Outspoken champion for Ireland's homeless to speak in Graiguecullen

A man who has given his life to helping and campaigning for Ireland's homeless is set to speak in Graiguecullen in April.

Fr Peter McVerry, social activist and founder of Peter McVerry Trust, has accepted an invitation to be the guest speaker on the opening night of the Solem Novena in Graiguecullen.

From Belfast, the priest began working as a priest in parts of Dublin hit by deprivation and drugs. In 1983, he founded a charity to tackle homelessness called The Arrupe Society, but it was subsequently renamed the Peter McVerry Trust, which began as a three-bedroom flat in Ballymun. He still lives in Ballymun.

The trust grew from one flat over the years, to include eleven homeless hostels, over 100 apartments, a residential drug detox centre and two drug stabilisation services. The trust also has a hostel for young homeless boys and a residential drug detox centre.

Fr McVerry has come to the public's attention for his campaigning for the homeless and people with drug addiction. He has been an outspoken critic of Government housing policy.

"The homeless in Ireland are not a problem, they are simply people who have come upon difficult times and circumstances," Fr McVerry has said.

Most recently he criticised the Government for lifting the ban on evictions.

“Without that ban, trying to house people is like trying to empty the bath water with the taps still on,” he said.

Solemn Novena of Our Lady of Perpetual Help: Our 18th Solemn Novena begins on Monday 17th April and will run for nine consecutive Monday nights. We invite people during Lent to place their petitions in the petition boxes in St Clare’s. During our Novena, through the prayers of our Faith Community and the intercession of Our Lady we will ask Jesus to relieve whatever burdens we carry.

The Solemn Novena of Our Lady of Perpetual Help runs from each Monday night from April 17 to June 12. 

The full list of guest speakers for this year’s Novena are:

17th April - Fr Peter McVerry Social activist & founder of Peter McVerry Trust

24th April - Fr Vincent Stapleton Curate in Thurles Parish - Member of the Borris-Ileigh Senior Hurling Team 

1st May - Dr Halyna Teslyuk Lecturer in Religious Education at St. Angela's College, Sligo 

 8th May - TBC

15th May - Fr Vincent Sherlock PP Parish Priest of Tubbercurry, Co Sligo & internet blogger

22nd May - Kathleen Chada Mother of Eoghan and Ruairi Chada

29th May - Fr Liam Lawton Parish Priest of Edenderry, Co Offaly & Irish Singer-Songwriter

 5th June - Dr Nicola Brady Chair of the Steering Committee of the Irish Synodal Pathway

12th June  - Anne McClean Retired HSE Director of Nursing and currently a Visiting Director with Manresa, Jesuit Centre of Spirituality, Clontarf.

"During our Novena, through the prayers of our Faith Community and the intercession of Our Lady we will ask Jesus to relieve whatever burdens we carry," says the Parish which sits on the border of Laois and Carlow.

Graiguecullen Parish invites people during Lent to place their petitions in the petition boxes in St Clare’s.