Reopening of St Malachy’s Church, Armagh.

St Malachys Church Refurbished Armagh 15 February 2020 CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com

Over the last few weeks, St Malachy’s Church, Armagh was closed for some general maintenance and for redecoration. On Friday, 21 February Archbishop Martin celebrated Mass in the Church for its reopening.

Homily given by Archbishop Eamon Martin at the reopening of
St Malachy’s Church, Armagh.

Friday, 21 February 2020.

It’s almost a year now since the beautiful Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris was gravely damaged by fire. I can still vividly remember the sight of the people of Paris staring in shock, or kneeling in prayer as the inferno engulfed the historic 850 year old building. There was an audible gasp and cry from the crowd as the distinctive steeple collapsed in flames. President Macron spoke to the world with tears in his eyes: “Part of us is burning”, he said.

It seems strange in some ways that the destruction of a Catholic Cathedral in such a secular country as France evoked such a pained reaction. But then this was no ordinary Cathedral – millions of people from all over the world have visited Notre Dame. And in many ways it is one of those sacred spaces that appeals to the spirit within people all over the world. Even non-believers are touched by its beauty and it points everyone to something beyond our senses – the transcendent God who is truth and beauty itself. Thankfully, the ensuing days brought some relief, as pledges of millions of euros were made for the restoration of the Cathedral and it became clear that the rose windows, the gargoyles and belfry were not destroyed and many of the sacred objects were saved – the priest chaplain to the Paris fire brigade spoke of how he had rescued the Blessed Sacrament and the priceless relic of the crown of thorns.

Every time I go inside a majestic church like Notre dame or our own cathedral or indeed this beautiful church of St Malachy, my eyes are drawn up to heaven and I can’t help thinking: “This place was made by God”!

When you visit St Malachy’s you are moved to praise God and you are instinctively drawn to prayer. Visiting here is not like entering a museum or art gallery. This is a living place of worship. For decades people have come here to lift their hearts and minds to God in worship, thanksgiving, petition, sorrow and intercession for others. I think tonight of the baptisms, first communions, the weddings the funerals, the millions of prayers offered up here in times of joy, worry, sorrow, happiness, decisions, exams, relationships, hopes, fears, pleading, thanking…

As we celebrate the repainting and reopening of St Malachy’s this evening, it is good to take a moment to say thanks to God for the skill and dedication of the craftsmen and women who laboured in its construction in the 1930s when it was decided to replace the old St Malachy’s church building in Chapel Lane which was almost two hundred years old at that time. we also give thanks for all those who have laboured in various restorations, reorderings and enhancements over the years. i think of the many people who have given their time, gifts and talents to hand this Church on to us in the years since Cardinal Mc Rory dedicated it in 1938. This church links us to the many people who have gone before us and will come after us to worship here. Please God St Malachy’s will remain a source of spiritual comfort to countless families in the future in their joys and in their sorrows.

But of course in saying all this it is worth reminding ourselves that the Church is not primarily a building – it is made up of people, and one day this beautiful building will fall into ruin, or be replaced. What is important is that the faith and hope and worship that this sacred space represents, will be kept alive in the hearts and families of the people of Armagh and beyond, and be handed on to the next generation. Dear brothers and sisters, as St Peter wrote:

“ (1 Peter 2:5) Set yourselves close to (Jesus) so that you, too, may be living stones making a spiritual house”.

The beautiful story is told of the call of St Francis who, while praying in the small church of San Damiano in Assisi, heard the Lord speaking to him, saying, “Go and rebuild my church which is falling in ruins.” He immediately began rebuilding the physical structure of the place but soon realised that what God was really talking about was rebuilding the faith.

It’s a reminder to us all that, although we may have beautiful buildings of bricks and mortar and sacred art and relics, this is all useless if we and our children and grandchildren do not know Jesus, and do not hold in our lives the hope and joy and sense of purpose and mission that knowing Jesus brings. The faith in Ireland is at a turning point and it would be a shame if in years to come this beautiful place of prayer and worship became simply another tourist stop for visitors to Armagh – to be told y some tour guide “people used to come here in their hundreds and thousands to pray and praise the one they called God, but we’re over all that religion stuff now”.

Dear brothers and sisters, the task of handing on the faith belongs to all of us here. We are called to mission, not to be afraid to witness to Jesus as St Malachy did, and so many others before him and since. “Go and rebuild the Church of God” in your homes and families in this community, country and in the world. Thanks be to God for this beautiful place of worship which is part of us part of who we are as a parish, city, diocese and Church. Thanks be to God, St Malachy pray for us.

Amen.

St Malachys Church Refurbished
Armagh
15 February 2020
CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com

Year of Reflection & Prayer in Armagh Parish – Mondays in Lent 2 March – 6 April

On each of the Monday evenings during Lent, a guest speaker will join in St Malachy’s Church, Armagh at 7.30pm to help us reflect on each of the following themes:

Mon 2 Mar “God of this new year, we are walking into mystery” with Bishop Michael Router, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Armagh.
Mon 9 Mar “We face a future not knowing what the days and months will bring to us or how we will respond”
Mon 16 Mar “Be love in us as we journey” with Fr Noel Kehoe is a Redemptorist priest, now Rector of St Joseph’s Parish, Dundalk.
Mon 23 Mar “Deepen our faith to see all things through your eyes” with Fr Adrian Eastwood who is Vincentian Priest and Chaplain in Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast.
Mon 30 Mar “Fill us with hope and trust that you are in the midst of all that happens” with Fr Pat Kelly, a Priest of the Society of African Missions
Mon 6 Apr “God of this new year, we praise you for giving us life and opportunities” with Deacon John Taaffe who ministers in St Peter’s Parish, Drogheda.

All welcome.

St Patrick’s Archdiocesan Trust Limited – Annual General Meeting – 13 February 2020

I commend to you the Annual Report and Financial Statements 2018-2019 for The St Patrick’s Archdiocesan Trust. In doing so I express my gratitude for the work of so many people for supporting and advancing our objectives: the lay faithful, clergy, religious, employees, volunteers and others working within our 61 parishes together with other organisations and societies which help to make up the “family of families” that is the Archdiocese of Armagh.

I am heartened that so much has been achieved over the past year in spreading the Joy of the Gospel in accordance with our Diocesan Pastoral Plan.

We have just launched a year of prayer and reflection in preparation for consideration of a new Diocesan Pastoral Plan for the start of this new decade. The Church must always respond to the ever changing circumstances of modern life, taking account of the ongoing decline in vocations to the priesthood and the religious life, while at the same time harnessing opportunities for the baptised faithful to find their own particular calling and being enabled to bring their gifts and talents to building up their Church.

Highlights of 2018-19 include our amazing local launch of the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) in the summer and the visit by His Holiness, Pope Francis to Dublin. The WMOF has provided us with much inspiration for the renewal of catechesis and family ministry throughout the Archdiocese and Ireland.

The recent unveiling of the shrine for St Oliver Plunkett in St Patrick’s Cathedral Armagh which was prepared for during 2018-2019 has also helped to inspire a sense of witness and courage amongst the people of the diocese and beyond. The persecution of Christianity around the world is helping to make us aware of our own daily crosses and sacrifices, and encouraging us to be stronger in our faith, firmer in our hope and more active in our charity.

The Annual Report and Financial Statements are more than just figures on a page – they tell the story of the efforts and priorities of the Archdiocese of Armagh and provide a record of our work. I am grateful to all who contributed to producing them. As Trustees we are committed to open governance, transparency and accountability are we will be taking further steps to enhance good governance and communication both within the Archdiocese and with those with whom we come into contact.

A full copy of the Annual Report and Financial Statements and a summary of the Financial Statements to 31^st March 2019 can be view below.

+ Eamon Martin
Archbishop of Armagh

Annual Report 2020

Archdiocese of Armagh – Financial Statements 31 March 2019

Archbishop Eamon Martin welcomes the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis Querida Amazonia (Beloved Amazonia)

“It would be wonderful if some Irish priests, religious and lay missionaries were to consider offering even a five year period of ministry to the Amazon” – Archbishop Eamon Martin

I warmly welcome the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis Querida Amazonia (Beloved Amazonia), which the Holy Father Pope Francis published today, on the challenges facing the Amazon region and lessons for the Church worldwide. The document reflects the four key dimensions – cultural, ecological, social and pastoral – which were discussed at the Amazonian Synod in Rome last October, and it highlights how these are inextricably linked.

Although Querida Amazonia aims to strengthen solidarity with our brothers and sisters in that beautiful and vital part of our world, it is not just a document of interest to the peoples of the Amazon. It is also a call to action for all in our Church and in our world. It therefore picks up the concerns expressed all around the world, especially our by our young people, that we must work together to respect creation and life, to promote the dignity of the human person, and to protect those who are most affected by environmental destruction. As the Holy Father states: “The equilibrium of our planet also depends on the health of the Amazon region.” (QA para.48)

The document addresses once again those areas of urgent concern which Pope Francis reflected on in his Encyclical Laudato Sí five years ago. As then, the Holy Father today presents a clear-sighted analysis of the grave threats to the peoples and ecosystems of the Amazon, and by extension to the earth, our common home. He highlights the problems of poverty, economic and social injustice and the violation of human rights which are intertwined in the vicious cycle of ecological and human degradation.

Pope Francis also calls for the full involvement of lay people, especially women, in the life of the Church, and he challenges the Church around the world to send missionaries to help sustain the spread of the Gospel in the Amazon and other remote areas. Despite the challenges we have here in Ireland with finding enough priests and religious to serve our parishes, we should not forget that Ireland has always been a country which has responded to the Church’s call to mission. I recently visited mission and development projects in Ecuador, Peru and Nicaragua and was humbled to see the immense contribution that Irish missionaries, religious and Trócaire workers are making there. It would be wonderful if some Irish priests, religious and lay missionaries today were to consider offering even a five year period of ministry to the Amazon. In calling us to hear the cry of the earth, and the cry of the Amazon, Pope Francis opens our ears especially to the cry of the poor and the exploited in our world, and in particular their cry for justice and hope that is found in the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Pope Francis, as always, is anxious that the people of the world are not “robbed of hope”. In calling for an ecological conversion, he invites us all to move from awareness to active response, and to see, especially in our young people, the signs of hope for the future and the spur to action in the present. There is much in this inspiring and at times poetic document for all of us to reflect upon. I strongly encourage all who care about creation and our future generations to read Querida Amazonia and also the final document of the Amazonian Synod. These documents can help, as Pope Francis put it, to give the Church “an Amazonian face”! They will also give heart to those who strive, in the words of Pope Francis, to “pray and work together, side by side, to defend the poor of the Amazon region, to show the sacred countenance of the Lord, and to care for his work of creation” (QA para.110).

Join the Irish Pilgrimage to Budapest for IEC2020

Bookings are now open for the official Irish pilgrimage to the 52nd International Eucharistic Congress which will take place in, Hungary, from 13 – 20 September 2020. Encouraging pilgrims to attend the Congress in Budapest, Bishop Kevin Doran, the Irish bishops’ delegate for International Eucharistic Congresses, said: “The Church in Hungary is inviting us to join with it to celebrate the next International Eucharistic Congress in Budapest next year. Ireland has had that privilege in 1932 and in 2012. Hungary has very deep Christian roots, dating back 1000 years to its first King, Saint Stephen. The beautiful city of Budapest was a place of suffering for Jews and Christians alike for much of the 20th century. What better way for us to express our communion with the people of Hungary and, at the same time, to renew our experience of Dublin in 2012? I look forward to meeting with hundreds of Irish pilgrims on the banks of the Danube next September.

“In addition to the daily activities of the Congress – the celebration of Mass and the delivery of catechesis and testimonies by clergy and well-known lay Catholics from around the world – pilgrims will also be able to enjoy a variety of cultural events and outdoor activities. There will also be an opportunity, for those who wish, to visit the cities of Estergom and Gyor.”

Bishop Doran concluded, “In Ireland, as we prepare for the IEC2020 in Budapest, we will host a National Eucharistic Congress Adoremus 2020 at the national Marian shrine in Knock, Co Mayo, on 19 and 20 June next year. Adoremus 2020 is a joint initiative between the National Apostolate of Eucharistic Adoration and the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. All are welcome.”

Bishop Kevin Doran is Bishop of Elphin. In 2012 Bishop Doran was Secretary General of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress which took place in Dublin on the theme, ‘The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with One Another’. He is the national delegate of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference to the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses. In 1932 Ireland hosted the 31st Congress which coincided with the 1500th anniversary of Saint Patrick’s arrival in Ireland.

The International Eucharistic Congress is a gathering of people every four years, somewhere in the world, which aims to promote an awareness of the central place of the Eucharist in the life and mission of the Catholic Church; to help improve our understanding and celebration of the liturgy and to draw attention to the social dimension of the Eucharist. These aims are achieved through a programme of pastoral preparation in the lead up to the Congress and a programme of liturgical and cultural events, lectures and workshops throughout Congress week.

Hungary last hosted the International Eucharistic Congress in 1938. The theme of IEC2020 is ‘All My Springs are in You’. It is taken from Psalm 87 and refers to God as the source (or spring) of life for his people.

Those interested in being part of the IEC2020 pilgrimage from Ireland are invited to contact Joe Walsh Tours at the following link https://www.joewalshtours.ie/holidays/pilgrimages-international-eucharistic-congress

For more on IEC2020 see www.iec2020.hu/en

PSNI Recruitment

Archbishop Eamon Martin wishes to draw the attention of the Catholic community to the current PSNI recruitment campaign which runs until 25 February – information is available on website joinpsni.co.uk Archbishop Eamon says: “I encourage the very best of our young people to seriously consider a career in the police. Help to shape the future of policing here and serve your community with generosity, concern, respect and courage”.

Armagh Parish – Year of Reflection and Prayer

Annual Day of Prayer for Survivors and Victims of Abuse

The annual Day of Prayer for Survivors and Victims of Abuse takes place on Friday 28 February. Prayers will be offered at Masses on that day for those who have been hurt by abuse in the Church. We are all asked to remember this intention in our private prayers also.

Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors
Prayers for the victims and survivors of sexual abuse

PRAYER I

FATHER

Since your mercy has been revealed
In the tenderness of your Son Jesus Christ,
who said to his disciples:
“Suffer the little children to come unto me”,
we pray that your Church may be a secure home
where all children and vulnerable adults are brought closer to your Beloved Son.

May all those who have been abused
physically, emotionally and sexually by your ministers,
be respected and accompanied by
tangible gestures of justice and reparation so that
they may feel healed with the balm of your compassion.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord

Amen

PRAYER II

Heavenly Father,

Who loves and cares for all of your children, especially the smallest and most vulnerable, we entrust to you the lives of the many children and vulnerable adults, who have been sexually abused, and whose trust and innocence have been destroyed. Help us to hear their cries of pain and to take responsibility for so many broken lives.

We pray that within their communities and families they may find understanding and support so that with the help of your grace their wounds may be healed, and they may again know peace.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who shared our weakness in all things but sin, and lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

Amen.

Archdiocese of Armagh enters ‘Year of Reflection and Prayer’

Launch of Year of Reflection and Prayer St Patrick's Cathedral Armagh 30 January 2020 CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com

On Thursday, 30 January Archbishop Eamon Martin and Bishop Michael Router launched a ‘Year of Reflection and Prayer’ in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh.

Background

As the Diocesan Pastoral Plan in the Archdiocese of Armagh for the period 2015 to 2020, ‘Share the Joy of the Gospel’, draws to a close, the archdiocese is making preparations for a new Pastoral Plan for this new decade.

The Diocesan Pastoral Council has set aside the year 2020 as a ‘Year of Reflection and Prayer’ throughout the archdiocese encouraging reflection and seeking the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit in discerning the way forward for the diocese in the coming years.

Bishop Michael Router, who has assumed responsibility for this area of diocesan life has said: “The reasons for beginning this process with a year of prayer are linked to the example of Jesus Christ and to the very foundations of the Church itself. Jesus prayed in a quiet place before undertaking each step of his mission, Saint Patrick found his calling and direction in life on the quiet slopes of Slemish Mountain and everything worthwhile and lasting in the life of the Church, and in life in general, begins with reflection, prayer and the invocation of the Holy Spirit”.

Bishop Michael added: “Our Diocesan Pastoral Council believes the process of planning for the future is too important to be rushed. It is essential to give time as well to reflect on all that has been achieved over the past few decades of Pastoral Planning and in the last five years in particular. The ‘Year of Reflection and Prayer’ is an opportunity for everyone in the diocese to get involved in the process, including young people, families, the housebound, our religious congregations and prayer groups.”

More details on the year ahead and the resources available can be found on the website www.armaghprays.com.

ENDS

For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long +353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Brenda Drumm +353 (0) 87 310 4444

Launch of Year of Reflection and Prayer St Patrick’s Cathedral Armagh 30 January 2020 CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com

Day for Consecrated Life

The Archdiocese of Armagh marks World Day for Consecrated Life today with a gathering and Liturgy in Our Lady of Lourdes Convent, Beechgrove, Drogheda, Co Louth.

On this occasion Bishop Michael Router celebrates the life and work of the many religious communities and congregations who give service and add so much to diocesan life and the life of the Church.

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/Kj-Jibbl8fM

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