens our time here unduly.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact the school. I hope the above clears up some issues for you.
Regards,
Mark Conroy
Teacher.
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