Fr. Brian D’Arcy, happy to be back at work in the Graan gkfh37
FR BRIAN D’ARCY is back on his feet after an operation on his knee that he underwent at the end of January.
The popular priest, who is Rector at the Graan, spoke this week about getting back into the thick of things following the surgery.
He underwent the operation at the end of January at Altnagelvin, as he explained.
“I was working in Mullingar on the Tuesday night – compering a show. By the time I got home from that, it was 3am – so I was working right up until the day of the operation.”
“You’re not supposed to work at all for three months after it,” he continued, “and the three months won’t be up until the middle of the Novena (April 27 – May 6).
“I couldn’t do public Mass for six weeks. Some can go for months without walking on crutches, I was lucky. I could walk freely from about five to six weeks, and drive from seven weeks.”
And how did he find being ‘out of action’?
“It was very difficult. But I knew I wasn’t able to do it – and of course I had to start writing and that kind of thing which I hadn’t been doing for about a month.”
During his time off, Fr Brian, by his own admission, took a little time to reflect.
“I haven’t had holidays for at least 25 years. I don’t really remember when I had my last holiday, so I was reviewing my life a little bit.
“There hasn’t been a single week since 1966 that I haven’t had to produce an article. I’ve had an article in a paper every single week since 1966. And 37 years every week in the Sunday World alone. And broadcasting for over 40 years, and I’ve had a weekly programme for well over 30 years. So I just realised that I never took a break from anything.”
He laughed, though, when recollecting that, ‘the world didn’t fall apart’, despite his absence.
“People were absolutely understanding of it. But, as soon as you’re well again – the demands come back again!”
When he did return to the altar, he admitted that it was ‘very nerve-wrecking’.
“The first public Mass was very nerve-wrecking. Would I fall down the steps or not? I got a chair and I sat for the preaching that I was doing. It worked all right – and once I got the first one over, it’s amazing, once you get the idea that you can do something, it’s absolutely great.”
For now, Fr Brian is concentrating his efforts on the Novena of Hope, which starts off at the Graan from Saturday, April 27.
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