Bishops’ Conference statement: “Welcoming vaccines for the Common Good”

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference welcomes the encouraging news that a number of vaccines for COVID-19 are at an advanced stage of preparation and are likely to be available for use in the near future. The Catholic Church recognises that safe and effective vaccination is an essential aspect of the prevention of disease. We are encouraging Catholics to support a programme of vaccination, not only for their own good, but for the protection of life and the health of those who are vulnerable and for the common good of humanity.

Questions have arisen that human foetal cell-lines, which have their origins in abortions carried out in the past, are used in the development and production of some of the vaccines for COVID-19.

If a more ethically acceptable alternative is not readily available to them, it is morally permissible for Catholics to accept a vaccine which involves the use of foetal cell-lines, especially if the potential risk to life or health is significant, as in the case of a pandemic. Refusal to accept a vaccine could contribute to significant loss of life in the community and especially among those who are most vulnerable. This reality must inform any judgement of conscience.

We reaffirm the consistent teaching of the Church that abortion is always gravely immoral. The Church has always made a distinction, however, between formal (deliberate) involvement in an immoral act and material involvement, which may be incidental and remote. The decision of those who decide to accept vaccines which have had some link with foetal cell-lines in the past does not imply any consent on their part to abortion.

We note that many of the vaccines currently being developed do not depend for their design or production on foetal cell lines. Catholics should continue to advocate for the availability of ethically-developed vaccines. In that way they bear witness that biomedical research should always be conducted in a manner which is consistent with respect for life and for human dignity.

Access to healthcare is a fundamental human right. The Church, while respecting intellectual property rights, believes that essential medicines, including vaccines, should be made available on the basis of need rather than on the basis of capacity to pay. This position is consistent with the TRIPS agreement of the WTO, which permits national governments to arrange for the manufacture of essential pharmaceuticals, for domestic use and for the use of poorer countries, even without the consent of patent owners.

Archbishop Eamon Speaks to RTE Radio’s “This Week” about the Mother and Baby Homes Report.

Earlier today (Sunday 17th January 2021) Archbishop Eamon spoke to RTE Radio’s Justin McCarthy on the “This Week” programme about the Mother and Baby Homes Report that was released on Tuesday 12th January 2021.

The interview can be accessed by clicking the link in the podcast below.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 18th – 25th Jan 2021

Archbishop Eamon Martin and Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop John McDowell join in prayer to mark “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”

“Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” commences on Monday 18th Jan 2021 and concludes on Monday 25th January 2021. The Archdiocese of Armagh encourages all throughout the Archdiocese to continue to pray for Christian Unity and indeed continued understanding and collaboration with people of all faiths.

Archbishop Eamon Martin and Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop John McDowell gathered earlier this week to record the following video to mark the upcoming “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.”

Resources that can be used throughout the week along with additional resources for Lent 2021 and the Spring edition of CTBI Magazine can be accessed below.

Click here to access resources for use during “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”

Click here to access Lenten resources from CTBI (Churches Together in Britain & Ireland)

Click here to access the CTBI (Churches Together in Britain & Ireland) magazine for Spring 2021

Death of Very Reverend Michael Seery PE AP

The death has taken place on Thursday 14 January, of Fr Michael Seery. May he rest in peace.

Fr Seery’s funeral will take place on Saturday at 12noon in St Mary’s Church, Stewartstown with burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

Due to the coronavirus restrictions, Fr Seery’s funeral will be private but you may wish to join the Mass over the Church webcam.

Please remember Fr Michael in your prayers this weekend. It is hoped at a later date to arrange a Mass in his memory so that his many friends and former parishioners can attend.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Very Rev Michael Seery PE AP

Born: 7 May 1943, Parish of Drogheda

Studied

CBS Drogheda 1954-58

St Patrick’s College, Armagh 1958-60

St Patrick’s College, Maynooth 1960-67

Ordained: 18 June 1967, Maynooth

Appointments

On loan, Down & Connor. 1967

Curate, Ballygawley 1970

Curate, Kilsaran. 1977

Curate, Bessbrook. 1982

Curate, Magherafelt. 1994

Parish Priest, Ballygawley. 1995

Pastor Emeritus, Assistant Pastor, Coalisland. 2015-Present

Date of Death: 14 January 2021, Stewartstown

Statement of Archbishop Eamon Martin on the publication of the report by the Commission of Inquiry into Mother & Baby Homes

“Above all we must continue to find ways of reaching out to those whose personal testimonies are central to this Report”

Archbishop Eamon

I welcome the publication of the Mother & Baby Homes Report. As a Church leader today, I accept that the Church was clearly part of that culture in which people were frequently stigmatized, judged and rejected. For that, and for the long-lasting hurt and emotional distress that has resulted, I unreservedly apologise to the survivors and to all those who are personally impacted by the realities it uncovers. Mindful of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which calls us to protect life and dignity and to treat everyone – especially little children and all who are vulnerable – with love, compassion and mercy, I believe the Church must continue to acknowledge before the Lord and before others its part in sustaining what the Report describes as a “harsh … cold and uncaring atmosphere”.

Although it may be distressing, it is important that all of us spend time in the coming days reflecting on this Report which touches on the personal story and experience of many families in Ireland. The Commission’s Report helps to further open to the light what was for many years a hidden part of our shared history and it exposes the culture of isolation, secrecy and social ostracizing which faced “unmarried mothers” and their children in this country.

I ask all those who are in positions of leadership in the Church to study this lengthy report carefully and especially to spend time reflecting on the courageous testimonies of the witnesses to the Commission. Together we must ask “How could this happen?” We must identify, accept and respond to the broader issues which the Report raises about our past, present and future.

Above all we must continue to find ways of reaching out to those whose personal testimonies are central to this Report. They have shown determination in bringing to light this dark chapter in the life of Church and society. We owe it to them to take time to study and reflect on the findings and recommendations of the Report, and commit to doing what we can to help and support them. The Report makes it clear that many are still learning about their personal stories and searching for family members. The rights of all survivors to access personal information about themselves should be fully respected and I again urge the State to ensure that any remaining obstacles to information and tracing should be overcome.

The Commission believes that there may be people with further information about burial places who have not come forward. I appeal to anyone who can help to do so. All burial grounds should be identified and appropriately marked so that the deceased and their families will be recognized and never be forgotten.

This Report will hopefully speak not just to our past but will also have lessons for today and for future generations. As Church, State and wider society we must ensure together that, in the Ireland of today, all children and their mothers feel wanted, welcomed and loved. We must also continue to ask ourselves where people today might feel similarly rejected, abandoned, forgotten or pushed to the margins.

This report will stir many emotions as it further uncovers disturbing and painful truths about our past. I commend those who have fought to have this story told and I thank those who have already been supporting survivors through various organisations and providing a platform for their voices to be heard.

Archbishop Eamon Martin

Catholic Bishops of Northern Ireland: “As many people as possible stay at home for the sake of health, life and the Common Good”

“Faith and prayer can be a tremendous support to individuals and society during these difficult times”

Statement

Following further briefing today by the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Officer, and in consultation with The Executive Office, we are very concerned at the current serious public health position in which Northern Ireland finds itself: with the extremely high level of transmission of the Covid-19 virus; the continuing escalation of numbers in hospital and intensive care; the number of associated deaths; and, the increasingly unsustainable pressure on our healthcare staff. The clear message from health officials is that this situation is going to worsen significantly over the coming weeks.

We recognise the efforts of so many in our parishes who have been working to ensure that our gatherings for public worship are as safe as possible and we welcome the continuing engagement between the faith communities and the NI Executive which has led to consensus between us on the importance of people being able to gather in person for worship. At this time, however, we acknowledge and support the unequivocal message from public health authorities that the movement and gathering of people should be minimised and that as many people as possible stay at home for the sake of health, life and the Common Good.

In light of our ongoing consultations and of the current serious and worsening situation, and in line with clear public health guidance that people should stay at home, we have decided that for a limited period (from midnight on Thursday 7 January until Saturday 6 February 2021, subject to review in late January), the celebration of the Eucharist and other liturgies should take place without the physical presence of the faithful – with the exception of marriage, funeral, baptismal liturgies and drive-in services (subject to regulations). Arrangements for recording and/or livestreaming, and making individual visits for private prayer are also permissible in accordance with regulations. We encourage parishes, where possible, to continue to broadcast the celebration of Mass – and other devotions and prayer services – online and on other media, knowing that faith and prayer can be a tremendous support to individuals and society during these difficult times.

We make this decision reluctantly, conscious that not being able to gather for public worship can cause pain for all the faithful, but in the hope that this limited period of sacrifice will be for the protection of life and health and for the greater good of all. We once more ask for prayers for the sick, the bereaved and all those whose livelihoods have been particularly impacted by the pandemic. We keep in our prayers all health workers, carers, chaplains and other essential workers. We welcome the announcement that a similar position is being taken by the leaders of the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, the Methodist Church in Ireland and many other denominations and faith communities in response to the unequivocal message from public health authorities that as many people as possible stay at home at this time.

Most Rev Eamon Martin DD
Archbishop of Armagh & Primate of All-Ireland
Apostolic Administrator of Dromore

Most Rev Noel Treanor DD
Bishop of Down and Connor

Most Rev Donal McKeown DD
Bishop of Derry

Most Rev Larry Duffy DD
Bishop of Clogher

Most Rev Michael Router DD
Auxiliary Bishop of Armagh

Homily for World Day of Peace 2021 and New Year message

Archbishop Eamon Martin thanks frontline workers for their “amazing works of mercy” during 2020

“2021 marks the centenary of a year that led to increased separation, discord and polarisation of relationships on this island … All the more reason, then, for us to commit to looking out for each other, developing greater mutual understanding and to building that culture of care.”

Archbishop Eamon Martin

Homily Text

“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go…”

When the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote those words from In Memoriam back in 1850, he could never have imagined how appropriate they would sound to people today. At the time he was mourning the sudden death of his closest friend and he hoped the New Year bells would, as he put it, “Ring out the grief that saps the mind”.

A century and a half later, many of us are hoping that 2021 will see the end of the pandemic that has disrupted life for almost a year now. I remember last January encouraging a group of final-year students to have high hopes for 2020: “Have 2020 vision for yourselves and for the world”, I told them. Little did I realise that within months their schools would be shut, their final exams cancelled and their leaving Masses forced online. Many of them have already spent a whole term of college life studying and socialising from laptops in university halls or at home.

Like those young people, many others will be happy to “ring out” the year that has been marked by upset plans, postponed celebrations, jobs and livelihoods threatened, dreams put on hold. We pray today, as Tennyson did, for a brighter future in this New Year:

“Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be”.

The Gospel Acclamation in today’s Mass, taken from the Letter to the Hebrews, reminds us to be alert for God’s work in the events of history:

“At various times in the past
and in various different ways,
God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets; but in our own time, the last days, he has spoken to us through his Son” (Heb 1:1-2).

What might the voice of the Lord be saying to us through the experience of this pandemic? How might God be challenging our priorities, exposing our weaknesses and vulnerabilities, pointing to our strengths and opening our eyes to possibilities for a fairer, safer and more fulfilled future for all?

In his message for today, the World Day of Peace, Pope Francis suggests that the COVID-19 crisis has been aggravating world crises, “like those of the climate, food, the economy and migration, and causing great suffering and hardship”. He hopes that “the coming year will enable humanity to advance on the path of fraternity, justice and peace between individuals, communities, peoples and nations”.

For Pope Francis, the pandemic is teaching us “how important it is to care for one another and for creation”. He entitles his message for today: “A Culture of Care as a Path to Peace”. He sees a ‘Culture of Care’ as “the way to combat the culture of indifference, waste and confrontation (that is) so prevalent in our time”.

The most positive memory I will cherish of the year 2020 is of how the power of love and care was able to overcome isolation, loneliness, suffering, despair and negativity. I will treasure a “2020 vision” of goodness, kindness, generosity and courage shown by neighbours, volunteers, doctors, nurses, chaplains and other carers; by teachers, shop-workers, clergy and so many others who devoted themselves to keeping our essential services going. Their amazing “works of mercy” were concrete expressions of the compassion, love and hope of Christ ringing out in our communities and world.

Pope Francis argues that to build a “culture of care” is the only way to overcome the great challenges of today. He offers four principles, inspired by the Gospel, to act like a “compass”, pointing us in the direction of a “more humane future” for our world. These are: commitment to promoting the dignity of each human person; solidarity with the poor and vulnerable; the pursuit of the common good; and, concern for protection of creation.

Creating a culture of care in this way means “listening for the cry of the poor and the cry of creation”. It ensures we never reduce people to “mere statistics”, but instead we love them as our neighbours, our brothers and sisters. We are moved to showing tenderness and compassion for those in our world who suffer the worst effects of COVID-19 or climate change and yet who have least access to water and other resources, to quality health services and life-saving vaccines.

This past year we have come to realise more than ever that, as a human family sharing this planet, we are interconnected and interdependent. Building a ‘culture of care’ will encourage us to continue to make sacrifices, to wear face coverings, cancel plans and celebrations when necessary to protect life, to keep a safe distance in order to promote the Common Good. At the height of the pandemic back in March, Pope Francis vividly described the importance of care and fraternity when he stood alone in Saint Peter’s Square and led the world in an extraordinary moment of prayer. He said: “We are in the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together”, since “no one reaches salvation by themselves”.

It reminds me today of other lines from Tennyson’s poem:
“Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times…”

“Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good”.

“Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace”.

Here in Ireland the New Year Bells call us to face with faith, hope and love, what is likely to be another difficult year in tackling the coronavirus. 2021 also marks the centenary of a year that led to increased separation, discord and polarisation of relationships on this island. 2021 will bring its own new challenges to relationships and prosperity arising from the implementation of Brexit. All the more reason, then, for us to commit to looking out for each other, developing greater mutual understanding and to building that culture of care, tenderness and compassion that will be our sure compass and guide along the Path of Peace.

Archbishop Eamon Martin’s homily for Mass on the Feast of the Holy Family

A couple of years ago the family of world famous poet Seamus Heaney found a long-lost unpublished poem of his called A Christmas Rhyme which he had privately written and shared with them as a gift. Like all of our families, the Heaney family had their own Christmas rituals and Seamus’ poem describes how they would do “the rounds”, year after year, of visiting aunties and uncles, setting down memories for life of family characters, kindnesses, love and Christmas cheer.

Someone said to me the other day “sure isn’t Christmas all about family?” But we are all conscious that this year, with the restrictions, there has been much sadness and disappointment in many families that loved ones have been unable to travel home. Many of the usual family “get-togethers”, customs and visits have been curtailed or disrupted completely, or gone virtual, or simply treasured and stored away again in the memory until next year, please God.

At the heart of the Christmas season the Church has placed today’s feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Of course all three have their own individual special days throughout the year in the Church’s calendar, but today they are placed together – in their “bubble” (so to speak) – so that we can think of them as a unit, a household of love.

Today’s feast is not that old in the Church’s history – it will be a hundred years next year, 2021, since Pope Benedict XV declared it as a feast for the Universal Church. But devotion to the Holy Family of Nazareth goes back centuries and the Coptic Christians in Egypt can trace it back to the earliest days of Christianity – probably because it was to Egypt that the Holy Family fled, like refugees, from the threats of King Herod.

In the prayers at Mass today we are encouraged to make the Holy Family of Nazareth a model and an inspiration for our family. Not the easiest thing to do, I suppose, for we know so little about what the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was like. Apart from the Christmas stories we get only fleeting glimpses in the Gospels – like today’s Gospel story of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, or the one about the time the Holy Family went up to Jerusalem when He was twelve years old. Otherwise we have to rely on our religious imagination to fill in the gaps.

What was life like for Jesus, Mary and Joseph? They did nothing to attract attention or make the news. No doubt, like ourselves, they had family routines, customs, favourite pastimes – I wonder what their home looked like? Sometimes the Holy Family has been presented in devotional literature as an idyllic, heavenly, picture of perfection.

No doubt the Holy Family was unimaginably special! But to speak realistically of the Holy Family as our model, inspiration and guide, we have to be careful about “bubble-wrapping” them completely – we need to know that they experienced not only the joys and happiness of being together as a family, but also some of the struggles, “ups and downs” and painful daily realities that ordinary families have to live with and through.

Pope Francis reminded us when he was in Ireland two years ago that “no family drops down from heaven perfectly formed”, but still he suggested that: “Every family should look to the icon of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Its daily life had its share of burdens and even nightmares, as when they met with Herod’s implacable violence”.

Clearly the Holy Family’s experience of fleeing into Egypt for fear of their lives must have helped Jesus, Mary and Joseph to build a shared resilience and inner strength as a family; there is also no doubt that Mary and Joseph must have had to draw on deep faith, courage, and trust in God to cope with the many unanswered prophecies, puzzles and questions surrounding Jesus – first as an infant, later as a child, and then as a young man beginning to grasp God’s plan for His life. No wonder, as the Gospel puts it, Mary found herself “pondering all these things in her heart”. Perhaps one of the key inspirations that emerges from the life of the Holy Family is the need for serenity in modern families – as the prayer of that name puts it:

“…Serenity accept the things we cannot change;
Courage to change the things we can; And, Wisdom to know the difference”.

Those three gifts of serenity, courage and wisdom are much needed in our families this Christmas – jostled as we are with the ongoing Covid19 crisis.

Our families share uncertainty about the future, weariness with the ongoing restrictions, confusion of changing messages, nervousness – fear even – with talk of new waves and new variants of the virus. Sadly since the beginning of the pandemic many families among us have had to carry heavy crosses of separation, sickness, grief and loss, worries about employment and finances, or simply missing those comforting family rituals of being together, visiting, and being close and present to each other in the normal way.

At Christmas time, especially, families of faith can find consolation, good news, hope and promise in the wonder of the Christ-child, born into a human family, to be our Saviour. Faith with wisdom, courage, trust and serenity guides our journey as families through uncertainty and the unknown. Just as a loving parent takes the hand of their frightened child, so we firmly grasp the hand of Him who has made us, Who redeemed us and saved us, and Who journeys with us every step of the way.

In 2013, in his first year as Pope, on today’s feast, Pope Francis offered this prayer to the Holy Family:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

in you we contemplate

the splendour of true love,

to you we turn with trust.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

grant that our families too

may be places of communion and prayer,

authentic schools of the Gospel

and small domestic Churches.

Holy Family of Nazareth,

may families never again

experience violence, rejection and division:

may all who have been hurt or scandalized

find ready comfort and healing.

Holy Family of Nazareth…

make us once more mindful

of the sacredness and inviolability of the family,

and its beauty in God’s plan.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,

graciously hear our prayer.

Amen.

Homily of Archbishop Eamon Martin for Christmas Eve 2020 Midnight Mass

“Good people all, this Christmas time

Consider well and bear in mind

What our good God for us has done

In sending his Beloved Son”.

Those inspiring words from the ‘Wexford Carol’, transcribed a century ago at Saint Aiden’s Cathedral in Enniscorthy, capture the true meaning of Christmas. If ever there was a year to cling to that comforting message, it is this year, 2020 – the year that a coronavirus shook the world and stopped it in its tracks. A few days ago some newspapers even ran with the headline: “Christmas is cancelled…” But it was only “fake news”. Thankfully the Good News brought by the angel to the shepherds on the first Christmas night rings out as true and as important as ever:

“Today a Saviour has been born to us; he is Christ the Lord”.

Christmas 2020 is certainly very different to Christmases past. For safety sake our congregation here inside the Cathedral is much smaller than usual; we’re ‘socially distanced’, masked and sanitised – even our carol singing is subdued. But thanks to the wonders of modern technology, you and your family members are joining us, along with hundreds – perhaps thousands – ‘live’ from your living room – your little “domestic church”, rejoicing with us in the miracle and mystery of ‘Emmanuel’ – God With Us!

Our thoughts and prayers tonight are with those who are unable to be home with us this Christmas, and especially with our ‘brothers and sisters’ who are struggling to cope this year with the pain of loneliness, suffering, grief and loss of employment. We are thankful that, even in the shadows and darkness of 2020, light has been shining out in countless examples of love and tenderness. Our communities have witnessed an outpouring of goodness, kindness, generosity and courage from neighbours, volunteers, doctors, nurses, chaplains and other carers; from teachers, shop-workers, clergy and so many others who have devoted themselves to keeping our essential services going.

We wish them all a well-deserved and happy Christmas, confident in the knowledge that their selfless efforts these past nine months are concrete expressions of the compassion, love and hope of Christ.

I find the message of the angel on the first Christmas night to be deeply consoling this year: “Do not be afraid”, the angel said to the terrified shepherds. “Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared with the whole people”.

How much we need to hear those words at this time: “Do not be afraid”. The pandemic has left us uncertain about the future, weary of all the ongoing restrictions, confused by changing messages, nervous – frightened even – about talk of new waves and new variants of the virus. It is only natural that we yearn for good news; we search for a glimmer of hope; we long for the promise of a brighter future.

People of faith find that good news, hope and promise in the wonder of the Christ-child, born in Bethlehem to be our Saviour. Like the Magi who followed the star, faith guides our journey through the uncertainty and the unknown. Just as a loving parent takes the hand of their frightened child, so we firmly grasp the hand of God who has made us, Who redeemed us and saved us, and Who is journeying with us every step of the way.

The hand of God and the hope that Christ brings is offered to each one of us, personally. Christmas invites us to a personal encounter and friendship with God. The angel’s message was direct and personal – not “I bring news of great joy”, but “I bring YOU news of great joy”.

Pope Benedict XVI put it powerfully when he wrote on this day 15 years ago: “Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction (Deus Caritas Est 1)”. Today a Saviour has been born for US – for you and for me – personally. And this joyful message that ‘God loved us first’, is not something private or individual, or to be kept to ourselves. It is given, as the angel said, to be shared with others – shared ‘with the whole people”.

That is why it pains us so much when we are restricted from physically gathering to express our faith, when we are unable to be together as a full congregation, praying and praising and singing, “Glory to God in the Highest”! We hunger for Sunday worship and for the nourishment of the Eucharist. We long for this pandemic to be over so that we can safely meet together once more as the People of God, to “sing a new song to the Lord” and to offer each other the Peace of Christ – in person.

Looking forward to that day encourages us to make a special effort this Christmas and in the New Year ahead to keep Christ at the centre of our life – to welcome the Prince of Peace into our heart, home, family and community. We are commissioned by our Baptism to spread the Good News of the angel and to bring the Christmas message to life! We can do this by continuing Christ’s work of love, compassion, care, forgiveness, healing and charity – by keeping alive the light of hope that has already been shining brightly since the beginning of this awful pandemic in the witness of so many good people.

That light of hope is enkindled by reflecting in prayer for a few moments every day on the hope-filled message that is so succinctly captured in those words from the Wexford Carol:

“Good people all, this Christmas time

Consider well and bear in mind

What our good God for us has done

In sending his Beloved Son”.

Perhaps a “happy fault” of the Covid-19 restrictions has been the way that extra time and space has been opening up, away from the usual frantic rush and crazy consumerism – space for reflection and contemplation, and for assessing our lives. Many of us have been asking: ‘What is most important in life? How can I change? Who gives me hope? What carries me through when times are difficult? Where do I find light in the shadows and darkness?’

For Christians the answers to those questions are found right at the heart of the Christmas story – in the wonder of the Christ-child, born to be our Saviour; in the unfathomable mystery of Emmanuel, “God With Us”.

“Within a manger he was laid,

And by his side the virgin maid,

Attending on the Lord of life,

Who came on earth to end all strife”.

Happy Christmas

Prayer of Pope Benedict XVI
From Deus Caritas Est (God is Love)
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
you have given the world its true light, Jesus, your Son – the Son of God.
You abandoned yourself completely
to God’s call
and thus became a wellspring
of the goodness which flows forth from him.
Show us Jesus. Lead us to him.
Teach us to know and love him,
so that we too can become
capable of true love
and be fountains of living water
in the midst of a thirsting world.
Amen

Links to “A Family Christmas” 22nd December 2020, 7.30pm

St. Patricks Cathedral Armagh to present “A FAMILY CHRISTMAS”

In response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic Archbishop Eamon Martin will lead a special evening from St. Patrick’s Cathedral Armagh on Tuesday 22nd December at 7.30pm. He will be joined on the evening by Karl McGuckin, Malachi Cush and Eilish Fox It promises to be a very special celebration which will be streamed live on St. Patricks
Cathedral Webcam which can be accessed by clicking either of the links below:

This special evening of prayer and song, “A Family Christmas” will celebrate family and the
special place families play in our lives and the lives of the communities we live in.

It promises to be a very special celebration which will be streamed live on St. Patricks
Cathedral Webcam which can be accessed by clicking the “Test” tab of the embedded stream below. This stream will be live at 7.20pm on Tuesday evening.

PLEASE NOTE THAT SHOULD THE “TEST” TAB NOT WORK PLEASE ACCESS VIA THE “CHURCH” TAB WICH IS ALSO FOUND IN THE EMBEDED STREAM BELOW

www.churchservices.tv/armaghcathedral

www.armaghparish.net.

Note that this event is a virtual event and will only be available online via the web addresses above.

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Other Agencies

Archbishop Eamon Speaks to RTE Radio’s “This Week” about the Mother and Baby Homes Report.

Archbishop Eamon Martin thanks frontline workers for their “amazing works of mercy” during 2020