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REFORMATION

 

Love Song - an autobiographical memoir  

- now also available as a Kindle eBook from Amazon

What's it about?

.As a seafarer wandering the world young Joe Coyle reads Plato's meditation on the nature of love and his whole world is changed. What to do about it? Marry the most beautiful girl he has ever met or devote himself to the service of others in the monastic Order of Friars Preachers? It's a hard choice, and only Joe can make it ......

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 21st Century REFORMATION of the Catholic Church

  - available on UK Amazon & other online retailers (£3.50 - or equivalent in your currency)  
(
ISBN 9780955887833)

- also as Kindle eBook

Catholics are hurt, angry and distressed by horrific, systemic violence, sexual abuse and rape of children in Catholic Church institutions in America and Europe – lasting for decades under Catholic Church leadership.

Is there a need for a modern REFORMATION within the Catholic Church? In this small booklet he author says ‘Yes’! – and considers causes of abuse in the Church and in society. Read an extract

 

 

 

 

Brother Barney's Love Song - the Screenplay

- now available on Amazon

Probably only of interest to those who work in the film industry, or to film buffs who are hooked on the whole process of creating movies. This is the author's first piece of writing. 
    He says, "The experiences of beginning to understand the nature of love - human and divine - were vividly lodged in my head, images that ran continually in my mind, and the most natural thing in the world was to try to recreate them, so that people might share in them directly.
    I taught myself how to create a film script and tried to raise the money to direct and produce it myself. At that time I thought that only I could create a movie that would express the reality of my experiences, but I have since come to appreciate that there are Directors who are amazingly sensitive to mood and image, and much more knowledgeable about film creation! 
   
So I have not given up hope that I will find such a person. In fact, I have one Director in mind and will approach him as soon as I have copies of the script to hand.
    If you are not a film buff or do not work in the industry you will find that the screenplay is a technical document. You may find it rather bare and barren, though interesting. Better perhaps to read 'Love Song - a memoir', the novel derived from the screenplay, which, contrary to my expectation, conveys the reality of my lived experiences rather better than I anticipated.   To compare the two could be interesting (Good for my Independent Publisher economy!)
    We will have to wait for the film to appear to see if it is as good as the novel; always an interesting experience. Give me feedback if it happens - or even just let me have a reaction to the novel.

    Yours with best wishes,
   

Brother Barney O.P.  - buy on Amazon 

- An Autobiographical Novel With A Difference: See Addendum:'Sex, Love, Marriage, Nullity & Divorce' - Including An Open Letter to Pope Benedict XVI. [Paperback]

The Blackfriars of Mediaeval Europe! - in England since A.D. 1221 - and the latest member of the Order of Friars Preachers is young Joe Coyle- aka Brother Barnabas - just arrived from London with all his worldly possessions in a tin trunk. Barney is serious, intense, determined - but to his amazement he finds monastic life is fun - despite a freezing winter that lasts for a hundred days, life without women, and only a small drop of alcohol on major feast days. Despite the little sip of alcohol Bro. Barney's monastic life style could have a curiosity value in the minds of one and a half billion Muslims, bearing in mind a thousand years of what might be called 'ardent theological debate' between Muslim and Christian. A billion Catholics will certainly appreciate Brother Barney's life-forming experience, as will a further billion fellow Christians and some of earth's agnostics and atheists (a billion is the estimate) - who may find it difficult to avoid the temptation to take a peek - just to see what the hullaballoo is all about! This book could be a winner! - maybe even an 'International Best Seller' - (like every other book you pick up in an airport these days!) . Hmm
IS GOD REAL?
A fascinating insight into modern monastic and religious life. Raises big questions about the mystery of our creation - how we live - and die! ...
Stimulating! can religion be fun?
... Can it be taken seriously?
... Can we really believe in a loving, kindly God - considering the defective world we live in? - The author has been a daily Massgoer for more than 50 years but he accuses the leaders of his church for not facing up to certain realities: ... 
Author's Note:

'Bro. Barney O.P.' was originally written as a screenplay.
It was only after eighteen years of failing to persuade film makers or raise the required cash that I decided to re-write the screenplay as a novel.. I am, as I confess throughout the book, a slow learner.
I must come clean. 'Bro. Barney' could well have been a written as a straightforward autobiography, but as it was already a screenplay I found it easier to continue to tell the story as if I were writing about someone other than myself.
This meant that I could be objective, and the use of an alter ego in the form of Joe Coyle means that I can permit modest creative licence - telling the truth but embellishing certain events and altering the names of people who might not relish an invasion of privacy.
Here and there I have used real names, of people I trust not to be embarrassed about association with me - plus some who have died and cannot be embarrassed, for they have explained themselves to the living Lord.
The story is 90% factual - and 100% true!
The O'Shea family motif is Vincit Veritas - truth conquers - and I bless the unknown ancestor who created it, for in great or small things truth is vital. Without it life becomes even more perilous.
So believe me, all the central events I relate actually took place, especially those that seem strange and inexplicable.
Thank you for reading my book - if you do - and if you don't I'm sure God will forgive you - even if I don't!
- Ah, come on! That was a joke!

________________________________________________

As I realised that this book was actually two books - the autobiograpical Memoir has since been published as "Brother Barney's Love Song"

-and the theological addendum has been revised and will be published at the start of 2012 under the title "The Catholic Church in the 21st Century - a Critical Analysis"

About the Author

Michael O'Shea was born in Belfast in 1932 and spent his formative years there and in the County Down fishing village of Ardglass where he now lives.

 

 

 

 

The Catholic Church in the 21st Century - a Critical Analysis

 TO BE PUBLISHED IN JANUARY 2012

Commissioned by Jesus 2,000 years ago, the Catholic Church is under scrutiny as never before.
Just what are it's teachings and how are they expressed?

 

 

 

 

PS: If you read 'Love Song' or  'A 21st Century REFORMATION of the Catholic Church' and feel like sharing your views please do so at Amazon UK and Amazon US  (Tell people what you think!)