Fr. Brian D’Arcy pictured with John McAreavey who was the guest speaker at the “Novena of Hope” in the Graan on Monday night. Also in the photograph is John’s father Brendan
PEOPLE were still flocking to the Graan for Monday night’s first guest speaker, John McAreavey of this year’s Novena of Hope when it became apparent that the Enniskillen monastery couldn’t cope with the numbers.
With the accommodation inside for 1,000-plus at full stretch, many had to turn and head for home.
It was, arguably, the only low point of the evening. Mr McAreavey (29), who was accompanied to Enniskillen by his father, Brendan had only one mission in mind, ‘to talk about how my faith has helped me’.
He lives in Laurencetown, County Down and is a financial director in the family business.
In a interview with the Herald, beforehand, it was clear he preferred not to dwell on the recent past (3 years and 3 months) to events in Mauritius on 11th January, 2011 when his wife, Michaela was murdered on their honeymoon, nor on the subsequent trial. (Two accused were found not guilty).
So, how are things? he was asked.
“I’m in a very good place at the moment. A lot of things have gone in my life, and that’s part of the reason why I am here, to talk about how my faith has helped me.”
He had spoken in public a few times, but not to an audience of the size of Monday night’s, a tribute to Fr Brian D’Arcy’s pulling power.
“Any time I have spoken to him, he has always given me good words of advice.”
Fr Brian had met John and Michaela in Clones and, as he put it: “I simply could not believe that Michaela would marry someone outside Tyrone. I said that to her and she told me, it must be love’.”
They met, John recalled, at university in Belfast, in the Holylands (where the students stay), having been introduced by a friend, but that was all he wanted to say.
But, he did admit that some people, when they meet him, do refer back.
“Different people will come over and say hello and, sometimes will look at you and they just get back to those awful times and they don’t know what else to say, so they say something about that time.
“It’s not always helpful but they’re trying to empathise with you.
“But, I have been very fortunate. People have been very good to me. They have been praying for me and have helped me get through that difficult period.”
So, hope (the theme of the Novena) does have a role to play?
“Yes, I have always been a positive person. Hope and optimism is what keeps me going, and that’s what faith brings me. It’s not all doom and gloom, thankfully.
“Yes, there would be pain, but I have been able to get to a new place in my life where there is certainly lots of hope and you see all the good things in life again.”
Critical to that were his own family (his parents, his brother and two sisters), the Harte family, and the GAA ‘family’.
“It’s a big family and, so, I have a big support, and I have great support from my club, Tullylish. Just getting back into football, and even playing football, you can try and forget about the worries of the world. That’s what the GAA is great for.”
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