Pope Leo Sends Message of Encouragement to the Archdiocese of Armagh Ahead of it’s Congress on Youth Family and Faith

On this Feast of Saint Patrick, Archbishop Eamon Martin delivered his homily from Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, during Mass broadcast nationally on RTÉ at 11.00am.

In a message of encouragement ahead of the upcoming Armagh Congress on Youth, Family and Faith, Pope Leo XIV has sent his blessing to the Archdiocese, expressing his hope that the Congress will:

“Seek concrete ways to strengthen the ties between parish and family life [to build up] … a stable and life-giving culture [and] rekindle the flame of faith once ignited by Saint Patrick.”

Pope Leo XIV

 

Homily of Archbishop Eamon Martin

This coming weekend, hundreds of delegates will arrive in Armagh for our Diocesan Congress on the theme of Youth, Family and Faith. Over the past five years, we have been preparing for this moment by praying and reflecting together on how best to support parishes and families in living and sharing the faith, especially with our young people.

Saint Patrick was only fifteen or sixteen years of age when he was trafficked into Ireland as a slave. He tells us that even though he had been raised in a Christian home, he was a poor sinner and had little knowledge of the true God. Yet in the isolation and loneliness of his captivity, Patrick turned to God in prayer and came to experience God’s love and protection in a deeply personal way.

Before long, Patrick found the courage to share with others how much his faith meant to him. After six years in slavery, he escaped and returned home to his family, who hoped he would never leave again. But in a dream, he heard the voice of the Irish calling him:
“Come back, holy youth, and walk among us once more.”

Patrick returned to Ireland years later as a missionary bishop. He devoted himself to baptising and confirming thousands, and to forming others to share in the mission of proclaiming the Good News.

Above us in the Cathedral, the story of Patrick’s mission is captured in art: the mosaic of Saint Patrick baptising King Aongus of Cashel, and the images of the young princesses Ethna and Fedelm receiving baptism. These remind us that for Patrick, baptism was not simply a once-off event, but the beginning of a lifelong journey of faith and friendship with God.

This is the message we bring to our Congress: that baptism calls each of us—especially our young people—into a living relationship with Christ.

Sixty per cent of those attending the Congress will be under the age of thirty-five. I believe Saint Patrick understands their struggles and questions.

Recent research suggests that young adults in Ireland are becoming more curious and searching for faith. Many are seeking hope and nourishment for their interior lives, their well-being, and their mental health. I have met young people who speak of a deep sense of emptiness in a fragile and troubled world—one that celebrates advances in technology and artificial intelligence, yet is also marked by war, aggression, and the suffering of innocent families.

Our families and young people must navigate a complex world where good and evil grow side by side, like the wheat and the darnel in today’s Gospel. We cannot withdraw into a cocoon of faith. Instead, we are called to witness.

+ Archbishop Eamon Martin

Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of Ireland