Photo was taken at Cortijo Salinas, Montecorto, Spain

A honeybee gathers some pollen on a flower that looks like some sort of a daisy.

Thought on Wednesday – February – 20/02/2013

‘At the conclusion of my discussions with one group of the Magdalene women, one of those present sang ‘Whispering Hope’. A line from that song stays in my mind – “when the dark midnight is over, watch for the breaking of day”. ~Taoiseach Enda Kenny


Yesterday was a landmark day in Irish history when Taoiseach Enda Kenny formally apologised on behalf of the Irish state for its role in the Magdalene laundries. Up to 10,000 women and girls were made to do unpaid manual labour in laundries run by the Church between 1922 and 1996. Many had been sent there by the Irish State. What was clear yesterday was the sincerity of the apology. It was heartfelt, genuine and compassionate. The apology might have been slow in coming but when it came it brought closure and healing. Most important it marked the breaking of a new day and a new beginning for so many of these women. It was a dark secret for many years and swept under the carpet. The apology destroyed the secrecy and the shame. The standing ovation given at the end to these women was moving. The line from the song Whispering Hope is powerful and one we could all hold close to our hearts: When the dark midnight is over, watch for the breaking of day. We pray for any person carrying or holding a heavy darkness in their lives right now. May they also find light, hope and the breaking of day.