College Record 1977

Reflecting the global connection as a very special Bicentennial looms on the horizon

The major changes in the organi­sation and design of what was a familiar and time-honoured format have interrupted the regular two-yearly publication schedule of The Record, but given it virtues of economy and readability with which no editor can reasonably argue.

The Record continues, how­ever, to reflect the global con­nection of the staff, students and alumni of St. Kicran ‘s College, and particularly of its seminary department. In this respect, the present issue has a strong Australian flavour: a Castlecomer-born past student was consecrated auxili­ary bishop of Perth; the Bishop of Ossory, himself a past-student and former member of the staff of the College, attended the consecration and has written an account of his visit; a holidaying veteran of the Australian mission was persuaded to review his experiences there. American coverage, if it lacks the detailed listing of names, places and dates that are the marks of an efficient chronicle of events, is none the less im­pressive; Rev. Pa trick Comer­ ford’s account of the recent International Eucharistic Con­gress in Philadelphia could hardly have any more contrasting coverage than that of the un­usual activities in neighboring Pittsburgh. And this Pennsyl­vanian emphasis is our own little US bicentennial gesture. Our Letter from Ogdensburg continues to arrive faithfully, reminding us that American pastoral assignments are not all sunshine, even if the bright and sun-tanned faces in our photographs from the New Orleans alumni re-union would seem to suggest so.

The Scottish Log, compiled with such meticulous care by Rev. Bernard Canning, a jour­nalist manque if there was ever one, dominates coverage of events in the United Kingdom. Within Ireland, coverage of affairs in the diocese of Ossory and of Down and Connor has opened up a new direction of journalistic endeavour; we hope to cover the activities of St. Kieran’s priests in other Nor­thern dioceses (Ardagh, Derry, Kilmore and Dromore are ob­vious candidates here), in the next issue. Internal affairs-the year-to­year progress of the college itself, its staff, and its students -are covered in a section that also includes a number of articles which review some major developments in planning, ad­ministration and student service over the past decade. Finally, the traditional In the News section has been expanded to reflect the diversity of involve­ments of the College’s past pupils and staff. The revised arrangements for the production of this issue, which have involved the creation of the function of managing editor, have also meant that the final tasks of preparing copy, editing it, and preparing layouts have been combined with the business management of the publication and taken out of the hands of the (relieved) editor. The editor’s task has been lightened by those who readily contributed reports and . photo­graphs, and by Miss Mary Meaney, the efficient and ever­obliging College secretary, who has done so much typing of material for this issue. If we have preserved what is good from the past, and given promise of better in the future, perhaps we have achieved som­thing that will stand as a sign that St. Kieran ‘s College is preserving its traditions, while adapting itself to new demands in an era of change. Such a sign will have an increasing importance as the college moves towards the cele­bration of its Bicentennial in 1982, preparations for which are now beginning, and towards the realisation of a major initiative in joint facility management with Kilkenny Vocational Edu­cation Committee.

James Brennan Editor