The Musical Priest

My "German for Reading Knowledge" course began yesterday and I've already spent many hours cramming German verbs and grammatical structures into my brain. It'll be a challenging course of studies, I reckon, but I am pretty confident that my ability to read German will increase exponentially over these next few weeks. I haven't any idea as to how often I'll be able to update this blog. I'm going to go to California this weekend to play at a feis, so I need to be very diligent with my German so that I can lose two days of studying in order to travel/play. I hadn't planned on attending this feis but the organizer is down a musician and can't find anyone else to play. So, I'm going to sacrifice myself by going to LA for a weekend. It's a rough life, I know.

This weekend I'll be playing at the Chicago Feis (held at Gaelic Park) and then I'll move into the Jesuit Community located in Hyde Park, IL. As many of you know, on Monday I will begin an intensive 5-week course in "German for Reading" so that, when all is said and done, I'll be able to read Karl Rahner, SJ in his native tongue. Since I don't have a public site-counter running on this site, I thought I might mention that we've had nearly 1,000 visitors each day since I posted my (now infamous?) letter. I'd just like to share a few brief thoughts: First, thank you to all who have commented here. I am glad that my observations and sentiments are striking a chord with many of you. I tried to be as fair and as balanced as possible while still trying to say something. I'm glad, then, to know that what I said has resonated with the experience of many. Second, I am aware of the (inconsequential) discussion that has taken place on The Irish Dancing Messag...

As many of the people who read my blog are affiliated with Irish dancing, I would like to take this opportunity to address them directly. While the aim of this missive is to express some of my thoughts on the current state of Irish dancing, I suspect that other readers will be able to expand its scope to include other areas of life. Dear Parents and Teachers of Irish Dancers, It has been a great honor and privilege to serve as a feis musician for nearly ten years. Beginning with local feiseanna while in high school, I have had the wonderful opportunity to travel all over the United States and Canada providing music for your dancers. After entering the Society of Jesus in 2004, it was my fear that I'd be unable to continue playing. Fortunately, my religious superiors have encouraged me to share my love of Irish music and have, consequently, allowed me out to play again. This last year in particular has found me playing both at feiseanna run by old friends - a chance to spend time wi...

I'm leaving in 30 minutes for Province Days, so I have to be very brief. It seems that many readers have emailed me using an Aol.com address. THe only trouble is that I didn't realize that I had such an address. I have dunsryan "at" yahoo.com that I use for this blog, but I suspect many people figured I used both. If you have written me over the last year and didn't receive a response, I am very very sorry. On a lark I opened the mailbox to my account only to discover that many had written me. I will do my best to respond to the many emails sent. Karen, I know understand why you thought I was ignorning you! For all future reference and to ensure that you get a reply, I invite anyone who needs to do so to write me EITHER at the Yahoo address or RyanDuns "AT" gmail.com Many Apologies! Ryan

Well, I'll admit that I'm a glutton for punishment. As you can see from the post below, I had an awful experience two weeks ago when I went the the school mass at my local parish. In light of my comments below, it'll probably come as a shock to many of you that I returned there this morning. In truth, I'd not have gone there had it not been my sister's graduation mass. I sat in a new location - toward the rear of the church, providing me with a fine vantage point from whence to take the whole affair in. I'd quibble with the selection and pacing of the music (funeral dirges) but my real bugbear is with the vocalists. Instead of recognizing and embracing human (and vocal) finitude, the organist and cantor imagined themselves to be Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram as they crooned out the Gloria. It was brilliantly comical as I they tried to weave back and forth. The result of the weaving, however, was a tangle of melody and words that left me wondering whether to co...

Before I head out for the week (workshop in Detroit) I want to plug a new Irish music school opening in Cleveland. Brian Holleran, a native of New Jersey (and my sister's fiancee) will be offering classes on Flute, Tin Whistle, and Uilleann Pipes here in Cleveland. Brian is a terrific musician and a gifted teacher. For more information, contact Brian at: brianholleran000 AT hotmail.com (substitute @ for AT).

The person who posed a question a few weeks ago has posed another: Do you ever look to the cross and simply see a guy dying? After agonizing about how to approach this response, let me just dive in and say simply: Yes . There are times when I do just see a guy dying. I wish I could at all times experience the power of the resurrection, the hope and joy of Easter morning. I am, however, tragically finite...one who sins too freely and never prays hard enough or long enough or well enough. I grapple with the issues of faith and belief and I very often wonder how it is that I've come to commit my life to what can appear to be a corpse on a cross. I've gazed on the bodies of drug dealers shot through the face; babies the tragic victims of abuse; children mangled in car wrecks; women beaten at the hands of abusive partners; men's arms embroidered with heroin track marks. In their bodies I have seen the sin and evil and brokenness of this world etched and carved and gouged into hu...