Rev Dr Michael Shortall, President, St Patrick’s College joined with Prof. Eeva Leinonen, President of Maynooth University, today with staff of both institutions for the annual Christmas gathering.
On behalf of St Patrick’s College, both the Pontifical University and the National Seminary, Dr Shortall thanked Prof. Eeva and her colleagues for their support this past year. Dr Shortall remarked : ‘To come together like this is a reminder that a campus is not only a place of work but a community shaped by how we treat one another. I am proud to share this journey with you. I am grateful to walk beside colleagues who are all committed to the people we serve – our students – even when the path has been anything but straight. Generosity of spirit speaks louder than any strategy or plan – as important as they are.’
Dr Shortall's full speech can be found below.
Nollaig Shona daoibh go léir.
Colleagues and friends,
It’s wonderful to see so many of you here this afternoon. It is one of the rare moments in the year when we actually get to see the people we pass every day on this campus.
While we have many roles, different badges on our emails, we share the same corridors and often the same headaches. To come together like this is a reminder that a campus is not only a place of work but a community shaped by how we treat one another.
Christmas is a time of generosity and giving thanks for gifts received, because of the belief that creation, relationships, even the daily drudge of life are gifts of a divine Giver.
So it is good we take this moment to say thank you. Thank you for the committed work you do in offices, classrooms, labs, libraries, and on the grounds, and in the restaurants. For the early starts to get ahead of things. For the late finish to help a student in difficulty. The patient reply to the twentieth query of the morning. The quick fix to a problem no one saw coming.
This year has stretched everyone. Higher education is moving fast, and the pressure is real. It is how we respond to it that makes all the difference: staying generous. It is what gives this campus its atmosphere. It is also why students speak so warmly of their time here.
On behalf of the St Patrick’s College, both the Pontifical University and the National Seminary, I would like to specifically thank Prof. Eeva and all our colleagues at Maynooth University. We are truly grateful of the support of all across your organisation.
Time and time again, we meet people who are kind and willing to do their best whenever we pick up the phone, call into an office, sit around a table – for yet another meeting! This willingness is built on a long standing legacy and we look forward to strengthening it in the years ahead.
Finally, allow me one moment, to turn to my own colleagues at St Patrick’s. We have all been through a lot in the past year – some real successes, many challenges and a few times when we were reminded that we are a work in progress.
At a personal level, I am proud to share this journey with you. I am grateful to walk beside colleagues who are all committed to the people we serve – our students – even when the path has been anything but straight. Generosity of spirit speaks louder than any strategy or plan – as important as they are.
As we move towards the break, I hope you all get a chance for some quiet rest and recuperation with family and friends, and those who matter most to you.
Happy Christmas, and thank you for everything.