Calendar
SIXTH CLASS STUDENTS & PARENTS: Elphin Diocese’s 3rd annual Confirmation Youth Fest takes place in Boyle on Sat. Oct. 7th. Representatives from all schools invited. For more info see www.elphindiocese.ie/youthfest …. A great opportunity for those hoping to receive Sacrament of Confirmation this year.
ELPHIN DIOCESAN PARISH DEV. & RENEWAL GATHERING will take place on Sat. Oct. 7th in St. Joseph’s Hall & Abbey Community College Boyle. This year’s focus: “Let’s talk family, Let’s be family” All welcome. For more info see: www.elphindiocese.ie/gathering or brochures in Church porches.
EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF THE EUCHARIST (Eucharistic Ministers) & MINISTERS OF THE WORD (Readers): Elphin Diocese is hosting a renewal evening (8 -10 pm) for all in Sligo Park Hotel on Tues. Oct. 10th. Guest presenter: Canon Niall Ahern. Please attend.
EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF THE EUCHARIST (Eucharistic Ministers) & MINISTERS OF THE WORD (Readers): Elphin Diocese is hosting a renewal evening (8 -10 pm) for all in Abbey Hotel Roscommon on Wed. Oct. 11th. Guest presenter: Canon Niall Ahern. Please attend.
Gospel of Life
Short (four session) Adult Faith Development programme entitled ‘Gospel of Life’ will run in Gleeson’s Townhouse, Roscommon, beginning Wednesday Oct. 25th (8-9.30 pm). For more details see: www.elphindiocese.ie/gospel-of-life All welcome.
Celebration of Volunteerism in our Churches
An Ecumenical Celebration of Church Volunteerism in Sligo area will take place in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Thursday 26th October at 7.30p.m. The Service is being organised by Sligo Parishes Cluster Committee and Sligo Churches Together. It seeks to embrace Volunteers from the eight Churches of the Cluster, from the four Church of Ireland Churches and the Methodist, Presbyterian and Redeemed Churches. It will also include all our friends of other nationalities who reside here. Everyone who volunteers in any way with Church is invited, and a Reception will be held in the Presbyterian Hall afterwards. Please join us on the night – all are most welcome.
Join St Mary’s Cathedral Parish, Sligo for a day of prayer, whilst invoking Irish Saints and Martyrs, as we unite together to pray especially for the protection of the 8th Amendment. This takes place on Friday 17th November commencing at 9.00am until Saturday 18th November 2017 at 9.00am, in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel beside the Cathedral. To sign up for your specified hour please text 087 6274621. Thank you for praying for the unborn child. St. John Paul II in 1979 said “May Ireland never weaken in her witness, before Europe and before the whole world, to the dignity and sacredness of all human life, from conception until death.
Pope Francis has designated Sunday 19th November as the first “World Day of the Poor”. When we read the Scriptures, we find that, from Moses, through the Prophets, up to Jesus himself, and in the first Christian communities, there is always a special focus on the poor. This love of preference for the poor is the only way that we can respond with integrity to a God who has given us so much, even His own Son. Unfortunately, in our times, there tends to be an assumption that the poor, like everything and everyone else, will be looked after by the state. Not only does it not work, but it misses the point that our Christian responsibility is something interpersonal, which cannot be delegated as easily as that.
In his message for the World Day of the Poor (http://www.pcpne.va/content/pcpne/en/attivita/poveri/messaggio.html), Pope Francis explains his own motivation for establishing the World Day for the Poor. He says:
At the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy, I wanted to offer the Church a World Day of the Poor, so that throughout the world Christian communities can become an ever greater sign of Christ’s charity for the least and those most in need.
The Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation has also issued a pack of pastoral resources which can be found at: http://www.pcpne.va/content/pcpne/en/attivita/poveri/sussidio.html
Included among the resources are some stories from the lives of the saints who are most associated with the care of the poor, including our own Blessed John Sullivan, which might be of interest for a display, or indeed for children preparing for Confirmation.
As part of a national prayer initiative, you are invited to join with thousands of others who will pray the Rosary around the coast of Ireland for the protection of life. Meet at any of the following locations in Sligo on Sunday 26th November at 2.30pm:
- Strandhill – Meet at the canon
- Rosses Point – Meet at beach car park
- Streedagh Beach – Meet on the beach
- Mullaghmore Beach – Meeting at Star of the Sea Retreat Centre
- Lissadell – Meet on the beach
- Culleenamore/Kellystown – Meet on the beach
For more info and other locations around Ireland, see www.coastalrosaryireland.ie
“Living Family” will host a retreat day for all families on Saturday 6th January in Summerhill College, Sligo from 10am-5pm. Bishop Kevin will celebrate Mass at 10.30am. Booking essential. Contact Therese on 086 8228174 or [email protected]
An hour with Bishop Kevin to explore the LIFE question and to consider how best we can exercise our responsibility as Catholics to respect life and to support women.
Percy French Hotel, Strokestown on Monday 22nd January at 7.30pm. All are very welcome to attend.
Dates and venues for other evenings around the diocese will be made available in due course.
Theme “ THAT ALL MAY BE FREE”. Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, a time we are asked to pray in a special way for unity among all Christians takes place from January 18th – 25th 2018. Bishop Kevin Doran will lead an Interdenominational Service to mark this special week in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sligo on Thursday, 25th January at 8pm. The Preacher will be Canon Patrick Bamber of the Church of Ireland Calry Parish. All are welcome.
