INTRODUCING MARTIN PLUNKETT

INTRODUCING MARTIN PLUNKETT

Having been employed part-time as a Youth Worker through the diocese over the past twelve months Martin Plunkett has recently become more involved, started our drama group and, again through the diocese, he has just become a lodger in Clergy House. Here he briefly describes his journey to this point.

At the age of 24, whilst the Rock group I was involved in was getting ready for the ‘big time’, I had a conversion experience. My parents had returned to the faith after a long absence and gradually I began to see that I needed more out of life than what I had received from the culture in which I had grown up. I considered the idea of a religious vocation and began to search, firstly by working for two years as part of a community which toured the United Kingdom evangelising in Catholic schools. Later I spent a year in New York in a Franciscan Community, living in Harlem and the South Bronx.

In 2004 however a friend of mine (Tillie Callaghan) and I were inspired to begin a Catholic community having recently produced a musical play, Rock of the Anointed, as part of a group called Youth 2000. (I had studied drama at University and qualified as a school teacher). We saw that this could be an effective way of working with young people in the Church and so we approached Fr Hugh. We had already met him and discussed parochial youth work. Very sadly, shortly after becoming involved here, Tillie passed away very suddenly in January this year. Since that time Fr Hugh and parishioners have been very supportive and patient and the work has gently developed, expanding from the Youth Club into drama work, aspects of Confirmation and First Communion preparation as well as numerous other areas.

Helping to put on Tillie and Edwin Fawcett’s musical Rock of the Anointed in July with the parish was a very moving experience. Tillie and I had felt originally that we wanted to contribute something beautiful to the life of the Church so it has been very significant to be able to continue what God started through us. I feel I’ve come to the right place and hope to develop my work here significantly, doing what I can to help build community. Personally I am keen to pursue the dream of developing the work which Tillie and I envisaged in which we saw ourselves as Missionaries of Love. This was in response to our contact with a European movement entitled the Opera del Amore or Work of Love which affected us both deeply. I am enjoying being part of the team here.