A two hour Mass. You can’t be serious! In one respect you are absolutely right. Some of the most wonderful celebrations of the Eucharist are to be found in Lourdes during the annual Irish Pilgrimage Trust / HCPT week in Lourdes. It really about celebrating faith and community in an atmosphere that’s almost impossible to describe. (more…)
Fr. John Glynn
What would possess you to risk your life in the service of others, for decades, in one of the world’s toughest and most dangerous environments? In prison terms, 30 years is a life sentence. It is also the average period spent by Irish missionaries in the field, working in the service of the poor and oppressed, often in the most challenging, dangerous and brutal environments on earth. RTE’s documentary Lifers tells the story of two missionary priests and a sister who have done just that.
Sr. Pat Murray
Fr. John Glynn is a priest who runs the We Care Foundation in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, one of the world’s most dangerous cities. John, originally from County Clare, has spent five decades working in Papua New Guinea. Sr. Pat Murray is a Loreto sister who worked in education in Ireland and is now the executive in charge of Solidarity with South Sudan, an organization that is pooling the resources of 200 missionary orders towards the basic development needs of South Sudan, which is the newest country in the world. Fr. Pat Brennan is a Divine Word Missionary who has lived in Brazil for more than three decades and who fights for the human rights of indigenous Indians living in the Amazonian rain forest. (more…)
On Thursday coming we’re going to be launching the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme at the DCU Volunteering Expo. We’ll be in the Venue – Students Union from 11:00am to 3:00pm, so if you’re around make sure to say hello. Below you’ll find details of the Programme.
With the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme you will work with a community who need your skills, talents and enthusiasm. It’s about being in partnership with others, teaching and learning at the same time, and sharing of yourself in order to make a real difference in your world.
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Volunteer Programme (MSCVP) is a new initiative that:
– looks to provide enriching, challenging and meaningful short term voluntary experiences.
– seeks to share the talents of our volunteers with our partner projects.
– works towards promoting responsible volunteering in our partner projects in South Africa.
We are looking for young men and women, between the ages of 25 and 40, who are interested in                 undertaking three months of volunteering work abroad over summer. Ideally applicants should have relevant skills, such as a teacher, mechanic, carpenter, nurse, electrician, doctor, etc. All necessary training will be provided. Part of the expenses for the trip will be provided, but there will be a need for fundraising.
If you would like further information you can contact Fr. Alan on (086) 7857955 or by email fralan@mscvocations.ie
Last Sunday 60,000 pilgrims gathered in Croke Park for the Statio Orbis of the 2012 Eucharistic Congress. This gathering was the culmination of a week’s celebration of hope, exploration of faith and sharing of love. When people were asked what was so special about the Congress the answer that was most often repeated was the atmosphere. There was a real sense of being reminded why we gather in communion; why we share the Word; why we break open the bread, the body of Christ.
It was an opportunity to remind ourselves of the precious gift we receive in the Eucharist. The words on the banner over the altar, Become What You Receive, offered encouragement, as well as a challenge. There has been a great deal of talk in Ireland, England and Western Europe about renewal in our church. If the Eucharistic Congress is to mean anything last Sunday wasn’t the end, but a new beginning.
Photos Irish Times Monday 18th June 2012
You’d be hard pressed to find a country which has been traditionally more Catholic than Spain. It’s been at the centre of the story of the Church for hundreds of years, but in recent times it has faced many of the same challenges we have in Ireland and England. There has been a falling off in attendance, an aging of the parish congregations and of course a dramatic drop in vocations. Times however seem to be changing, most especially on the last issue.
A still from one of the Bishops’ campaigns
The bishops of Spain have launched themselves into the world of social media and their work around vocations has gone viral. They’ve posted a number of videos on Youtube to mark the country’s Seminary Day on May 19th. Faces of different men appear on screen saying things like, “I can’t promise you a life of adventure, but I can promise you one that will be exciting.” As the camera pulls back we see that the men are priests. This year in Spain there has been a 4.2% increase in men coming forward for the priesthood. A modest increase, but when placed in the context of an almost continuous freefall over the past years it’s a significant result.
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Parishioners from our MSC Parish in England at WYD in Madrid
But where is this shift coming from. Is it a result of the economic downturn in Spain at the moment? Is it part of a wider spiritual awakening that may have been prompted by events like World Youth Day in Madrid last year? What is clear is that there is a need for people to come forward to devote themselves in a special way to following Christ. There is a need for people who have a passion of the Gospel message, a heart sustained by faith and compassion and courage to go out to the whole world.
For more information on the situation in Spain check out this week’s edition of The Tablet.
The Eucharist Congress Bell has travelled all round Ireland
There’s an App apparently for everything. There is no aspect of our lives, no matter how obscure, how bizarre that doesn’t have an associated smart phone feature that can make our lives more hassle free. Today I found out that these handy features now extend to our upcoming Eucharistic Congress. Fair play to Dominican Friar Luuk Dominiek Jansen and the Congress team for all their work.
There is a real sense of anticipation growing about the upcoming Eucharistic Congress. The line up of speakers and workshops is impressive, with a range of themes and topics explored. Pilgrims are traveling to Ireland from all around the world, not just from England and Europe, but from North and South America, Africa and Asia. There are expected to be 20,000 people attending each day, with a total of 80,000 attending for the final Mass in Croke Park. It will be an opportunity to experience the true universality of the Catholic Church and to celebrate it in prayer, song and fellowship.
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On Thursday there’ll be a special focus on vocations to priesthood and religious life and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart will be there in force for the week. If you around drop in to Stand 71 and say hello. If I can borrow a Nespresso machine in the meantime there may even be a coffee on the go! For more information on the Eucharistic Congress check out their website http://www.iec2012.ie/