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New York Franciscan monks battle crime in Irish projects

Friars turn around crime-infested public housing in Limerick

By
CATHY HAYES,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Monday, May 17, 2010, 11:34 PM
Updated Tuesday, May 18, 2010, 12:02 AM

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Brother Shawn O'Connor


Since the beginning of the decade the Moyross estate in Limerick City has been a battle-ground for vicious gangland criminals.

Violent crime stalked the streets, making everyday life a nightmare.

But now, the estate is being turned around by a group of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, from the Bronx, New York.

The Moyross estate was built in the late 1970s and is home to 5,500 residents. The vast majority of householders are local authority tenants.

Back in 2006, crime in Moyross was at its peak. The most famous incident took place when two innocent children who were sitting in their mother’s car were nearly burnt to death when three teenagers petrol bombed the vehicle. Violence was an everyday threat on the estate.

In 2007, the monks opened the friary in the troubled estate and over the past four years they have seen a vast improvement in the standard of living in the people living in the surrounding area.

Brother Shawn O’Connor said the monks' "primary purpose" was to "take care of the spiritual and material needs of the people, to give them a real sense of hope and a sense of knowledge that God cares for them and loves them."

Brother O’Connor is impressed by the changes that he has witnessed.

"We have seen quite a few changes. The biggest we have seen is with the people and the way they live their daily lives," said Brother O'Connor.

"Neighbors told us when we first moved in there, that (their) kids wouldn't play on the street very much or else with great caution. Now they are out there almost every day. I don't think anyone thinks anything of it to let their kids go out and safely play in the streets. That is one change, I don't know if that has anything specifically to do with us.

"It's gotten quieter there certainly, I know that. Obviously there are still things going on that everybody knows aren't so good. But there haven't been big violent events or things of that nature.

“If we can inspire people just to make that difference, no matter how small it might be, then you have made a difference. That is what we are trying to do at a tangible level."

The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal have now opened a second friary in Derry City.

"We won't go anyplace unless we get invited by a bishop,” said Brother O’Connor. “The two places we got invited to were Limerick and Derry and we accepted both of those. They are good places to be."
 

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10 Comments

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rosarypray | Jun 21, 2010, 06:55 AM EDT
ghreat work
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NyackGal | May 23, 2010, 08:45 AM EDT
Wow,Franciscan friars from the Bronx!I'm impressed...they seem to have had a really good effect on the people in those projects;this was a very heart-warming story.
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linqingshan | May 21, 2010, 09:48 AM EDT
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jacersisityourself | May 20, 2010, 06:21 PM EDT
D’yez see? There - I told yez ages ago... there are thousands of good priests out “there” making a difference in the world... even in a tiny part of the world called Moyross, Limerick, Ireland. Welcome to the real world of Christianity I say to ICentral.
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donal1951 | May 20, 2010, 12:02 PM EDT
The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal are a fine order, dedicating their lives to serving the poor and the downtrodden. They very much follow the rule and the spirit of St. Francis.
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southcountykelly | May 19, 2010, 08:52 AM EDT
Where is Maughberry prison?
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southcountykelly | May 19, 2010, 08:50 AM EDT
God bless the friars. I don't know why they need permission to go and do God's work. It shows the power of selfless dedication and perseverance.
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susankirkpatric | May 18, 2010, 05:43 PM EDT
I love the information I recieve from Irish Central.But I have a question.How come there has been no coverage anywhere about Liam Hannity and the conditions of Maughberry prison?Liam is on his 35th day of a hunger strike and there has been protests but no coverage.I am in America and I see the videos and the messages sent to me.God help uus if nothing is done about the brutality that still goes on.What do we do turn our backs on the people that basicaly built this country.I need an answer to this..
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manofaran | May 18, 2010, 12:22 PM EDT
Well said Downunder, Nar lagadh Dia Thu.
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Downunderyan | May 18, 2010, 07:15 AM EDT
As a Limerickman living in Australia myself, I must say how proud I was to read this inspiring story. Limerick and Derry have been much maligned in history since the 1600's. Both were the last redoubts in the Irish struggle for independence and held fast for a very long time to their faith and traditions. Limerick was famous for being the city with the largets Arch Confaternity in the world, with Belfast only as the nearest largest Arch Confraternity. In the process, both cities, Limerick and Derry, suffered greatly from discrimination and persecution over the last 400 years. Treise libh a bhraithre agus go n-eiri libh le do obar in ainm De!
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