School Class

Tomorrow, Friday, I am invited into a Paris School to take a class for one hour. Some months ago, the class watched the film, "In the Name of the Father" with their teacher. This tells the story of the Guildford Four who were wrongly imprisoned for 15 years for offences they never committed. Gerry Conlon's Father, Giuseppe Conlon, died in prison. Prime Minister, Tony Blair, apologised for the miscarriage of justice in 2005. One of the class told her teacher that the priest in their parish had lived in Belfast before coming to Paris. Her parents had told her this, as I have never spoken publicly in this parish of my time in Holy Cross parish in Ardoyne. The teacher contacted me some time later and asked if I would come into the class who had watched the film. She asked if I could offer some background to the Northern Ireland situation and take any questions the students may have. For better or worse, I am going into this school tomorrow morning for a class lasting one hour. This is a first for me in France and I don't mind admitting that I am apprehensive. If the students benefit and grow in understanding and appreciation of life and its challenges, I will be so happy. It is totally about them and not about me.                                         AT