Keynote Address at The Helix - A Celtic Journey of the Heart

Deirdre gives the keynote address at the 30th anniversary celebrations of St. Francis Hospice, Raheny in the Helix, DCU.

"To journey through the Celtic world is to travel widely. The call to remember with this ancient civilisation of our ancestors, is to retrieve that which we have lost and longed for in these current times. In the Celtic tradition,threshold times were seen as a significant opportunity to let go of the past and to step towards the new with great attention to and presence within detail. Birth and Death, our entry and exit from the world, were marked as important doorways; and ritual supported the journeyer and loved ones at these life changing times. The “spirituality of dying” invites us to stop and reflect on ways to be fully present to the reality and gift of this passage.

Celtic Christian Spirituality becomes our well source, as Deirdre invites us on a journey through life, death and renewal, our connection to nature, the redemption of love and the splendour of creation. By exploring the spirituality of life and death from a celtic tradition, we become aware of the gift and challenge of this time for ourselves and forthose in our care, helping us to be fully present to the most natural reality of the seasons and journey of the heart."