Matt Talbot’s life in a televised comic strip format

One of the blessing of this blog is developing friendships with people around the world who share an interest in Venerable Matt Talbot. One such person is Grzegorz Jakielski who is extremely active in promoting the cause for the canonization of Venerable Matt Talbot in Poland. (See https://www.facebook.com/pages/Matt-Talbot/304690079653019 and http://www.mateusztalbot.pl)

Grzegorz informed us that the premier of Matt Talbot’s life in a comic strip format just appeared on the Polish TV station Republika, in which he was the originator and scenarist. Here are four screenshots of that program:

90th Anniversary Year of Ven. Matt Talbot's Death

Whereas the actual date of Matt Talbot’s death is 7 June 1925, this special year will be filled with Novena Masses and other events by the Matt Talbot Dublin Diocesan Committee.

The first scheduled event is noted below and future events will be posted at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Matt-Talbot-Dublin-Diocesan-Committee/217785025048151?fref=nf (as well as this Resource Center blog for major events).

“This year marks the 90th Anniversary of Ven. Matt Talbot's entry into Eternal Life. We pray that it will also be the year in which Matt is raised to the Altars of the Saints. Why not join us in pray this year, especially for those suffering from any form of addiction, those in recovery, their families and the wider community affected by the scourge of alcohol and drug misuse. Venerable Matt pray for us.”

Purcell's book, “Matt Talbot and His Times,” is available online

Seven years ago we posted a message (http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com/2008/01/required-reading-about-matt-talbot.html) that "anyone who is seriously interested in the life of Matt Talbot needs to read the two books authored by Mary Purcell  (1906-1991), who has been described as the ‘doyenne of religious biographers’ and the possibly definitive biographer of Matt Talbot. These books are Matt Talbot and His Times (rev. ed., 1977), and Remembering Matt Talbot (rev. ed., 1990)." 

While these two books are still available for purchase online, there is now a PDF online copy of Matt Talbot and His Times with a Foreward by Fr. Brian Lawless, current  Vice Postulator for the Cause of Matt Talbot, at http://www.acnireland.org/images/books/matt_talbot_times.pdf.   

MATT TALBOT – TOWARDS FREEDOM FROM ADDICTION

This reflection is from http://www.knocklyonparish.ie/reflection/matt-talbot-towards-freedom/.

 

"From his early teenage years Matt grew increasingly dependent on alcohol. By his mid 20s he was an alcoholic. He was ruled by his passion for alcohol and had even stolen from a blind man to quench what had become an insatiable and uncontrollable appetite.

The curiosity and impulsiveness of teenage years was the context for his experiment with alcohol. He lived in a capital city in which there were so many poor and living in squalid conditions. His father and brothers were in similar difficulties.

Matt’s path to freedom was based on a simple lifestyle and dedication to prayer. He rose early in the morning to pray and went to early morning Mass. 

Our knowledge of his life is based on what others have told us of him. Since he left no writings,  what we know of him is based on the witness of his family, his work colleagues, his friends and the people he encountered. 

He himself was merciful; he told his sister, ”never think harshly of a person because of the drink;  it’s easier to get out of hell than to give up the drink, for me it was only possible with the help of God and our blessed Mother”.

Any person can suffer the consequences of impulsiveness and curiosity. Matt, with the help of God’s grace and love, came to discover a better way."

Matt had someone to listen to him in Holy Cross. Christ gives us the grace to listen. Matt responded to this kindness. His devotion to Mary, to the Mass, to persevering prayer, to reading in the Catholic tradition, to the Franciscan Third Order, gave him grace to conquer.

"Needed: a new generation of saints in Ireland," says Archbishop*

In an October 22, 2014 interview (http://blogs.nd.edu/oblation/2014/10/22/an-interview-with-the-papal-nuncio-to-ireland-liturgy-life-and-renewal/) about the Catholic Church’s current situation in Ireland, Archbishop Charles Brown, Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, answered the following question:

“What are some of the challenges you and the Irish Church face in promoting the New Evangelization?

The major challenge, I think, would be the legacy of scandals in the Church. Today in 2014, I can say there is NO institution anywhere in the world that has more rigorous child protection standards than the Catholic Church in Ireland. And the Church is exemplary in what it’s doing today in terms of child protection. But there’s a legacy of scandals–we’ve had two decades of scandal. We have to realize that faith is caught, not taught. When people are presented constantly for a long period of time with counter-examples, not of saints and holiness, but of criminals and failures, it creates a spiritual deadness in people’s hearts. Now how do we overcome that?

We overcome that by being zealous, by being holy, by praying, by realizing that Ireland was converted by men and women who were immersed in prayer and the liturgy–the monks and nuns. That’s how this Church began on this island– these miracle-working, ascetical men and women who went to live the monastic life, they became people of prayer, witnesses of faith, ascetical witnesses, spiritual witnesses. That’s exactly what we need: a new generation of saints in Ireland, a new generation of those kinds of people. And they are here! I’ve seen them with my own eyes. They’re not heralded, people are not writing articles about them, but there are saints in Ireland today– people who are living their faith with great generosity, with great fervor, with great commitment, and that’s what will change the situation. We have un-canonized saints who I think would be wonderful if the Church moved towards canonization, like Matt Talbot in Dublin, an amazing figure; the Jesuit Fr. John Sullivan, an incredible hero of the faith. We need to promote those figures and give people the experience of holiness, to show people that holiness is possible, in order to counteract this legacy of the scandals, where people are presented with a series of criminals and failures.”

*We created this title solely for this posted question and answer. (JB)


Note:  Matt Talbot (1856-1925) was declared Venerable on 3 October 1975, and Fr John Sullivan (1861-1933) was just declared Venerable on 7th November 2014.

More media coverage on Matt Talbot's road to sainthood

This is the latest article about a possible physical miracle attributed to the intersession of Matt Talbot. Previous articles can be found at

 http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-physical-miracle-involving-venerable_10.html and

http://venerablematttalbotresourcecenter.blogspot.com/2014/11/matt-talbots-road-to-sainthood.html.

New 'miracle' may put Matt Talbot on road to sainthood
by Mags Gargan 

January 1, 2015 
http://irishcatholic.ie/article/new-miracle-may-put-matt-talbot-road-sainthood

The Church is investigating a potential miracle that could see Matt Talbot on the road to sainthood. The Dubliner, who died in 1925, was renowned for his holiness and having overcome a crippling alcohol addiction, has been a heroic inspiration to many people in Ireland and abroad battling addiction.

The report of a possible miracle in the United States, if verified by the Vatican, would mean that Matt Talbot would be declared ‘Blessed’ by Pope Francis, a major step on the road to sainthood.

“There is a lot of positivity around the whole story and please God it will happen,” Fr Brian Lawless, the man charged with leading the cause for canonisation, told The Irish Catholic.

Fr Lawless has travelled to the United States in his role as vice-postulator of the cause of Matt Talbot to interview Patrick and Shannon Watkins who attribute the safe delivery of their sixth child, Talbot Joseph, to the intercession of Matt Talbot.

His parents didn’t have a devotion to Matt Talbot, but all their children have Irish names and when they drove past the Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach on a trip to Nebraska the name appealed to them.

When Sharon was a couple of days overdue in her pregnancy tests indicated what medics described as “chromosomal abnormalities”, loops in the bowels and doctors suspected Down syndrome or cystic fibrosis.

Sharon’s sister immediately mobilised a prayer chain and since the child would be named Talbot she asked everyone to pray for Matt Talbot’s intercession.

Three days later, baby Talbot was born with no bowel loops, no Down syndrome or any evidence of health problems. Doctors described the outcome as “medically inexplicable”.

Now, the Church will appoint a panel of medical experts to review the case and if the inquiry finds that the cure was, in fact, medically inexplicable, the case will be forwarded to the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Inquiries

“We have a good feeling about it,” said Fr Lawless. “Hopefully, in the near future, we will have word about the outcome of these inquiries.

“Matt Talbot is very highly regarded, particularly in the US. With all the difficulties and problems people are facing as result of addictions, now is the time that people need a patron and Matt is the obvious choice,” Fr Lawless said.

Fr Richard Ebejer, parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Dublin’s north inner-city, which hosts the mortal remains of Matt Talbot, said it would be wonderful for his cause to move forward this year during his 90th anniversary.

The parish is holding a number of events to celebrate his legacy, including the opening of an exhibition this month at the entrance of the church illustrating his life.

“When someone reaches bottom he offers hope,” Fr Ebejer told The Irish Catholic.

“We want to present Matt Talbot as a role model to young people. Many think of him as an old man but his conversion was at 28. He can speak to today’s young people,” Fr Ebejer said.

Matt Talbot was born in a socially deprived area of Dublin in 1856 and, like many people at the time, he turned to alcohol at an early age.

He was considered a “hopeless alcoholic” by the age of 13. However, at the age of 28 he renounced alcohol and found strength in prayer. He soon became renowned for his piety, works of charity and mortification of the flesh.

In 1931, the Archdiocese of Dublin began investigating whether or not Matt Talbot should be considered for sainthood. His case was forwarded to the Vatican in 1947 and in 1972 his remains were removed from Glasnevin Cemetery and brought to the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes on Sean McDermott Street.

Three years later, Pope Paul VI recognised his ‘heroic virtue’ and declared him ‘Venerable’ an important step in the process to becoming a saint.

A NEW YEAR OR ANOTHER ONE?

Matt Talbot (1856 – 1925) is mentioned in this 1935 article (http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/article/28th-december-1935/5/a-new-one-or-another-one about the upcoming new year.

 

A NEW ONE OR ANOTHER ONE? 

 

FOR millions of our fellow-countrymen, 1936, if it comes, will be a New Year only in the sense of One Year More or Another One. Next Wednesday will be a day for starting a new wallcalendar, a new diary, a new page in the pass-book, and perhaps for registering some new resolutions ; but the Year will be new only in the sense of the new handkerchief or collar which, as a matter of course, will quickly be soiled and soon be worn out.

To some extent, every one of us is subject to the New Year's almost intrinsic quality of deterioration. Although rustless and stainless steels have lately been invented, no human soul is chromium-plated. We must beware, however, of that deadly Defeatism which says, in effect : " I will make no New Year resolutions, because I know I shall break them, and I will form no New Year hopes, because they are sure to be mocked by events."

In a vital respect, which may also be a victorious and a triumphal one, we can all, if we will, make 1936 a truly New Year. January, not less than this fading December, will surround us with the old corrosive and soiling and stunting influences ; but we can create for ourselves a radically new situation by resolving, with the firmest resolve we have ever made, that, God helping us, we will use all the divinely-provided counteractives to defilement and failure. It is no mere pious platitude, but is literally the Gospel truth, that Grace is so proportioned to the needs of those who implore it that the famous New Leaf can be not only turned over but kept unblotted, while day by day and month by month, it is inscribed and filled with none but pure thoughts, seemly words and good deeds.

Without going back to dusty pages of medieval hagiography, which may be suspect in modern eyes, we can find many proofs in our very own days that when a poor mortal, despairing of his own feebleness and futility, lays hold of the Divine Help with both hands, he can enter upon a truly " new " life which will not melt into the ugly slush of broken resolutions but will remain perennially pure and bright, like the eternal "snows on high mountains. An instance of this was MATT TALBOT, that woefully poor and obscure Irish workboy who was transformed suddenly and durably from a feckless half-drunkard into a saint of God.

Protestants as well as Catholics are annually exhorted, when a New Year approaches, to appropriate hungrily and thirstily the spiritual meat and the heavenly elixir of life which are theirs for the asking and the taking. But, over and above other inestimable differences, surely Catholics are in the better position for -acting on this advice. They have the Sacraments — tangible, accessible and inexhaustible.