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Bishop Fintan’s Pastoral Letter re changes in parishes

Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross, published a pastoral letter earlier this month which outlines the context and vision for changes being made in parishes in the coming weeks.

The pastoral letter entitled Putting Out into Deep Waters introduces a new model for the relationship between parishes and a new emphasis on teams of priests, deacons and lay people ministering together in families of parishes.

The reading of the pastoral letter coincides with the changes of appointments which involve the majority of the priests of the diocese and most of the 68 parishes.

The families of parishes initiative means that twelve of the sixteen families of parishes are being formed next month while the remaining four will be formally established next year.

The diocese has also recently launched a recruitment drive to fill two key vacancies which will support the changes being made by parishioners and clergy.

A Parish Life Coordinator will work alongside the clergy as they transition to closer collaboration while a Faith Development Coordinator will oversee the delivery of programmes in parishes which will nourish people’s faith.

Click here to read the complete pastoral letter in a PDF document.

Sharing The Good News

Synodal Pathway: Long-Term Transformation – An Interview with Dr Nicola Brady

Please copy and paste the following link for Dr Brady’s interview

https://www.intercommagazine.ie/synodal-pathway-long-term-transformation-an-interview-with-dr-nicola-brady/

Synod 2021 -2023

It’s not every day that the Holy Father asks every Catholic in the world to have a say in the life of the Catholic Church!

During this month of May, our diocese will be opening up ways for people to have a say and to listen and have an input into next year’s Synod meeting in Rome which is called by Pope Francis.

The easiest way to find out more and to have your say is to go to http://synod.corkandross.org where an online confidential questionnaire is available to be filled in. (It’ll take about 15 minutes.)

It’s open until May 24^th. All the responses will be collated and added to the feedback from meetings being held across the diocese with randomly selected groups during May.

A summary document will be forwarded from our diocese at the end of May.

So, it’s time to have your say at http://synod.corkandross.org.

Prayer for Synod

We stand before You, Holy Spirit,

as we gather together in Your name.

With You alone to guide us,

make Yourself at home in our hearts;

Teach us the way we must go

and how we are to pursue it.

We are weak and sinful;

do not let us promote disorder.

Do not let ignorance lead us down the wrong path

nor partiality influence our actions.

Let us find in You our unity

so that we may journey together to eternal life

and not stray from the way of truth

and what is right.

All this we ask of You,

who are at work in every place and time,

in the communion of the Father and the Son,

forever and ever.

Amen.

Tax Efficient Donations

Our envelope collection system continues again this year and the boxes of envelopes are available for collection this weekend after all masses in the parish centre. If you are unable to collect at that time, they will be available for collection from the parish office during normal opening hours during the week. If you wish to pop in after Mass to discuss what is involved there will be a member of the Parish Finance Committee available to answer any questions you may have.

If you wish to join the scheme and commence donations online please contact the parish office by email frankfieldgrange@gmail.com and we can send you on the relevant form to join up. We will allocate you a box number which you can use when making your online donation, either by setting up a standing order or through our website using the donate button.

When a parishioner makes a donation of over €250 a year to the Offertory and Second collections the parish can reclaim an additional 33% on this donation from the revenue once the parishioner has paid tax in the current tax year.

If you already have a box number from a prior year, you can continue to use that number on any donations made online or dropped into the presbytery.

We do need, and would be very grateful, for your ongoing financial support.

Thank you,

The Parish Finance Committee

New Year’s Message

In December of 2019 there was a news item about a new virus that had been detected in China. The report was well down the list of items on the reported news at that time. It was the first we were hearing of Coronavirus and Covid 19 which quickly became a global pandemic. Sanitising, facemasks and social distancing and different levels of governmental restrictions and guidelines have become so much of our daily routines. Now two years later Covid 19 and the new variant Omicron raises new worries and our lives are still lived with restrictions despite the roll out of the vaccine programme and boosters.

In June of 2019 our then newly ordained Bishop Fintan Gavin spoke of the challenges that lay ahead of us, especially with the need to engage with young people and the need to foster vocations. The pandemic has shown clearly the difficulties and hurdles that lie ahead for the diocese. The November meeting of the priests with the bishop in Killarney has made us aware of the need to work in collaboration with the people to allow a new Church to emerge.

The pandemic has affected the life of the parish here and the parish activities. We can only look forward with hope to when we can again begin to engage fully with people and welcome them warmly back into the life of the parish.

Our desire, hope and prayer is for a better 2022. We look forward with hope and look back in gratitude despite the difficulties we experienced. We know God is with us helping and supporting us no matter what we encounter in the coming year.

I wish you all God’s blessing for the New Year and may it be a happy and peaceful year for you and all your families.

Fr Kevin

Christmas Message

When I wrote the Christmas message last year, I hoped that 2021 would be a better year for us all as the vaccine programme was being planned to be rolled out and there was a sense of hope.

2021 was a difficult year for a lot of people due to the restrictions that were in place for the first few months of the year. Due to the present situation with regard to the virus we had to introduce tickets for our Christmas Masses again this year. There are 300 tickets available for each of the six Masses across Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I invite all of you who can’t be with us in the church to join us for one of the on-line Masses on Christmas Eve (4pm, 6pm and 9pm) or Christmas Day (8.30am, 10am and 11.30am).

The link to the on-line Masses can be found on the parish website www.frankfieldgrange.ie .

At Christmas we normally look forward to the homecomings, the family togetherness for Christmas. This year again the celebration will be different. Not every family member may be able to get home this year.

We remember all those who will be working over Christmas, especially in the emergency services and those caring for the sick. For some it will be a difficult time, missing loved ones who passed away or who will be away from home.

Yet it is the birth of a child that we celebrate, a child that went on to change the world and still does to this day. I pray that this celebration of the Lord’s birth will enlighten all your lives with hope, love and peace, and also the lives of those with whom you celebrate this year.

Fr. Kevin

Irish Suicide Bereavement Survey

The Irish Suicide Bereavement Survey was launched on Tuesday 5th October. The aim of this survey is to examine the experiences of people who have been bereaved by suicide in Ireland. This survey will provide valuable information on their experiences, the supports they found helpful, and if there are gaps or barriers to accessing these supports.

We are seeking to hear from a range of people who have experienced loss to suicide. This includes people close to the person such as friends and family, as well as other people who were affected by the death such as emergency service staff, professionals caring for the person, a passer-by who witnessed the death, neighbours or other members of the community. You must be 18 years or over and living in Ireland to participate.

You can find out more and access the survey here: www.hugg.ie/suicide-bereavement-survey

Researchers at the NSRF are collaborating with HUGG (Healing Untold Grief Groups) to conduct this survey, funded by the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP).