Let My People Go Pastoral Reflection for Lent – 4   A few weeks ago, I mentioned that there is a symbolic connection between the forty days of Lent and the forty days that Jesus spent praying and fasting in the desert. Forty days is “a long time”. There is also a symbolic connection between...

The Writing on the Wall It was early in June when the school principal suggested that it might be a good idea to organise a “second confession” for the children who had recently made their first communion. She suggested that, this time, we might celebrate the Sacrament “in the box”, to introduce them to that...

The Spirit comes to help us   At the end of a long day of teaching and healing the sick, Jesus often went off on his own to pray. Sometimes he invited his disciples to stay with him “and rest a while”. One of his disciples asked him: “Lord teach us to pray”. And so,...

There was a time when Bishops wrote long Pastoral Letters for Lent, which were often read out in sections at Mass each Sunday. Perhaps it is better that, when people go to Mass, they hear a short but well-prepared homily on the Word of God, which is especially powerful during Lent. The best place for...

Accord is currently recruiting volunteers to train as Marriage Preparation Facilitators.  Marriage facilitators are part of a team that prepare couples for the Sacrament of Marriage.  Couples find our courses fun, engaging and very relevant, while facilitators gain valuable life skills.  If you are interested, we would be delighted to hear from you.  Please contact...

Welcome to Trócaire’s Lent 2023 resources for parishes. On this page you will find: A resource for use in any parish setting A Family Mass Resource for use in parish or at home Reflections on the Way of the Cross Scripts for use during mass Homily notes If you would like more information on any...

Desperate survivors of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes need your help now… As the death toll continues to climb from the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, desperate, grieving survivors have been left homeless and injured with no food and no shelter in freezing sub-zero cold. Trócaire has joined with other leading Irish aid agencies to create...

The Diocese of Elphin has invited the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI) to conduct a review of Safeguarding practice. This review, which was due to be undertaken in early April 2020, was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It will now take place in March 2023. If you...

WORLD YOUTH DAY Lisbon – 2023   WORLD YOUTH DAY GATHERING WITH POPE FRANCIS 2023 Pilgrimage to Lisbon, Portugal July 31st – August 8th, 2023 OPEN TO ADULTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 35 MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS BY July 31st 2023 ONLY 15 PLACES AVAILABLE ALLOTTED ON FIRST COME FIRST SERVE...

Each year on Christmas morning, after Mass at Sligo University Hospital, I am invited to bring Holy Communion to some of the people in the wards. Quite often, I finish with the maternity unit, where I get to meet some of our newest parishioners and their mothers. I never cease to be amazed by the...