I have an article on RTE Brainstorm about ‘Fr Gerry Reynolds: Faith and the Peacemaker’.
Drawing on my new book, Unity Pilgrim: The Life of Fr Gerry Reynolds: CSsR, it details Reynolds’ behind the scenes work in the Northern Ireland peace process, his public ecumenical ministry, and his prayers for the Rev Ian Paisley.
The concluding section reads as follows:
How faith made a difference
In the book, I make a case for the historical significance of Reynolds’ ministry, arguing that his position as a priest gave him the legitimacy to facilitate secret talks as well as to publicly advocate peacemaking and ecumenism. He sustained this challenging work by cultivating a rich inner life rooted in the rhythms and rituals of Catholicism, and a disciplined practice of prayer with Christians of all traditions, in community with his Redemptorist brothers, and in private adoration.
Faith is what made Reynolds who he was; without his confidence in the absolute goodness of God and his faith-filled friendships, he would not have made such a difference for peace.