As Parishes Reflect on Our Upcoming Diocesan Congress on Youth, Family and Faith Bishop Michael and Members of the Diocesan Synod Core Group Join Pope Leo at the Jubilee of Synodal Teams

This weekend, 24th – 26th October 2025, Bishop Michael Router and members of the Diocesan Synodal Core Group are in Rome for the Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies which represents a key moment in the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025.

Representatives from dioceses across the world are gathering in the Vatican for this special event, which celebrates those who serve on parish and diocesan synodal teams, pastoral councils, and other bodies that foster shared responsibility in the life and mission of the Church. The weekend will offer time for pilgrimage, prayer, reflection and renewal for all who help local Churches “walk together” in faith and service.

A Moment of Global and Local Synodality

As the Archdiocese of Armagh joins this universal celebration by reflecting on our upcoming Congress on Youth, Family and Faith, participation by Bishop Michael and members of our Own Synod Core Group takes on a special significance. Back home, parishes throughout the Archdiocese are holding listening sessions during Autumn 2025 in preparation for the Diocesan Congress on Youth, Family and Faith, which will take place from 20th to 22nd March 2026 in the Armagh City Hotel.

The Congress, we hope, will be a time of renewal and reflection for our diocesan family, and will offer an opportunity to listen to the Holy Spirit and to one another as we explore the vital question:

“What can we do together, in our homes, schools, and parishes, to help young people and families grow in faith and come to know Jesus in a real and personal way?”

In Rome, Bishop Michael and our Synodal Core Group will join teams from across the world in reflecting on how local Churches can move from listening to action and more importantly from discussion to a space of renewed mission. Their pilgrimage through the Holy Door and participation in the Vatican’s “Conversation in the Spirit” sessions mirror what is happening across our own parishes in these months, where people are gathering to pray, to share hopes and challenges and to discern how God is calling us forward.

Walking Together: From the Jubilee to the Congress

The Jubilee of Synodal Teams reminds us that synodality is not just about meetings or consultation but about pilgrimage and conversion. Every listening session in our parishes, every conversation about youth and family, is part of that same pilgrimage.

As the Holy Father invites the whole Church to rediscover hope during this Jubilee Year, our Archdiocese is embracing that call through the theme of our upcoming Congress. The focus on Youth, Family, and Faith echoes priorities that have emerged from years of synodal listening in Ireland. It is the living heartbeat of our diocesan renewal.

While in Rome, Bishop Michael and our diocesan delegates will share their experiences and reflections and when they return we hope that the experience will help shape the final phase of our Congress preparation. The spirit of the Jubilee, humility, listening, encounter, and shared mission, will guide our next steps as we journey toward March 2026.

Get Involved

Parish listening gatherings are now underway across the Archdiocese, and all are welcome to take part. If you have not yet attended a session, you can share your thoughts online at:

https://forms.gle/ejKACLbCYTxNwouc8

Please also take home a copy of the Congress Prayer, or download it from the Armagh Prays website, and pray it daily for our young people, our families, and the renewal of faith in our Archdiocese.

https://www.armaghprays.com/

Bulletin Notice For Parishes

Diocesan Congress on Youth, Family and Faith
Next March, the Archdiocese of Armagh will hold a Diocesan Congress on Youth, Family and Faith in the Armagh City Hotel. All are invited to take part in preparing for this special time of renewal and reflection. Parish listening sessions are now underway to gather ideas and hopes for the future of our diocesan family. If you have not yet taken part, or are unable to attend one of these gatherings, you can participate online. Visit: https://forms.gle/ejKACLbCYTxNwouc8.
Please take home a copy of the Congress Prayer or download it from the Armagh Prays website, and pray it daily for our young people, families and for the renewal of faith in our diocese.

Prayers of the Faithful (for Masses on 25–26 October 2025)

Introduction:
Loving and ever-living God, we gather as your people of the Archdiocese of Armagh to pray for our Congress on Youth, Family and Faith in March 2026. Send your Holy Spirit upon us to inspire our reflections, guide our discussions, and renew our mission as Church.

  1. For our Bishops, Priests and Deacons:
    That, guided by the Holy Spirit, they may shepherd God’s people with wisdom, courage and compassion.
    Lord, hear us.

  2. For our Youth and Families:
    That they may discover joy and hope in the Gospel and be supported by our parishes in living as disciples of Christ.
    Lord, hear us.

  3. For our Parishes and Schools:
    That they may be places of welcome, prayer and learning, where faith is nurtured and shared with love.
    Lord, hear us.

  4. For those who feel separated from the Church:
    That they may know the embrace of Christ through our witness of hospitality and mercy.
    Lord, hear us.

  5. For the Lonely and the Sick:
    That they may find comfort and healing in God’s love.
    Lord, hear us.

  6. For our Deceased Loved Ones:
    That they may rest in the peace of Christ.
    Lord, hear us.

Closing Prayer:
Lord God, as we journey towards our Diocesan Congress, bless our youth, families, parishes and schools. Strengthen us to carry forward the mission of Christ with joy and courage, so that your Gospel may shine brightly in our Archdiocese.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.