Rosemary McCloskey

I made my First Confession on 26th May and my First Holy Communion on 28th May 1953 in Sacred Heart Church, where we went every Sunday and often daily for Mass. I was confirmed there as well, with Cecilia on 27th February 1956. Uncle Willie’s wife, Aunt Nan, was our sponsor on that occasion.

We wore long white dresses and veils and I remember my mother bought long white woollen vests for us to wear below, as it was winter and she did not want us to freeze. God and His mother were part of our family and we were encouraged to give time to them. We had a budgie in Rosevale Street and when we would  kneel to say the Rosary, the budgie would join in, chirping away for all he was worth. Many a laugh we had during that Rosary. In 1954, which was a Marian year, Fr Patrick Peyton held a big Rosary rally in the grounds of Beechmount on the Falls Road. My mother attended it and afterwards there was a framed photograph of Fr Peyton with a list of the mysteries of the Rosary and what days each set was said, hanging in our living room. During the fifties, Marian devotion flourished, with lots of novenas, sodalities and hymns to Our Blessed Lady. This waned after Vatican 2, because it was misinterpreted, and Our Lady’s devotions were downgraded, unfortunately.