• CHOOSE LIFE: WE CHERISH THEM BOTH, A Vigil of Prayer for the Right to Life of Mothers and their Unborn Babies, Saturday 4 May, Our Lady’s Shrine, Knock, Co Mayo. This important event, supported by the Irish Bishops’ Conference, will begin with a themed Rosary Procession at 1.00pm and conclude with Mass in the Basilica at 3.00pm.  All are warmly invited to attend.  Main celebrant, Cardinal Seán Brady, homilist Most Rev. Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick.  A blessing for expectant mothers who are present will be given during the Mass.  For further details seewww.chooselife2013.ie

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2013 begins this Friday, January 18th

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2013 begins this Friday, January 18th and ends on January 25th, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. The texts this year comes to us from an ecumenical group in South India. They have reflected upon their own context and offer to us a theme that calls us to respond to the obligations to act justly in the world. The text is taken from Micah 6.6-8. The materials have been adapted by the Britain and Ireland writers group and they have written additional material, including meditations for each of the 8 days, and two versions of the full worship service.

Download the full texts and other information online at: http://www.ctbi.org.uk

MARCH 

1        Friday              Gortnahoe & Glengoole

2       Saturday          Ballina & Boher

8       Friday               Loughmore & Castleiney

9       Saturday          Templemore

12     Tuesday            Ballybricken & Bohermore

15      Friday              Cappawhite

20     Wednesday     Boherlahan & Dualla

22      Friday              Mullinahone

APRIL

10    Wednesday      Borrisoleigh & Ileigh

12    Friday                Moycarkey, Littleton & Two-Mile-Borris

17     Wednesday       Pallasgreen & Templebraden

20    Saturday            Tipperary Town

23     Tuesday             Killenaule & Moyglass

25    Thursday            Galbally & Aherlow

27     Saturday             Thurles

MAY

1        Wednesday           Clonoulty & Rossmore

3        Friday                    Ballingarry

8        Wednesday           Golden & Kilfeacle

10      Friday                    Knockainey & Patrickswell

14     Tuesday                  New Inn & Knockgraffon

16     Thursday                Lattin & Cullen

18     Saturday                 Cashel & Rosegreen

21     Tuesday                   Kilcommon, Hollyford & Rearcross

23     Thursday                Emly

29     Wednesday            Anacarty & Donohill

31      Friday                     Cappamore

Choose Life!’ is the theme for this year’s Day for Life message in Ireland on 7 October. It promotes respect for human life from the moment of conception. For 2012, the Day for Life also marks the beginning of a special Month of Prayer dedicated to the theme ‘Choose Life!’ and which concludes on the Feast of All the Saints of Ireland.

The dedicated website www.chooselife2012.ie will go live on Saturday 6 October to coincide with the Day for Life. This website will include a short YouTube video specially commissioned by the Bishops’ Conference on the theme Choose Life!, which includes the stories of women who have faced difficult decisions in pregnancy, and in addition, a separate short video message from ‘Norma’, the woman in the Roe vs Wade case in the United States which was responsible for introducing lawful abortion in the USA. Norma has now become a pro-life activist.

Parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Cashel & Emly and individuals, are invited to pray a special ‘Prayer for the Child in the Womb’ during Masses throughout the month of prayer which ends on the Feast of All the Saints of Ireland on 6 November next. The prayer asks us to open our hearts to welcome every child as a unique and wonderful gift, and to help those who make our laws to uphold the uniqueness and sacredness of every human life from the moment of conception to natural death. Please see www.chooselife2012.ie for the Prayer for the Child in the Womb and many further resources.

“The celebration of World Mission Day has a very special meaning for the year 2012. The 50^th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Council and of the opening of the Year of Faith and of the Synod of Bishops on the theme of the New Evangelization contribute to reaffirming the Church’s desire to engage with greater courage and zeal in the mission to bring the Gospel to the very ends of the earth,” wrote Pope Benedict XVI.

World Missions,Ireland– the work of the Pontifical Mission Societies, brings the prayers, solidarity and financial help of the Church here inIrelandto Christian communities in other parts of the world, in the spirit of Pauline Jaricot.

Animation for Mission Month, which includes the Missions Today magazine, Mission Sunday posters, and material for the National Day of Prayer for Children on Friday, October 12^th, will be mailed to all diocesan clergy, religious orders and hospitals in mid-September.

For further information please contact (01) 497 2035. Alternatively, please check out our website – www.wmi.ie

Rev Gary Howley SPS,

National Director,

World Missions,Ireland.

Let us pray for fine weather, so vital for the growth of grass for livestock on our farms.  Reward the spirit of cooperation which continues among the farming community as they share dwindling fodder supplies.  Bless the farming organisations and cooperatives and the Department of Agriculture for sourcing new fodder at home and abroad and providing finance at this time of crisis.

Lord Hear Us.

Ordination Ceremony of Fr. Brendan Leahy

St. John’s Cathedral, Limerick

Sunday 14^th April 2013

“Is é seo an lá a rinne an Tiarna, bíodh áthas agus gliondar orainn”.  “This is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad”, Ps. 118. A phobal Dé idir chléir is tuath, is léir dom go bhfuil áthas agus gliondar chroí oraibh bheith is láthair anseo in Ard Eaglais Naomh Eoin chun  bheith rannpairteach liom féin agus le mo bhraithne Easpaig i mhórgnóth an lae innu sé sin oirniú an t’Athair Brendan O’Loacha mar easpog nua Deóise Luimní.

For the last two or three years, every time I came to Limerick or met any of the faithful of the Diocese elsewhere, I was asked, “When are we going to have a new bishop in Limerick?”.  A few months ago, I was part of a civic reception for the Bóthar organisation and the Mayor of Limerick Gerry “Ginger” McLoughlin, whom I would associate more with rugby than with religion, put it to me in public, “Is the appointment of a new bishop of Limerick imminent?”.  “No, it is not imminent but impending!”, I replied, an answer Winston Churchill once gave when asked about an upcoming general election.

Then, one day, two women I met here in O’Connell Street cornered me.  “When are ye going to give us a new bishop of Limerick?”  “What parish are you from?” I asked. “Murroe/Boher” they answered in unison.  “But isn’t Murroe/Boher in Cashel and Emly Diocese?” I said.  “I thought you had a bishop already?!” “Well, no offence, but as you will appreciate, people tend to go with this fall of ground and for us that fall of ground is into Limerick.”

Most of you have come today with the “fall of ground” or uphill from all the sixty parishes of the Diocese – from Cratloe to Kilmallock and from Abbeyfeale to Glenroe.  You have been very patient for the past four years, but let me now assure you, that it was well worth the wait! The Holy Father, assisted by the Papal Nunio, Archbishop Charles Brown, appointed Fr. Brendan Leahy of the Archdiocese of Dublin as your new Bishop.

Fr. Brendan Leahy is a man of many talents.  More importantly, he is a man of faith.  Like Abraham “our father in faith” he followed God’s call to wherever he has been sent to minister.  Like his immediate predecessor here, he is an ardent but gentle proclaimer of the Gospel.  He is a man of communion and a builder of communities.  You, the good people of Limerick diocese, are very fortunate to have him as your new bishop and you will come to appreciate this in the time ahead. 

During the Litany of the Saints later in the ceremony, Fr. Brendan will prostrate himself before the altar as the help and protection of the saints of the universal church and, very specially, the saints of the Diocese, Munchen and Ita, and others, will be solemnly invoked.

I have advised him earlier today to relax during the time he lies on the floor as it will be the only rest he will have for a long time to come!

St. Ita of Kilmeedy ran a school for children.  Among them was a young boy from Kerry where Brendan’s parents came from.  Legend has it that the little boy Brendan one day asked Ita, his foster mother and teacher, what three things God most loves.  She answered, “true faith with a pure heart, a simple life and open handedness to the poor”.  No doubt, St. Ita will take another Brendan under her wing from today on.  So let us all stand and begin the Mass during which the ordination ceremony will take place.

Archbishop Dermot Clifford was in Rome to ordain four Deacons at the Irish College in Rome on Easter Tuesday 2nd April 2013.

On Wednesday last Archbishop Clifford attended audience in St. Peter’s Square. After the audience he met with the Holy Father. The Pope asked Archbishop Clifford to pray for him. The Archbishop promised to do so and he would also ask the people to do the same.