Baptised and Sent in Lent – Launch in the Archdiocese of Armagh

The Baptised and Sent Lenten resources were launched in the Archdiocese of Armagh by Bishop Michael Router at Mass in the Church of St. Laurence, Omeath on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

At the beginning of his homily, Bishop Michael posed a simple but searching question:
“Do I say I was baptised, or do I say I am baptised?”

It is a question that goes to the heart of Christian life. Baptism is not simply something that happened in the past, a moment recorded in a register or remembered in photographs. It is a living reality, an identity we carry each day. To say “I am baptised” is to recognise that baptism continues to shape who we are, how we live and how we are sent into the world as disciples of Christ.

Parishes, schools, youth groups and families are warmly encouraged to engage with the resources throughout Lent and to share them widely with family, friends and faith communities.

Access the Baptised and Sent Lenten resources »

Baptised and Sent: Returning to the Heart of Christian Life in Ireland

From quiet chapels to the hidden Mass rocks of penal times, faith has shaped the story of the Church in Ireland. At the heart of that story is something simple and shared by all: our baptism.

Baptism is where our Christian life begins. It tells us who we are, God’s beloved, and sends us out to live the Gospel with others. Through baptism, we share one dignity, one Spirit and one mission. Every voice matters, and every gift is needed.

A Lenten Journey for the Whole Church

Inspired by Baptised and Sent, the preparatory document for the 2025 National Assembly in Kilkenny, these Lenten resources invite parishes, schools and groups across Ireland to journey together through prayer, reflection and shared conversation.

Each week offers a simple structure rooted in the Sunday Gospel, helping individuals and groups reflect on key themes such as belonging, healing, renewal and mission. These themes flow from a shared conviction: that baptism is the entry point to a life of faith, the gateway to mission, and the foundation for the renewal of the Church in Ireland.

The resources are designed for everyone, lay, religious and ordained, and can be used personally, in families, or in parish, school and youth group settings. They encourage each of us to listen attentively to the Holy Spirit and to take concrete steps, individually and together, towards living our baptismal calling more deeply in our daily lives.

As this season of Lent begins, it is hoped that Baptised and Sent will open hearts to new life in Christ and help prepare communities for the continuing synodal journey towards the National Assembly in 2026.

Bishop Michael’s Homily, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

Homily preached in St. Laurence’s Church, Omeath on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Sunday 11th January 2026

Text of Bishop Michael’s Homily – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

If I were to begin this morning by asking you the question, “Are you baptised?” most of you would probably answer, “I was baptised.” Not many of us would say, “I am baptised,” yet that is actually the truer and more accurate response.

Because the vast majority of us were baptised as infants, we have no memory of it. It can feel like a historical event — something recorded on a certificate or captured in a photograph. As a result, we don’t often think of baptism as having much relevance for the present or for what we are called to do here and now. I believe that this lack of awareness is a major contributor to the lack of life we sometimes experience in the Church today. Many people do not fully appreciate baptism as that central and deeply important moment in their Christian life.

In today’s readings, we are told that at his baptism Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, and that he went about doing good. That short phrase is a beautiful summary of the Christian vocation — and of what happens for us too.

Baptism is not a private blessing or simply a naming ceremony for a family. It is much more than that. Baptism is the beginning of a mission. We are baptised not just to belong to a group, but to receive a vocation. We are sent.

That truth has not always been easy for us to grasp in Ireland, largely because we were baptised so young. Many of us — especially those over fifty or sixty — were baptised within a day or two of birth. Often our mothers were not even present. Godparents brought the child to the church, sometimes even returning with a different name than the parents had chosen. It simply shows how little awareness there often was of what baptism truly means.

Yet the Second Vatican Council, and more recently Pope Francis and Pope Leo through the synodal process, have called the Church to rediscover baptism as the foundation of Christian life, dignity and responsibility. Before any distinction of role or ministry, we are first and foremost the People of God, equal in dignity because we have been baptised into Jesus Christ.

It is this renewed understanding that lies at the heart of the Baptised and Sent in Lent resources being launched today across the country for the upcoming season of Lent.

These simple resources invite parishes, schools and groups throughout Ireland to journey together through prayer, reflection on the Gospel, and honest conversation. They are available online and consist of a two-sided sheet for each week of Lent, offering a clear and accessible structure. They can be used by families, parish groups, or entire communities.

Each week focuses on themes such as belonging, healing, renewal and mission — all flowing from the conviction that baptism is the gateway to a life of faith and the root from which the Church must grow and be renewed.

These resources are not just for a few enthusiastic parishioners or committee members. They are for all of us, lay, religious and ordained, as an invitation to rediscover who we are and to listen once again to the Holy Spirit speaking in our midst.

This is deeply connected to the spiritual journey the Church is making through synodality. Synodality is not about changing the faith or abandoning tradition. It is about listening, to God, to one another, and to the signs of the times, so that the mission of Christ can be lived more faithfully in a rapidly changing world.

The challenges facing the Church today are real and often painful. But history teaches us that adversity can become the seedbed of new life. The Spirit who descended on Jesus in the Jordan has not abandoned the Church.

As we look ahead to the National Assembly of the Catholic Church in Ireland later this year, the Baptised and Sent in Lent resources offer us a practical and spiritual way to prepare. They remind us that the gifts needed for renewal are already present among us. Through baptism, we all share in Christ’s priestly, prophetic and kingly mission.

The Church does not move forward through the efforts of a few trying to keep things going, but through the faithful participation of everyone who is baptised, including everyone here today, those joining us online, and indeed all who are baptised, whether they are present at Mass or not.

So today, as we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, let us renew our baptismal awareness. Let us remember that we are beloved, anointed by the Spirit, and entrusted with the mission of Christ.

I encourage you to engage with these Lenten resources personally and as parish communities. Allow this Lent to be a time when the waters of baptism are stirred once more among us, so that renewed in Christ, we may truly know ourselves as baptised — and truly sent — on the mission of Christ in the world.

+ Bishop Michael Router

Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh