YEAR OF PRAYER, LISTENING AND DISCERNMENT
Last September, Bishop Fintan invited us to join with him in a Year of Prayer, Listening, and Discernment across the diocese. During the year, following our information meetings, there was a series of gatherings in each of the 16 Families of Parishes, with religious communities, the new Irish communities as well as engagement with our school communities. The gatherings focused on the themes of:
These gatherings gave us an emerging sense of what God is calling us to do, what we should strive for, and what we must prioritise in this time.
Bishop Fintan would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who engaged in the journey so far and to those who supported it with their prayer.
Bishop Fintan has written an initial response to what has emerged from the gatherings and invites us to read this Pastoral Letter which is now available at the back of the church. The Pastoral Letter and the thematic summary of the responses from our Family of Parishes and the diocese as a whole are available on the diocesan website (www.corkandross.org).
The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes Tory Top Road Ballyphehane was opened and Blessed in 1985. It was Blessed by Bishop John Buckley (Bishop Emeritus Cork and Ross) 40 Years ago on July 15th.
Also present on that day with the people of Ballyphehane were Canon Michael Cahalane R.I.P., Fr Liam O hící, Canon John Paul Hegarty.
Mass of Thanksgiving 12noon Sunday July 12th 2025 for all those who have contributed to the establishment and Maintenance of the Grotto. Rosary will be recited after Mass. (Weather permitting)
Fr Gregory Howard Co PP
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
This September join the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart as we walk the Camino Frances. We will end this special fundraising pilgrimage with two days in Fatima. Ex Dublin.”
Spiritual Director Fr Tony Horgan MSC. For details ring Valerie at 021 4543988 or email
Regards,
Mary Morrish
Head of Fundraising | Cork
,
An invitation to the 99th Cork Eucharistic Procession:
Please join us for the 99th Eucharistic Procession which takes place on Sunday, June 22nd leaving the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne at 3.00pm. It would be great to continue the tradition of parishioners from parishes throughout the city and beyond to walk in the procession.
Parking is available in the grounds of St. Anthony’s Convent, St. Mary’s Road (across from the Cathedral). This year to accommodate the growing large numbers it was decided to take the final prayer and Benediction outside onto a specially constructed platform down at the end of Grand Parade near the National Monument. For more details see www.corkandross.org
Matt Talbot Centenary weekend services
A Cork celebration of the centenary of Matt Talbot's death will be held in The Church of the Ascension, Gurranabraher parish at 7.30 p.m. on Friday 27th June.
Fr. Tomás Walsh will be the celebrant and homilist at the mass and special prayers for Matt's beatification will be said.
Thank you for your help and support at all times
le gach dea ghuí agus beannacht
Sorcha Uí Laoghaire
Chairperson, Cork Regional Pioneer Council.
Pope Francis Remembrance
Following the announcement by the Holy See that Pope Francis has ‘returned to the
House of the Lord’, Bishop Fintan Gavin invites the people of the Diocese of Cork and
Ross to unite in prayer to God at this time. “I invite the parishioners, priests, deacons
and religious of our diocese to join as one with the faithful across the globe as we
commend Pope Francis to the Lord.
We give thanks to Almighty God for the gift of Pope Francis as shepherd of the people
of God and we thank God for his selfless service and dedication to the end of his
earthly life. We remember Pope Francis as one who challenged us to reach out to those
on the margins and to bring God’s mercy to all those we encounter. We pray together
that Pope Francis’ call to all of us to make this Jubilee Year a Year of Hope may be
fulfilled.
In what was to be his last pastoral message to the faithful on Easter Sunday, Pope
Francis said: ‘All those who put their hope in God place their feeble hands in his strong
and mighty hand; they let themselves be raised up and set out on a journey. Together
with the risen Jesus, they become pilgrims of hope, witnesses of the victory of love
and of the disarmed power of Life.’
We pray together now that Pope Francis prayer will be answered and that his soul
may be in eternal peace with God.“
An online Book of Condolences has been opened by the Irish Bishops' Conference and
people are invited to submit their messages of sympathy. Here