CATHOLIC PRIMATE Cardinal Seán Brady has praised two Tyrone families for the dignity with which they dealt with the violent death recently of younger members.
He was referring to Michaela Harte, who was murdered on her honeymoon in January, and to PSNI constable Ronan Kerr, who was murdered by dissident republicans earlier this month.
“These tragedies have plunged the families concerned into the depth of grief and loss . . . But, with the help of each other, and of their families and friends and the local community, they somehow got the strength, not only to cope, but to present a wonderful example of deep spirituality,” he said.
He described as "a powerful and wonderful piece of television" the documentary Michaela – Finding Peace, shown on RTÉ I on Wednesday night.
Among those interviewed on the programme were Michaela’s husband John and her father, Tyrone county football manager Mickey Harte.
Speaking at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, the Cardinal said: “What a consolation and a grace to see people speak so clearly, and so convincingly, about their faith in God and their faith in life after death, and their faith in the communion of saints.
“How refreshing to find prayer and love and moderation treated with such respect and such dignity,” he said.
It was, he felt, “an outstanding example of the presence of the Holy Spirit”.
It was “not always easy to dislodge despondency and to replace it with praise”, he said. Yet “that is what we have seen happen when Mickey Harte gave thanks for the 27 happy years of Michaela’s life, and Nuala Kerr called for the tragedy of Ronan’s death to be transformed into an incentive to strive ever more earnestly for the garland of a just and lasting peace”, he said.
