Bishop Donal McKeown.
‘These last ten days have been a bit of a whirlwind for me as I arrived in the diocese of Derry, coming from east of the Bann and after 33 years working in Belfast.
“But, from the beginning, I’ve been struck by the warmth and kindness of so many people – and by the great pride that so many people have in their community, whether that be in the city or in the country areas of Derry, Donegal and Tyrone.
“Many might suggest that we ought to keep talking about the pain of the past and the economic problems of the present.
“But I have found a people that has found strength to cope with the past and the present by celebrating its diverse cultural traditions as something to be proud of rather than feared.
“And that is a sort of Easter message in itself.
“After all, the events surrounding Jesus’s death and resurrection are told in all their pain and horror.
“But Resurrection suggests that it is possible to talk about the pain of the past without being prisoners of terrible suffering that so many endured.
“I have been impressed by how people in many communities have taken the rubble of the past and turned it into a foundation for the future – rather than into a pile of rocks where we can gash ourselves or hurt others.
“Those who share the Christian faith about Easter aren’t preoccupied with remembering strange events 2,000 years ago.
But it is because of those events that we believe we have a future as well as a past.
“For those who believe in the Resurrection of Jesus, brutality and injustice will never have the final say.
“The cold stone of loss does not have the last word. The one who died on the Cross did not seek revenge over those who killed him. He wanted only their healing.
“We still face huge challenges if we are to create a world worthy of our wonderful young people.
“But Easter is an invitation to celebrate a belief that new life can spring up even in the most unexpected places.
“We can be architects of the future and not just prisoners of the past.”
Bishop Donal McKeown
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