SPECIAL RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Spred consists of small groups of people in parishes who come together to form little communities of faith and friendship with people who have learning disabilities. The groups grow together by following an appropriate method of catechesis designed and arranged to meet their needs. Our aim is to prepare the way for full participation in the liturgical life of parish community for our friends.

 We focus on having a beautiful environment in which our friends can come together and experience a sense of the sacred within the context of a loving community. This enables us to experience a sense of Church and a sense of God thus allowing us to enter into communion with Jesus within our own small Christian community of faith.

A bond of friendship, trust and faith is fostered within the core group at the fortnightly Catechist Preparation Session. Then the following week, at the Total Community Session, we warmly welcome our friends whose greatest need is to feel that they belong. Initially, we sit with our own friend while we spend quality time working with activities. This enables us to settle and quieten ourselves in order that when we move to the Celebration area we will be ready and open to receive God’s word.

In the celebration area we gather around the Bible. Each week we have a goal and with the help of a symbol, the leader leads the group to recall and reflect on some aspect of our own life experiences. This experience is then linked with the liturgy and with the scriptures. God’s word can touch these experiences in a very personal way. After a short reading from the bible, the leader goes around the group and naming each person gives each one the message e.g.

 “Mary, Jesus says to you tonight,

   I love you with a very great love.”

This is just one very powerful moment in the session.

Our evening ends with a friendship meal consisting of a cuppa and a chat.

Spred has been in the Armagh Archdiocese for over 30 years. We are invited by the Parish Priest to set up a group within a parish. At the moment there are 9 groups:

Armagh, Coalisland, Dundalk – Holy Family & St. Patrick’s, Dungannon (3 groups), Portadown & Magherafelt

A Spred Catechist shares:

“Spred is a nourishing gift to me; an opportunity to deepen my own spiritual connections with other like-minded adults in a gentle, loving and totally embracive and supportive environment. Our adult group then shares our love of our faith with our friends, who we continually invite to participate fully with us in the sharing of events in their lives and discovering the love of God in the everyday. For me, Spred is a reaffirmation that God’s love for us is often revealed in the small moments of our lives.

Our friends remind us to be genuine, empathetic and accepting; this has carried over for me in my everyday life.

As a catechist, Spred has come to help define who I feel I am – an adult of deep faith who greatly values being part of a small faith community that cherishes each other and provides a loving, inviting catechesis to our friends.”

To read more about Spred please visit the website www.spredireland.ie which I designed and maintain.

If you are interested in setting up a group or would like more information please contact:

Patricia Lennon, Co-ordinator,
Phone: 028-30265353, Mobile: 07711786062,
Email: [email protected] 

“Yours is an eminently Marian spirituality, not only because the Legion glories in carrying Mary’s name as its unfurled banner, but above all because it bases its methods of spirituality and apostolate on the dynamic principle of union with Mary, on the truth of the intimate participation of the Virgin Mary in the plan of salvation. In other words you intend to render your service to every person, who is the image of Christ, with the spirit and the solicitude of Mary.”
(Pope John Paul II – Address to Italian Legionaries, 30th October 1982)

The Legion of Mary was founded in Dublin, Ireland on 7 September 1921. It is a lay Catholic organisation whose members are giving service to the Church on a voluntary basis in almost every country.

The object of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and active co-operation in Mary’s and the Church’s work.

The unit of the Legion of Mary is called a praesidium, which holds a weekly meeting, where prayer is intermingled with reports and discussion. Persons who wish to join the Legion must apply for membership in a Praesidium.

The Works of the Legion

The Legion sees as its priority the spiritual and social welfare of each individual. The members participate in the life of the parish through visitation of families, the sick, both in their homes and in hospitals and through collaboration in every apostolic and missionary undertaking sponsored by the parish.

Every legionary is required to carry out a weekly apostolic work in the spirit of faith and in union with Mary.

“For all states of the laity the perfect example of spiritual and apostolic life is the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles, who while leading the life common to all here on earth, one filled with family concerns and labours, was always intimately united with her Son and in an entirely unique way co-operated in the work of the Saviour…All should devoutly venerate her and commend their life and apostolate to her maternal care.”
(Apostolicam Actuositatem, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity – 18 November 1965)

Auxiliary Membership

This membership is open to Priests, Religious and lay people who wish to associate themselves with the Legion by undertaking a service of prayer in its name.

Legion of Mary Armagh Curia – Margaret McManus 077 9986 7714.