Archbishop Eamon invites the Archdiocese to reflect on the fruits of the Congress and take concrete steps towards bringing its vision to life.
More than eight hundred years ago, a young Francis of Assisi knelt in prayer before the Cross of San Damiano and heard the words: “Go, rebuild my Church.”
At first, Francis thought he was being asked to repair the small, crumbling chapel in which he was praying. In time, he came to understand that Christ was asking something far deeper of him: to help renew the Church through a life shaped by the Gospel, by peace, simplicity and love for the poor.
That image lies at the heart of Archbishop Eamon Martin’s new pastoral letter, Go, Rebuild My Church, which will be read at Masses across the Archdiocese of Armagh this weekend.
In the letter, Archbishop Eamon asks what those words might mean for the Church here and now. He connects that question directly with the Diocesan Congress on Youth, Family and Faith held in March 2026, where people from across the Archdiocese gathered to pray, listen and discern together. Young people, families, clergy, religious, teachers and parishioners spoke about faith and belonging, prayer and family life, formation, liturgy, communication, and the challenges facing faith today.
The Congress was never intended to stand alone as a single event. It formed part of a much longer process of listening and discernment, and the pastoral letter now marks the beginning of the next phase: putting its fruits into practice.
Archbishop Eamon makes clear that renewal cannot simply mean creating more programmes or maintaining existing structures. Like St Francis, the Church must begin again from Christ. In a world often marked by division, loneliness and fragmentation, the call is to become a Church gathered by Christ and sent out again with hope, reconciliation and a renewed sense of mission.
There is realism in the letter too. Archbishop Eamon acknowledges tiredness and uncertainty within the Church, the wounds still in need of healing, changing patterns of family life, fewer vocations and declining participation in the sacraments. Yet he insists that these realities do not lessen the missionary call. Christ continues to call the Church in Ireland to bring the Hope and Joy of the Gospel into the brokenness of the world.
That call belongs to the whole People of God.
Through Baptism and Confirmation, every Christian shares responsibility for the life and mission of the Church. The pastoral letter therefore does not place the work of renewal solely in diocesan structures, clergy or committees. It invites families, parishes, schools, young people and communities throughout the Archdiocese to recognise the gifts already among them and to consider how those gifts might serve the Gospel more fully.
To help give shape to the next phase, five missionary pathways have emerged from the discernment following the Congress:
- deepening our encounter with Christ and renewing prayer in homes, parishes and personal life;
- strengthening formation for intentional and missionary discipleship;
- renewing accompaniment of young people and families;
- renewing liturgy, welcome and belonging;
- and strengthening communication, evangelisation, invitation and digital mission, opening new doors to encounter.
These are not five separate projects, nor is every parish expected to do everything at once. Rather, they offer a framework through which local communities can begin asking what is realistic, what is already bearing fruit and what concrete actions might help the vision of the Congress take deeper root.
Further resources and practical guidance will follow in the coming days, with regional gatherings planned to help parishes and communities consider what supports and actions may be needed. Archbishop Eamon stresses the importance of listening carefully to different local realities, recognising existing gifts, supporting one another across parish boundaries and identifying achievable steps.
The image of St Francis returns at the close of the letter.
Francis began by rebuilding a small chapel. Gradually, he discovered that Christ was asking for much more: his heart, his life and his whole self in service of the Gospel. The same call now comes to us.
“In a fragmented world, Christ gathers. In a weary Church, Christ calls us: ‘Go, rebuild my Church.’”
The task ahead will not be accomplished through structures alone. It will grow through prayer, conversion, courage, generosity and a willingness to begin, sometimes in small ways, where we are.
The Diocesan Congress asked what kind of Church Christ is calling us to become. Archbishop Eamon’s pastoral letter now asks us to begin living the answer.
CLICK HERE to read the pastoral Letter
Read Congress Report Here
Photos of the Congress
