to the full. The good ession 3 s S t h S ession Times i Wednesday March 24th Pastoral Development Office e p Each session will take place from e (Diocese of Elphin) h 4 – 5.45 p.m. and will be repeated on the v "It is no longer I who live, but Christ e a same evening from 7.30 – 9.15 p.m. r who lives in me" (Gal 2:20). h Revisiting d The format of the sessions shall be as follows: d The Priesthood of All Believers l a & The Ministerial Priesthood: n Priesthood y Short Prayer Service a today and tomorrow s 50 /55 minute input from presenter(s) , d Tea-break e o Most Rev. Seamus Freeman SAC f Discussion (chaired) i w Bishop of Ossory. l Closing Prayer n e h Booking v Biography i a Places on a first-come basis. s Bishop Seamus Freeman SAC was born in The venue can accommodate 100 h February 1944. A native of Mullinahone, Co. l i participants per session comfortably. y Tipperary, he entered the Society of the Catholic f e Apostolate (Pallotines) in 1965, was ordained a a Cost f priest in June 1971 and was elected Rector m A Year of the Priest Initiative o A €5 to €10 donation per participant per General of the Pallotines in 1992. In 2005 he r session towards related costs would be y was elected President of the General e SPEAKERS appreciated. t h Coordination Council of the Union of Catholic h Fr. Tom Norris t Apostolate (Pallotine Family in 44 countries). + Seamus Freeman e t He was ordained Bishop of Ossory on December Maria Beirne s h 2nd 2007 and currently serves as a member of a Mary Colleary e Further Information h the Irish Episcopal Conference’s Department of Martin Kennedy e Please contact: t Pastoral Care. Fr. Eamonn O'Connor p Justin Harkin e Director of Pastoral Development, ( m The Abbey Hotel, Roscommon J Church Grounds, n o 4 pm – 5.45 pm or 7.30 – 9.15 pm c Strokestown, 1 Co. Roscommon. (choice of times) 0 : e Tel /Fax: 071 96 34960 1 v March 9th, 18th & 24th 2010 0 - Email: [email protected] a 1 h 1 ) . I S ession 1 S ession 2 D ear Reader, Tuesday March 9th Thursday March 18th As a diocese we are in the throes of transition. In this "Sir," they said, "we would like context I give thanks for on- “Prepare the way of the Lord, make to see Jesus." (Jn 12:21). going blessings including the his paths straight" (Mk 1: 3). ministry of our priests and The Ministerial Priesthood: Living Our religious, evolution of Parish Pastoral Councils, Common Priesthood emergence of Scripture Sharing Groups and yesterday and today advances in child protection and youth Maria Beirne Rev. Prof. Thomas Norris ministry. Mary Colleary St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth. Martin Kennedy Being Church today, however, calls for another Fr. Eamonn O'Connor level of engagement. More specifically it calls us to compliment our prayer and commitment to Biography Biographies forward planning with a commitment to Rev. Prof. Thomas Norris lectures in Systematic Maria Beirne is chaplain in Carrick-on-Shannon ongoing education and critical reflection. Theology in St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Co. Community College and currently serves as convenor of The School Chaplains’ Association of Christ calls each one of us to answer those who Kildare. In addition to contributing to the formation Ireland (Western Region). She lives in Aughrim, Co. ask us for the reason for the hope that we have of seminarians and lay students studying theology he Roscommon, a parish that recently lost its resident (1 Pet 3:15). To my mind no answer is frequently presents retreats and conference papers priest. She is married with three young daughters. complete without reference to our sharing on a wide range of topics and takes time to write. Mary Colleary lives in Castlerea and is married with through baptism in the priesthood of Christ and a teenage son. She has an ongoing involvement with to the role of the ministerial priesthood in His publications include: The Trinity: Life of God and Church in a professional capacity as a school supporting each one of us live in Christ. Hope for Humanity, New City Press: New York, 2009; chaplain and in a voluntary capacity as a valued Living a Spirituality of Communion, Dublin: Veritas, member of the Elphin Diocesan Pastoral Council. St. Peter, in writing to the early Christians, 2008; A Fractured Relationship. Faith and the Crisis of She has also served as a trainer with the Elphin diocese’s Education secretariat. reminded them that they could benefit from Culture, Dublin: Veritas, 2007; Getting Real about stimulation to wholesome thinking (2 Peter Education, Dublin: CMD Book Source, 2006 & Only Martin Kennedy is a free-lance facilitator with 3:1). Such is the thrust of this series and I Life gives Life. Revelation, Theology and Christian Living church, community and statutory groups, and also with the business community. His church work has heartily encourage your participation. according to Cardinal Newman, Dublin: Columba focussed particularly on the promotion of lay I pray too that it will inspire further Press, 1996. involvement. He lives in Cavan and is married with conversation throughout our diocese. two young adult children. In 1998 he was appointed to the International Fr. Eamonn O’Connor is PP in Tarmonbarry, Co. Yours in Christ. Theological Commission and was a member of the Longford, broadcasts a weekly religious affairs sub-committee that drafted this body’s Memory and programme on radio and serves on the Elphin Reconciliation: The Church and the Faults of the Past diocese’s Pastoral Planning Group, Liturgy + Christopher Jones (2000). Commission and Safeguarding Children committee. Bishop of Elphin He also serves as one of the Elphin diocese’s four Keeping Safe Child Protection Trainers..