Catholic Schools Week launch at St John the Baptist Parish Church

Catholic Schools Week was launched at St John the Baptist Parish Church in Portadown today Tuesday January 21st. About 30 schools were represented with 600 young people attending with Principals teachers and some parents and grandparents. Living in harmony with Creation was our main focus.

Our three banners this year remind us that our planet and special home is quickly being destroyed by careless and selfish overuse by nations, large companies and even individual choices in how we live and how we treat this wonderful part of God’s Creation. The first banner shows life created by God and says: “Creation God’s love for us” The second shows planet Earth cracking and wounded and says: “What went wrong?” The third shows the same picture of our suffering planet Sister Earth and says: “We went wrong”. Today we hoped to find a way forwards towards healing and living in harmony with our beautiful planet which is part of God’s Creation.

Music, hymns ,readings and mime provided wonderful inspiration and reflection. Celebration and prayer helped us resolve in our own small way to be stewards of this wonderful world created in love for us by God. The organising team wish to thank all who helped make this celebration a true launch into CSW which begins this Sunday. Bishop Michael led us in prayer and story. He blessed saplings of trees for schools to plant and each student received a sprout pencil contains sun flower seeds to emphasise the eco message of living in harmony with our world. Please God all will return home to school determined to make the most of CSW 2020.

Catholic Schools Week

Catholic Schools Week 2020 runs from Sunday, 26 January to Sunday, 2 February. The theme this year is Catholic Schools: Living in Harmony with God’s Creation. The launch of Catholic Schools Week in the Archdiocese of Armagh will take place as follows:

Date                            Time               Venue
Tuesday 21 January    11.00 am         St John the Baptist Church, Drumcree, Portadown
Thursday 23 January   12.30 pm         Holy Redeemer Church, Ard Easmuinn, Dundalk

Organising teams have been meeting to prepare the liturgies and suitable resources for our own celebrations. These will be posted on www.resource-ni.com. Please also see https://www.catholicschools.ie/resources-for-use-in-catholic-schools/.

Catholic Schools Week 2020

Bishop Michael Router spent some time on Monday with Coláiste Rís students preparing for Catholic Schools Week.

Catholic Schools Week 2020 runs from Sunday, 26 January to Sunday, 2 February. The theme this year is Catholic Schools: Living in Harmony with God’s Creation. The launch of Catholic Schools Week in the Archdiocese of Armagh will take place as follows:

Date Time Venue

Tuesday 21 January 11.00 am St John the Baptist Church, Drumcree, Portadown

Thursday 23 January 12.30 pm Holy Redeemer Church, Ard Easmuinn, Dundalk

All schools and members of staff are most welcome.

Organising teams have been meeting to prepare the liturgies and suitable resources for our own celebrations. These will be posted on www.resource-ni.com. Please also see https://www.catholicschools.ie/resources-for-use-in-catholic-schools/.

Church Leaders: ‘Deal offers new hope’

The leaders of Ireland’s main Churches have welcomed the agreement reached between Northern Ireland’s political parties, the UK and Irish Governments. In their statement the leaders of the Church of Ireland, Methodist Church in Ireland, Roman Catholic Church, Presbyterian Church in Ireland and the Irish Council of Churches have said,

“Throughout this long journey we have sought to encourage everyone involved to go the extra mile, to work creatively and courageously towards a deal that would see Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions up and running again.

“We believe that the agreement, New Decade, New Approach, is ambitious in its content and reflects a balanced accommodation that is focused on the common good; and one that we hope can begin to address the political and social crisis that has developed due to the prolonged absence of a functioning Executive and Assembly.

“The principles of accountability, transparency and responsibility, identified in the agreement are crucial to underpinning sustainable government and ensuring that the experience of the last three years cannot happen again. Along with the development of trust and generosity of spirit, these measures offer an opportunity to build a peaceful and just society that is centred around respect and recognition of each other’s cultural identity.

“As Church leaders, we also welcome the renewed focus on reconciliation, which will be central to the Executive’s approach, and welcome practical commitments to extend welfare mitigations, address significant challenges in education and health, tackle the mental health crisis, and deal with the continued scourge of paramilitarism and sectarianism.

“Last year we initiated a civic dialogue between political parties and representatives from key sectors in civil society across Northern Ireland. Reflecting on that engagement we noted that, ‘when politics is broken the responsibility for fixing it does not rest with the politicians alone.’ We therefore renew our commitment to supporting the new Executive as it begins its work, and along with others in civic society, recognise our collective responsibility for the common good.

“Today is a sign of welcome progress that provides an opportunity for a new start for Northern Ireland’s political institutions and one that can also offer fresh hope. The story of the Christian faith is one of new beginnings, where failure is never final, second chances abound, and all things can be renewed. We will continue to offer our prayers for all involved in making this agreement work, encouraging them, for the sake of the whole community, to grasp fully this new opportunity.”

Most Rev Dr Richard Clarke

Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh & Primate of All Ireland

Rt Rev Dr William Henry

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland

Most Rev Eamon Martin

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Dromore & Primate of all Ireland

Rev Sam McGuffin

President of the Methodist Church in Ireland

Rev Brian Anderson

President of the Irish Council of Churches

ENDS

For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long +353 (0) 86 1727678

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2020

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will run as usual from 18 to 25 January.

The theme this year is They showed us unusual kindness (Acts 28:2). Annually, leaders of faith communities throughout the world gather together to arrive at the theme for the annual celebration of Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year the theme finds its origins in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 27:18 – 28:10).

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Resources are available as downloads from the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland website at www.ctbi.org.uk/weekofprayer.

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WPCU-2020-commentary-on-the-text

WPCU-2020-Prayer Service

WPCU-2020-English-pamphlet

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Local Service

An interdenominational Service for Christian Unity will be held in St Patrick’s Church of Ireland Cathedral, Armagh, on Wednesday, 22 January at 7.30 pm.

The guest preacher will be Fr Tony Currer, a diocesan priest of Hexham and Newcastle diocese in the North East of England who currently works at the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity where he is responsible for the Vatican’s relations with the worldwide Anglican and Methodist Communions and

for the materials prepared for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The materials for the 2020 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity have been prepared by the Christian churches in Malta and Gozo (Christians Together in Malta). On 10th February many Christians in Malta celebrate the Feast of the Shipwreck of St Paul, marking and giving thanks for the arrival of Christian faith on these islands.The reading from the Acts of the Apostles used for the feast is the text chosen for this year’s Week of Prayer. The story begins with Paul being taken to Rome as a prisoner (Acts 27:1ff). Paul is in chains, but even in what turns out to be a perilous journey, the mission of God continues through him. This narrative is a classic drama of humanity confronted by the terrifying power of the elements. The passengers on the boat are at the mercy of the forces of the seas beneath them and the powerful tempest that rages about them. These forces take them into unknown territory, where they are lost and without hope.

Today many people are facing the same terrors on the same seas. The very same places named in the reading (27:1, 28:1) also feature in the stories of modern-day migrants. In other parts of the world, many others are making equally dangerous journeys by land and sea to escape natural disasters, warfare and poverty. Their lives, too, are at the mercy of immense and coldly indifferent forces – not only natural, but political, economic and human. This human indifference takes various forms: the indifference of those who sell places on unseaworthy vessels to desperate people; the indifference of the decision not to send out rescue boats; and the indifference of turning migrant ships away. This names only a few instances. As Christians together facing these crises of migration this story challenges us: do we collude with the cold forces of indifference, or do we show “unusual kindness” and become witnesses of God’s loving providence to all people?

Archbishop Eamon Martin’s homily and World Day of Peace message for New Year’s Day

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh

A living Christian faith emboldens us to promote a culture of life, to defend the unborn, to reach out to the homeless, to welcome the stranger, to visit the sick
Our country, north and south, truly needs the rekindling of wholesome relationships – socially and politically, nationally and internationally
When the hearts and consciences of individuals are moved and troubled by the plight of the suffering and the marginalised, that change begins to happen at a societal and global level. The voice of God, speaking in our hearts, stirs faith and moves us to action
I am looking forward to launching the ‘one in ten’ Rosary campaign – @1in10Rosary – to encourage at least ten per cent of the population to pledge to pray the Rosary, or a decade of the Rosary, every day for their personal conversion and for the transformation of Ireland

Homily and World Day of Peace message

At Masses on New Year’s Day the ancient Blessing of Aaron is read from the Book of Numbers. Although the Blessing is two and a half thousand years old, its message is timeless:

‘May the Lord bless you and keep you

May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you

May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace (Numbers 6:22-27)’.

The beginning of a new year brings all sorts of speculation and predictions about what lies ahead – and all the more so this year which also sees the beginning of a new decade. A century ago the so-called ‘roaring twenties’ heralded for some people a high spirited, optimistic and prosperous age; but for many others, including here in Ireland, the early 1920’s marked a time of recession, austerity and emigration against a backdrop of partition and civil war.

Who knows what the 2020’s will bring? The newspaper columns these days contain a mixture of hope and uncertainty. All the more reason, then, to invoke today the Blessing of Aaron – to prayerfully trust that, even if we are somewhat anxious about what the future might hold, we are not alone. God walks the journey with us. God gives us what we need to make a difference – in our own lives, in the lives of our loved ones and community, and in the world. It is also good at this time of the year to make personal resolutions to change and to do better, believing that our lives can be aligned more closely with God’s will for us and for the world.

Today marks the World Day of Peace. In his message for today, Pope Francis describes peace as “a great and precious value, the object of our hope and the aspiration of the entire human family”. Pope Francis sees the desire for peace as something which lies “deep within the human heart” and he encourages us to keep on striving for peace despite facing sometimes “insurmountable obstacles”.

“Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me” – this popular song, heard a lot around Christmas and New Year, reminds us that we can make a difference. Our words and attitudes, our personal choices and behaviour – in public and on social media – can help to build peace and harmony rather than spread aggression and hatred. As the out-workings of Brexit begin to emerge, the early years of this decade will be crucial in sustaining peace and rebuilding relationships on the island of Ireland and between us and our neighbours in Britain and Europe. Archbishop Richard Clarke and I said recently that our country, north and south, truly needs the rekindling of wholesome relationships – socially and politically, nationally and internationally, and this will require men and women of integrity, generosity and courage to take the initiative in making these crucial relationships work.

Just as peace emerges from the depths of the human heart, so also do the answers to the greatest problems facing our country and world in this new decade. It is only when the hearts and consciences of individuals are moved and troubled by the plight of the suffering and the marginalised, that change begins to happen at a societal and global level. The voice of God, speaking in our hearts, stirs faith and moves us to action. In this way a living Christian faith emboldens us to promote a culture of life, to defend the unborn, to reach out to the homeless, to welcome the stranger, to visit the sick. It opens our ears to the “cry of the poor” and the “cry of the earth”, calling us to wise stewardship of God’s gifts of creation and personally to a more “responsible simplicity of life”. A living Christian Faith inspires us to turn towards God in holiness of life, to seek forgiveness for our sins, and to make personal resolutions for change, not only at the beginning of a New Year, but continually on a lifelong journey of conversion.

At the beginning of this new decade it is therefore worth asking ourselves – does my faith in God make a real difference in my life? Does faith challenge me or have I settled for an “easy listening” comfortable way of living which allows me simply to go on the way I am, relaxed in my choices and perhaps even in my prejudices, in my abuse of created things, my sin and my disobedience of God’s laws? If our only New Year’s resolution was to be more authentic as people of faith, and to become courageous witnesses to Christ in the world, then with the help of God’s grace and blessing, we can build together a more just and peaceful world for ourselves and others.

It is fitting that the first day of the New Year is dedicated by the Church to Mary, the Mother of God who, by pondering on the unfolding mystery of the life of Jesus, was able to face the future with hope and serenity and open herself up entirely to God’s will for her. I invite you then to begin afresh this New Year your journey of faith – a journey nourished, like Mary’s, by prayer and contemplation on the Word of God and on the mysteries of the life of Christ.

I am looking forward to launching next month the ‘one in ten’ Rosary campaign for the 2020’s – @1in10Rosary – to encourage at least ten per cent of the population of Ireland to pledge to pray the Rosary, or a decade of the Rosary, every day for their personal conversion and for the transformation of Ireland. In July, I will lead a pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine of Fatima to dedicate this campaign to Mary and to pray that we can be, like her, courageous witnesses of faith. As pilgrims in Fatima we will remember in particular the witness of our Christian brothers and sisters who are persecuted in many parts of the world.

The Rosary has for centuries sustained faith and life in Ireland, and helped countless women and men to discover God’s will in their lives. It can do so again, enabling us to be courageous witnesses, by pondering every day in our hearts, as Mary did, the deepest mysteries of our faith.

May the Lord bless this initiative for the 2020’s here in Ireland, so that His face may shine on the people of Ireland, and be gracious to us, looking upon us with kindness and bringing us His peace. Amen.

ENDS

Archbishop Eamon Martin is Archbishop of Armagh, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Dromore and Primate of All Ireland

For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long +353 (0) 86 172 7678

Fatima 2020 registration form

Create your own user feedback survey

To confirm your place, please please complete the form above and then forward a £150.00 deposit. Electronic payment to; Sort code: 90-20-47 Account number: 23801038. Please use your full name followed by Fatima as your payment reference. Cheques should be made payable to ‘ADYC’ and posted to ADYC, Archdiocese of Armagh, Cathedral Road, Armagh, BT61 7QY. All deposits are non refundable.

Fatima 2020 for young people

Fatima 2020

Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash

7 – 14th July 2020

16-18 year olds

£525

Click here to register for the Pilgrimage online

Fully escorted pilgrimage to Fatima
Direct, return flights from Dublin to Lisbon
7 nights accommodation in Hotel Avenida (4 star hotel)
Full board : Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner served
Day trip to Lisbon
Trip to waterpark

Fatima is a renowned place of pilgrimage, home to one of the world’s most famous Shrines dedicated to the Virgin Mary Located north of Lisbon, in central Portugal, the shrine is site of the events of 1917 in which three shepherd children, Lúcia Santos and her cousins, Jacinta Marto and Francisco Marto, witnessed apparitions of the Virgin Mary on 13 May 1917 and on the 13th day of the five following months. The sanctuary built to commemorate these events is dominated by the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, a magnificent church that overlooks a large open plaza where millions of pilgrims gather throughout the year.

Below is a memory shared by a past Fatima Pilgrim

“Utter brilliance.” “Eye Opening.” “Challenging” “Encouraging and enlightening.” Some of the words used by our pilgrims to describe ADYC’s recent summer pilgrimage to Fatima.

Describing my experience with ADYC would be a similar chose of words and the reasons I got more involved.

As a second year, liberal arts religion student at St Marys Teacher training college Belfast, this year I had the opportunity to spend my placement period with ADYC. Here I got to see the organising, promoting, recruiting and work that goes into youth pilgrimages.

I had never been to Fatima before but it was one of the most enjoyable pilgrimages I have been on. It was peaceful, no rushing about, everything was calm and nearby. Added to that we had a great group of 24 young pilgrims.

Previously I had been to Lourdes; which I loved, so I knew Fatima would give me a similar experience. In hindsight, I must say the two are different. Not in the sense of holiness but the different fulfilling feeling I took from them. By this I mean, I went to Lourdes in 2014 and I would this was the beginning of understanding my faith. It gave me that feeling of, I’d love to do more things like this. The following year I went to Rome, another great city but again different. In 2016; I had the first opportunity to go World Youth Day. Standing in Krakow with millions of other young people made me realise how amazing it is being part of the church.

Fast forward to July 2018 and I have sent six days in Fatima, again a whole new feeling. I would say that’s because Fatima is a city of its own, it offers a different experience to that of Lourdes or Rome or Krakow. Even the candlelight procession was a different experience. On one of the nights two of our leaders were fortunate enough to partake in the international procession. After talking with the pilgrims, I could sense that the pilgrims could relate to the candlelight procession. Some described the procession as “tranquil, peaceful and inspiring.” We had some pilgrims who had been to Lourdes before who felt, due to the smaller numbers they felt more “connected to the procession.” Is that not what we want? We want young people to feel associated with the church and more thoughtful in prayer.

That to me is the beauty of Fatima that you can feel connected with the events because it has only been 101 years since the visitations. The fact that we could visit Rua do Adro the parish church of Fatima, where the three shepherd children had been baptised, made communion and confirmed. We were also able to visit their house and met one of their nieces has that sense of connectivity.

While we were in Fatima we visited enclosed Dominican nuns. This gave me personally, a time to think about how much they were giving up. I suppose living in such a secular society and having such a busy life it makes you realise sometimes you need to take a step back from everything to realise how caught up you can get and lose focus on the main things in life.

The first couple of evenings we watched the candlelight procession from the sanctuary area.

The nights we didn’t partake in the candlelight procession, we would have sat in the sanctuary area in our own group and prayed the rosary, with reflective thoughts between each mystery. This is an example of how we can take a step back and take time to think about the things in life we do not spend enough time on or lose focus.

That’s what the pilgrims seemed to do, they took the time to think more about their faith and some even came to me and asked questions about things that seemed to be a barrier in their faith.

I guess that is another reason I wanted to go to Fatima. Sometime I feel I can get too caught up in work, study or other aspects of life, a week of prayer and reflection helped my spiritual being.

Fatima has made me realise how I got involved with ADYC. Opportunities like these, that I was given, that ADYC offers to young people in the Armagh Diocese, empower and enrich the young person’s faith.

Christmas 2019 message from the Archbishops of Armagh: ‘A time for re-kindling …’

ChristmasScene — Christmas Nativity scene

“Our country, north and south, truly needs the rekindling of wholesome relationships – socially and politically, nationally and internationally”

Together we wish you God’s richest blessings this Christmas and through the year ahead.

These few days at the turn of the year offer an opportunity for people who are normally very busy to give worthwhile time to family and friends. It can also be a stressful and difficult time for people who feel estranged from friends and loved ones to whom they were once close, and for those who feel they have no-one they can truly call a friend.

Over Christmas and New Year many people are able to rekindle relationships that have somehow gone sour. We are all capable of bringing light and love into another person’s life – perhaps someone for whom hope itself is fading, someone who desperately needs the rekindling of trust that only care and friendship can bring. Jesus Christ came into the world to bring us not only the light of his love but also the warmth of his friendship. Indeed, he assured his disciples that they were more than just “followers”; they were his “friends” (John 15.15).

Our country, north and south, truly needs the rekindling of wholesome relationships – socially and politically, nationally and internationally – and our prayer this Christmas is that men and women of integrity will find the generosity and courage they need to lead and take the initiative in making these crucial relationships work.

As our sharing in ministry here in Armagh will soon be coming to a close, we take this opportunity publicly to thank God for the warm friendship we have enjoyed together (and will continue to enjoy, albeit in a different mode), and we pray as one that 2020 may be a year of rekindling true friendship for all the people of Ireland.

+Eamon
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh

+Richard
Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh

ENDS

For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long +353 (0) 86 172 7678

Armagh Parish introduces a new form of giving!

The Cathedral Parish in Armagh has introduced a new form of donating to help support the ongoing needs and demands of the Parish. A new free-standing donation portal has been installed in St. Patrick’s Cathedral and it offers the user the opportunity to make a contactless payment.

It is a new and modern method of donating to the local Parish and having such a facility in place makes it easier for people to donate as they please.

The Parish has worked closely with Goodbox, a company that is committed to this new method of payment, and the new technological device which incorporates a secure and easy to use payment system, has been installed in the magnificent Cathedral.

The Cathedral Parish has considered for some time new ways of embracing digital payments technology. Many people no longer carry cash today and for that reason the Parish has been looking at other ways in which people can give. St. Patrick’s Cathedral has many visitors on a daily basis and many people want to contribute to help support the costs associated with the running and maintenance of such a building.

It is hoped that by introducing this form of contactless giving that the Parish can maximise donations to help support St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Other Agencies

Fatima 2020