Year of Reflection and Prayer in the Archdiocese of Armagh Closing Ceremony

The Year of Reflection and Prayer that began at the end of January 2020 came to a close with a closing ceremony yesterday evening in St. Patrick’s Cathedral Armagh.  The year was scheduled to conclude in February 2020 and amidst the Covid 19 pandemic a decision was taken to extend the year until the end of June 2020. 

The Year of Prayer and Reflection was an attempt to listen in the silence to what God was saying to us as individuals and as a faith community. It was not a time for big events, large gatherings, or attention-grabbing speeches, but a time to let God’s Spirit rest in us and to prepare us for the road ahead. 

Bishop Michael Router in his homily addressed those gathered in St. Patrick’s Cathedral noting that,

“In many ways it was a blessing that we launched the Year of Reflection and prayer when we did because, at that time, we didn’t know what lay ahead for us. Nothing could have prepared us for all that we have experienced over the past 15 months. In reality quiet reflection and prayer were often the only permitted responses.”

In his address Bishop Michael acknowledged the significant difficulties that all have experienced in the last eighteen months stating that, “The effective closure of most forms of social interaction, schools, workplaces, churches, and entertainment, is something that people younger than 80 years of age had only seen before in disaster movies.” 

Bishop Michael importantly spoke about the challenges and difficulties experienced by the Church prior to the Covid 19 Pandemic drawing attention to the Synodal Pathway invoked by Pope Francis. Drawing attention to the changes that Vatican II introduced Bishop Michael stated that these changes

“Prevented the Church from becoming a remnant of the past retreating into itself and becoming more and more distanced from people.” and that “Pope Francis has identified the model of synodality as a means of responding to the challenges and issues through a slow, yet ultimately more effective process of listening consultation and conversation” 

Whilst the Archdiocese is officially closing a ‘Year of Reflection and Prayer’ in the diocese the reflection and prayer never ends and will be an essential element of each step along the way. The next step will be to begin an active period of listening and consultation over the next two years as we prepare for a Diocesan Synodal Assembly in Autumn 2024. The final year before the Assembly will be spent analysing what we have learned through the consultation and conversation and working with the delegates, the elected and selected ‘Some’ from the parishes and other church bodies who will attend the actual Assembly itself.

During this phase they will bring the fruits of the listening, consultation, and conversation to the ‘One’ the bishop and make recommendation for a future diocesan plan. And as Bishop Michael stated “the principle of ‘All’, ‘Some’, and ‘One’ comes into effect and opens up responsibility for the ongoing mission of the Church to all the baptised.”

To assist us in this task of organising the consultation and preparation for the Assembly a core group from around the diocese has been formed and were commissioned at the ceremony in St. Patrick’s. They are predominantly members of the lay faithful, who will work alongside elected members of the diocesan clergy and female and male religious. This group,  will work together to establish the Synodal process here in the local Church of Armagh, a process, that will hopefully address some of the challenges that lie ahead for all of us who take our faith seriously.

As a local Church the Archdiocese of Armagh will also feed into the universal Churches synodal pathway leading to the Synod of bishops in Rome in 2023 and the island wide process that will culminate in a National Assembly or Assemblies in 2026. Over the coming years there will be widespread consultation with everyone inside and outside the Church.  This model of operating as a Church is for the long term it won’t simply be over or set aside when the actual physical Assemblies take place in Rome, Ireland or Armagh. 

Click here for the full text of Bishop Michael Router’s Homily 

Ordination to the Priesthood of Fr Callum Douglas Young and Fr Juan Jesus Gonzalez Borrallo

In a joy filled ceremony Archbishop Eamon Martin ordained Fr. Callum Douglas Young and Fr Juan Jesus Gonzalez Borrallo as priests for the Archdiocese of Armagh on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul Apostles in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral – Armagh on the 29^th June 2021.     

Callum was born in London in 1991 and is the eldest child of  Neil and Bernadette Young. He has five younger brothers and sisters. He began his formation for the priesthood in the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Dundalk in the year 2012 and was ordained deacon on 28^th August 2020 and has been ministering in Newry Parish since October 2020.

As part of his formation, he spent some time in the Holy Land, UAE and Bahrain. Over the years, Callum has been on pastoral placement in the parishes of Cookstown, Coalisland and Newry.

Juan Jesus was born in 1991 and comes from El Repilado (Spain). He is the first child of Jose Antonio and Maria de las Nieves and has three younger siblings. He started his formation to the priesthood in the Redemptoris Mater Seminary in Dundalk in the year 2013 and was also ordained a deacon on 28^th August 2020.

Juan Jesus has done pastoral placements in the parishes of Dungannon and Newry Cathedral. As part of his formation in the Seminary, he has been in mission in the Holy Land, Mozambique and Argentina and has been ministering in Moyraverty Parish since October 2020.

We ask that all throughout the Archdiocese continue to keep these two young men in their prayers.  May they have many years of grace filled ministry ahead of them.  

Ad Multos Annos!

Church Leaders call for unified political response to address violence and community tensions

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God’

As Christian Church Leaders from across the island of Ireland we appeal to our political leaders to come together in a unified response to the heartbreaking scenes witnessed on our streets last week and renew their commitment to peace, reconciliation and the protection of the most vulnerable. 

The causes of this most recent outbreak of violence are complex and, in some respects, deep-rooted. Church representatives and other community leaders working on the ground in affected communities have spoken to us of their frustration at seeing another generation of young people risk their lives and their futures because repeated warnings about the need to treat our fragile peace with care went unheeded. 

The Good Friday/Belfast Agreement has rightly been held up as a beacon of hope for societies in conflict around the world. The significant reduction in violence since 1998 is a major achievement that serves to remind us that the problems we face at present are not insuperable. But that experience also teaches us that these challenges can only be addressed by political leaders coming together with a genuine desire to find solutions and accommodations which meet the legitimate concerns of others as well as their own. The Good Friday/Belfast Agreement, and the subsequent agreements that built on its foundations, recognised our interdependence on these islands and the consequent responsibility to respect all identities and foster good relations within Northern Ireland, on the island of Ireland and between the UK and Ireland. 

We have previously advocated for the need to protect all these relationships in the context of Brexit. The Northern Ireland/Ireland Protocol presents many challenges to the flow of trade and also the flow of goodwill across and between these islands. Some of the challenges were foreseeable and have been planned for and mitigated (at least in part). The political outcomes of the Protocol are more difficult to address because they are tied in with very big issues of world trade and sovereignty. The only way in which these will be constructively handled, from a Northern Ireland point of view, and with a good chance of a successful outcome, is if the European Union (including the Irish Government) and the Government of the United Kingdom are approached jointly by the entire Northern Ireland Executive advocating for the protection of the common good across the whole of Northern Ireland. Such a joint approach would be difficult to turn down, but to develop it will require a renewed generosity of spirit from political leaders on all sides of our community.

Leaders, organisations and communities make mistakes. As Christian leaders we are conscious of the need to acknowledge the failings of leadership from the churches in our ministry to divided communities. In such circumstances there is nothing ignoble in showing genuine sorrow. It is hardly surprising, given the complexities of our relationships at home and abroad, that politicians, political parties and others in leadership make miscalculations. Learning from the consequences of miscalculations is much better than an endless scramble to paper over the cracks.

We also have to face the difficult questions about who pays the price for our failings. In the past week we have seen people afraid to leave their homes, others at risk of violence as they go about their work and young people feeling that they have no stake in society or hope for the future. Much good work on the ground has been undermined as tension has risen and confidence has plummeted. It has been horrific to witness the intensity of the violence directed against the PSNI and the extent of the injuries sustained by officers. All of us in Northern Ireland have created a society in which even-handed policing requires the wisdom of Solomon combined with the patience of Job. The PSNI is relentlessly scrutinised by the Policing Board, and other organs of accountability. In that sense the PSNI has a political legitimacy across this community which is enjoyed by few other institutions. It is vital that we address concerns in a way that strengthens our democratic processes rather than undermining them. 

We are conscious too that Churches are only a small part of the wider civic leadership in our society, and that all civic leaders have a responsibility to support our elected representatives as they seek to negotiate difficult compromises and find new accommodations for the common good. At the same time, we have a responsibility to hold them to account, and the persistent levels of socio-economic inequality in the areas worst impacted by violence, over two decades after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, demand more sustained attention and meaningful intervention by political leaders. The Agreement provided for regular and transparent engagement of civic leaders in policy development, but in practice this has been implemented only in a very limited way, and all too often as an emergency response rather than a preventative measure. Churches, together with other civic leaders, are keen to play our part in addressing the root causes of violence and working to ensure all communities here can enjoy the benefits of peace into the future. 

Please be assured of our continued prayerful support for your leadership at this critical time.

Yours sincerely,

The Most Revd John McDowell

Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland

The Most Revd Eamon Martin

Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland

The Rt Revd Dr David Bruce

Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland

The Revd Dr Tom McKnight

President of the Methodist Church in Ireland

The Very Revd Dr Ivan Patterson

President of the Irish Council of Churches

Bishops announce initial submission phase of Synodal Pathway for the Catholic Church in Ireland

On 10 March 2021, the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference announced a new Synodal Pathway for the Catholic Church in Ireland leading to the holding of a National Synodal Assembly within the next five years.

Conversations at local, regional and national level have informed the work of a dedicated subgroup of the Bishops’ Conference which was established to further explore this idea. During their 2020 Winter General Meeting, bishops decided to proceed along a synodal pathway, and, since then, have been assisted and greatly encouraged by Cardinal Mario Grech and Sr Natalie Becquart, of the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops in Rome. Cardinal Grech and Sr Becquart addressed the Irish Bishops on the theme of synodality on 3 February 2021. 

Commenting on the Synodal Pathway, Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick said, “Before embarking on the Synodal Pathway consultation, bishops are inviting submissions to reflect on what methods/models to adopt in these coming two years of conversations. For example: parish hall meetings, focus groups, questionnaires, deep-listening sessions; written submissions; family-focused gatherings; summary of findings of assemblies that have already taken place across dioceses; and/or conferences.

“Feedback, which should be no more than 300 words and submitted by Pentecost Sunday 23 May 2021, ought to focus on the nature of the process for the consultation i.e. how we can best go about this initial phase of establishing the conversation, rather than on the prospective themes for the Synodal Pathway, which will be addressed in the next phase.

“It is said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. I think the possibility of submissions on the Irish Bishops’ Conference website on what methods/models to adopt in the coming two years of conversations is a simple but significant step and I hope many will offer their suggestions.”

On the new Synodal Pathway webpage, see www.catholicbishops.ie/synod, people are invited to offer feedback to the following question: What would be your preferred option for engagement in a conversation process about the Synod?

The responses will be considered by the task group to be put in place by the bishops this summer to plan and oversee the first steps along the synodal pathway.  

Synodal Pathway Timeline: 

The Initial Phase – Prayer, Listening, Consultation, Discernment

The initial two-year phase of embarking on the synodal pathway and leading, in time, to a National Synod, helpfully coincides with preparation for the 2022 Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops in Rome entitled, For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission. 

Bishops envisage the next two years as a period of prayer, listening and discernment, involving a nationwide consultative conversation on this theme.  This will allow individuals and parishes, religious orders and associations as well as groups, movements and organisations both within the Church and in Irish society at large, to share their insights into the Church in Ireland – past, present and future.  It will also include discussion and debate via related information sessions and educational programmes on the meaning and processes of synodality.   Best practice in listening and synodal processes and assemblies at home and around the world will be researched.

The Planning Phase – Preparation for a National Synodal Assembly

The planning and preparation phase for a National Synodal Assembly will bring together and seek to implement the fruits and recommendations from the Initial Phase.  It will, in particular, take account of the conclusions of the General Assembly in Rome in 2022, together with any Apostolic Exhortation by the Holy Father emerging from the General Assembly.  The aim of this phase will be to design the particular form of our National Synod and prepare directly at local, regional and national level for the holding of the Synod.

Next Steps

Next June, at the Summer General Meeting, bishops intend to establish a task group to plan and oversee the first steps along the synodal pathway.  This task group will be made up of lay women and men, including young people, religious, priests and bishops.

The next two years (2021-2023) will be a period of prayer, listening and discernment, involving a nationwide consultative conversation on the theme: “For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission”. This will allow individuals and parishes, religious orders and associations as well as groups, movements and organisations, both within the Church and in Irish society at large, to share their insights into the Church in Ireland – past, present and future.  

The key question is: What does God want from the Church in Ireland at this time?

Easter to Pentecost 2021

Before embarking on the consultation itself, between Easter (5 April) and Pentecost (23 May), 2021, bishops are seeking submissions on what methods to adopt in these coming two years of conversations.  

The new Synodal Pathway webpage is live on www.catholicbishops.ie/synod featuring information on the timeline, some FAQs and some additional resources to assist with this phase of the process. 

Easter Hope – Joint statement by the Archbishops of Armagh

One of the words which we associate most strongly with Easter is “hope”.  It is a word that has become a bit debased in the way we use it nowadays.  “I hope so” very often means “I would like to think this or that might happen, but I doubt if it will”. Nothing could be further from the victorious and positive nature of our Easter hope.

 Easter falls at a season of the year that is full of hopefulness. Longer evenings, Spring flowers, birdsong, and the sap rising in the trees.  The whole creation (at least in the Northern hemisphere) is bursting with hope and the promise of new life. And the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead brings that hope to a new level of reality. Far from the resurrection being simply a metaphor that religious people use for natural renewal, as some believe, it is the yearly renewal of the Earth in Spring which is an anticipation of the resurrection; a sign pointing to something greater than itself.  A shadow in search of a substance.  Transience moving towards permanence.

That is how the creator God has imprinted something of Himself into the fabric of the world.  He has made if full of intimations of eternity, for instance in beauty and in music which are where many of us find the strongest suggestions of intense joy and infinity.  These created things won’t fulfil our yearning for eternal fellowship with God, but they will arouse it, and prepare us to find it unexpectedly, in the servant life and death of Jesus Christ.

Even today there are other signs all around us, not this time in nature or in music, but in the human lives which our eyes have been opened to value, often for the first time.

It has been a tough year since last Easter, and many people, Christians and others, have found ways of making the best of a bad job by helping one another in ways that we haven’t been used to doing before. We’ve also found ways to show our appreciation and admiration for people who we don’t usually think about.  They aren’t sports people, or billionaires or even politicians.  They are nurses and delivery drivers and people toiling in cavernous warehouses and food factories for very low wages.  People who serve the fundamental needs of God’s world.  And, in its own way their hidden service is a shadow of the resurrection life; the life of heaven, God’s place.  Our sure and certain hope.