Sr. Briege McKenna

gimmebroadband

Sr. Briege McKenna, O.S.C.was born in Ireland and entered the Sisters of St. Clare at the age of fifteen.Following her final vows and after suffering for more than three years with rheumatoid arthritis, she was transferred to her community in Tampa, Florida with the hope that the Florida sunshine would relieve her suffering. At the age of twenty-four, she was miraculously and instantaneously healed during the celebration of the Eucharist and some time later received, in prayer, the gift of healing for which she has become so widely known. In 1974, again during prayer, she was given a deep spiritual insight into the call to priesthood. Since then, bishops and priests in many parts of the world have invited her to speak and minister at their retreats and conferences. Her book, "Miracles Do Happen" has been translated into many languages through out the world.

*********************************************



"A prophesy she received from the Lord in 1971 concerning the priesthood and the laity - she brought these to her bishop for discernment. She says God is purifying the Church and that martyrdom is a possibility but the seeds of springtime have been sown and will bear fruit: she actually says that Pope Benedict is a great Pope who is leading us into a new springtime

Sister Briege: It actually began not long after my own physical healing. I came to Florida in 1971 as a young nun. I’d grown up in a very devout Catholic culture, and we’d been taught never to criticize priests. I remember my father telling us stories about how we should honor them. And we should, of course, but many of us were doing it in the wrong way, putting them up on a pedestal. Well, in 1971, that was changing, and I found myself, like many, becoming quite critical of priests. One day, I went into the chapel and asked God, “What’s wrong with these priests?” He then revealed two things to me. First, he showed me that a tremendous crisis was coming, a crisis that would lead to a great famine of the Word of God, and that Catholics would turn away from the faith.

OSV: And the second thing?
Sister Briege: The Lord told me to wash the feet of priests. He showed me Jesus weeping and said: “The time is coming when many bishops and priests will care more about the business of the world than about my wisdom. They will become ashamed of me. I want you to tell them to magnify me.” I was horrified. But I wrote it all down and talked to my bishop. Shortly afterward, I got an overwhelming love for the priesthood, a real sense of what the Sacrament of Holy Orders was. Then God brought Vincentian Father Kevin Scallon and I together. My mother general and his father general gave us their blessing and sent us out to work together. And ever since we’ve been going wherever we’re invited to help priests rediscover the spirit of their priesthood.

OSV: Some of the priests with whom you work are priests who have fallen into serious sin. As you’ve gotten to know these priests, what have you discovered about the circumstances that led them to where they are now?

Sister Briege: They didn’t get there overnight. Their struggles are generally the fruit of a long and slow neglect of the spiritual life. We all have an inner and an outer life. That inner life starts at baptism, and, in this world, it’s constantly under attack. So we have to protect it. How do we do that? We make our home in Jesus. We nourish it though prayer, sacraments and living the life we’ve promised Jesus to live. If a priest isn’t doing that, if he’s not giving over every area of his life to Jesus, he neglects the inner life, and divorce comes. He begins to care only for his outer life. And he falls.
The priesthood is God’s gift. And any gift that is not cherished, that is not received and loved and cared for, dies. A priest can’t lose the gift of his priesthood, but he can lose the love that animates it. And that can cost him everything.

SV: From what you’ve seen with the priests with whom you work, do you believe better days are ahead?

Sister Briege: I do. God is rectifying what’s happened. He’s cleansing the Church. And we’ve been so blessed to have such holy popes in our lifetime. It hasn’t always been like this. But the Church survived, and now we have a great pope leading us into a new springtime. Before we see the fruit, there has to be purification, and the ground has to be fertilized. But the springtime is coming. The Church has been humiliated, and that’s good. The prestige of the priesthood is no longer an earthly one. We’re looking more closely at who’s forming our priests and how. Some bishops and priests are finding their voices again. They’re less afraid of speaking with authority. We need more of that, though. All bishops and priests must be willing to speak out and defend truth and the Church’s moral teachings. They must not be afraid to confront sin, even if it means martyrdom."


http://www.sisterbriege.com/OSV/OSV%20Interview%20Oct%202010.htm
http://www.sisterbriege.com/srbriege.htm

Onesimus

I always was told she got cured in the city of Newry Northen Ireland. Must have been Florida then I guess.

alex73

I remember meeting her in late 80's. I was doing my leaving cert at the time. One of those people you meet who has a strong personal conviction about her.

Fanny Cradock

PatricaMcKay and Onesimus, both of you can conduct your arguments via PMs.

Onesimus, you need to use the report function.

withless

Why did she withdraw her support for Direction For Our Times?

georgieporgy

withless wrote: »

Why did she withdraw her support for Direction For Our Times?

• An important notice from Sr Briege:

It is with regret that I have discerned the need to withdraw my endorsement and support of Direction for Our Times. I am praying that God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

ST CLARE SISTERS RETREAT MINISTRY

• An important notice from Fr Kevin:

Recent information has caused me to question the authenticity of Direction for Our Times. Regretfully I’ve come to discern that I can no longer support or encourage involvement in this organization.

INTERCESSION FOR PRIESTS

hope that helps.

Onesimus

What information though? I mean it's not right that they dont explain to us what info they received in order to withdraw from direction for our times.

It would be nice for simple folk like me to hear why, otherwise it just leaves us in.....limbo.

Onesimus

withless

Exactly.

Why not be straight with everybody and tell their side of the story? They expect us to discern what they have discerned? Share the information that you have that calls the organisation into question.

Is it just Anne that has blackened her copybook or is the whole Apostolate? Is it the message? Have they a problem with people from Cavan?

Onesimus

withless wrote: »

Exactly.

Why not be straight with everybody and tell their side of the story? They expect us to discern what they have discerned? Share the information that you have that calls the organisation into question.

Is it just Anne that has blackened her copybook or is the whole Apostolate? Is it the message? Have they a problem with people from Cavan?

Exactly!!! It is misleading of Sr.Briege and Fr.Kevin to present their thoughts in such a brief paragraph. Because many who know that they are well respected in the Catholic Church of Ireland will take their discernment for granted and abandon DFOT with absolutely no explanation as to why they abandoned it other than ''Sr.Briege'' Said so, so it musnt be the real deal.

gimmebroadband

Copied this from a Poster in another board!

Allyd wrote:

I just received this message:

Statement by Bishop Leo O'Reilly
regarding Direction for Our Times


September 2, 2011

To Whom It May Concern:


I offer an update on the present status of Anne, a lay apostle and Direction for Our Times.

I initially granted permission for the distribution of the messages and written materials of Anne. This position remains unchanged. The writings and materials may continue to be distributed. As pointed out in my letter on the DFOT website, the permission to distribute the messages does not imply a final judgment on whether they are authentic private revelation. A final judgment on that question must await the outcome of an official Church inquiry into these matters.

Following Church protocol, I set up a diocesan commission over a year ago to inquire into the writings of Anne and to evaluate her reports of receiving messages from heaven. That work of evaluation is continuing and the outcome of it will be made public in due course.

I hope this statement is helpful in the clarification of these matters.


Yours sincerely in Christ,


Leo O'Reilly

Bishop of Kilmore

http://motherofgod.freeforums.org/anne-the-lay-apostle-direction-for-our-times-t2418-30.html