In His Master's Footsteps: The Way of the Cross in the Company of St Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop and Martyr

In His Master's Footsteps: The Way of the Cross in the Company of St Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop and Martyr

In his introduction to this unique series of reflections structured around the Stations of the Cross and carefully crafted from the literary legacy of St Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop Eamon Martin points to the wealth of letters left by his martyred predecessor that has allowed posterity to encounter a living personality from another age. The author fuses excerpts from the saint’s letters to the traditional Stations format with the use of prayer, scripture reading and reflection adding a concluding Pause for Thought at each station to encourage a deeper sense of personal reflection in the light of the saint’s letter and particular station. The 45-page publication is illustrated throughout with photographs of the new statue of St Oliver in the Ecce Homo pose unveiled in 2019 in St Patrick’s cathedral Armagh, created by Dublin-born artist Dony MacManus. In the postscript to the reflections the author also includes brief sketches of modern, martyrs and witnesses with local connections including Columban priest Fr Tony Collier from Cruicetown in Clogherhead parish Co Louth killed in Korea by advancing communist troops in 1950, Servite Fr Malachy Skelton from Dungannon, Co Tyrone killed in South Africa in 1997 and Derry city’s Sr Clare Crockett of the Servants of the Mother who with 687 other souls perished in an earthquake in Ecuador in 2016 as she tried to save her class of schoolchildren.

Fr Benedict’s reflections lead inexorably to an invitation to all those who follow Christ today to respond to their baptismal call with the same generosity as these great witnesses to the Gospel.