Autumn/Winter 2012 Altum Put out into the deep , Altum Luke 5:4 NAEWSLETTER time of OF change, THE PASTORAL a time D EVELOPMENTof renewal. OFFICE OF CORK AND ROSS Year of Faith 2012-2013 Pope Benedict announced a Year of Faith beginning October 11th 2012 and ending with the Feast of Christ the King November 24th, 2013. The opening coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, and the 20th anniversary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This great body of teaching guides our lives and shapes our Year of Faith just as it shapes the life of the Church. In his letter announcing the Year of Faith Pope Benedict talks about the need to ‘rediscover the journey of faith,’ and he invites us to do this by rediscovering the love of Christ in our own lives and sharing it with others. He says ‘faith grows when it is an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an ways of evangelising and so draw people to Christ. Pope Benedict experience of grace and joy.’ (Porta Fidei 7) says: it is the love of Christ that fills our hearts and impels us to evangelise. Today as in the past, he sends us through the highways The Year of Faith is an invitation to everyone in the Church to of the world to proclaim his Gospel to all the peoples of the earth. celebrate and renew their faith - individually, in families, in Through his love, Jesus Christ attracts to himself the people of parishes and schools, in our Diocese, country and across our every generation. global Catholic community. As followers of Jesus Christ, how can we enter into this Year and bring it to life? How can we put our The Year of Faith in Cork and Ross was faith into action in the service of others? How can we grow in our launched at a concelebrated Mass in the faith understanding and as witnesses to the teaching of Christ and North Cathedral at 6:00pm on Saturday his Church? 13th October. Bishop Buckley will issue We are called to live out our Baptismal promises to be hearers and a pastoral letter on the First Sunday of proclaimers of the Word of God to share our faith with all people. Advent. To celebrate the Year of Faith many events will be offered such as What can we do? What will you do? pilgrimages, study days; conferences, We cannot simply expect people to find their own way to our bible and catechism study groups, churches and communities or wait for them to show an interest. youth events and more… We must be prepared to go out with the message of faith, to find Welcome to our new Director of the Pastoral Development Office Fr Charlie Kiely joins us as the new Director of Turner’s Cross parishes as curate. He is no stranger all the work of the Diocesan Office for Pastoral to the office and many of you will have encountered Development which incorporates our training, him in the training and support for Parish Baptism resourcing and support for Parish Pastoral Preparation Teams over the last four years; travelling Councils/Assemblies; the parish groups associated as the priest-leader of our Young Adults to Lourdes with them; the work of the Liturgy Office and Adult pilgrimage group and he also assisted the office as Religious Education. He is also asked by Bishop Pastoral Development Coordinator for the parishes Buckley to initiate projects and resources for the of Pastoral Area 13 – Carraig na bhFear; Glanmire; Year of Faith and evangilisation and to link with the Glounthaune and Watergrasshill. on-going Catechism study groups. During his time as curate he completed an MA in A native of Belgooly, and the nephew of the late Liturgy from Mary Immaculate College, Limerick and Canon William Aherne, Fr Charlie was ordained in a PhD from UCC in the study of the Funeral Liturgy – the year 2000 and has served in Glounthaune and its history, customs and traditions. Parishes Update Engaging with Young People As we go to print we congratulate Barryroe parish on completing the formation In May we began to focus on how we as a sessions for their second Parish Assembly – they have established groups to focus diocese might seek to engage with young people on young people; celebrating faith and building community. The new Chairperson in their teens and young adults. Our three is Pat Tobin and the secretary is Ronnie Barry-Mckeon. At present formation meetings looked broadly at all the possibilities sessions are being held for Drimoleague Parish fourth Parish Assembly; Ovens/ that are around that we as parish/pastoral area/ Farran third Parish Assembly; and Gurranabraher second Parish Assembly. diocese might establish. Feedback from all Tracton Abbey Parishioners are at present nominating their second Pastoral those who attended led us to decide to propose Council and preparations are being made for nominating the second Parish two projects at our September gatherings on Assembly in Clontead and the fourth in Kilmacabea. the same theme. As we begin the Year of Faith we are asking every parish to invite, support As you are all aware with changes to personnel the named contact Coordinators and encourage at least one young adult (18-35) from the office have changed and Fr Charlie and Sr Karen look forward to meeting to join our “Come and see & be a helping hand” with all Parish Pastoral Councils and Assemblies in the coming months. If you initiative as part of the Diocesan Pilgrimage to require assistance or resources please contact us at the office. Lourdes – information was given at meetings or is enclosed with this mailing of Altum. Our promotional banner is available on loan to parishes – contact Sr Karen. Our second initiative is aimed at teenagers and is a music based project taking its inspiration from the Kerry Diocese TeenSpirit - see www. teenspirit.ie Our search for volunteers to be involved with the teenagers is beginning and meetings will be held shortly with Noel O’Sullivan from Kerry who started their project. Information will be sent to all parishes in due course. Young Adults Lourdes Pilgrimage 2012 This summer we had a wonderful opportunity of taking part with the annual Cork and Ross Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. It was difficult for us to know what to expect as it was our first time going there. As we are both student nurses we have plenty of experience nursing and caring for invalids. We felt it was necessary to share these skills among the sick and elderly who longed to be part of a pilgrimage in Lourdes. On the 11th of June we departed Cork Airport and flew in to Lourdes. Much to our surprise the weather seemed very similar to Irish summers on our arrival. Our work began bright and early the following morning. We all received a warm us volunteers we also gave the patients the Allesandro and we attended an interesting welcome from the hospital staff. We were opportunity to visit the town of Lourdes talk and life-like show on how the assigned to different rooms where we each where we spent time shopping, chatting Miraculous Medal was introduced. took part in preparing the patients for the and when the weather picked up....we even day’s events. We led the first Cork and had an ice cream or two! All in all our experience was invaluable. Ross Diocesan Mass of the week. It was a We met a wonderful mix of people, both pleasure to see how many of the patients It wasn’t all work and no play for the volunteers and patients. We possess enjoyed and appreciated seeing us young volunteers. During our time there we memories from this journey that will hold local volunteers eager to get involved. visited the house in which Bernadette with us forever. Our advice to anyone was born and grew up in, the home they considering getting involved...is to go for Our routine was similar for the rest of the lived in at the time of the apparitions – we it with two arms open...and it will not be week yet never monotonous. Our duties also learned about Our Lady’s message to regretted! varied from taking the patients to Mass, Bernadette. We received a knowledgeable (Grainne: Enniskeane/Desertserges Parish the Grotto, the Baths and Torchlight and talk at the Medical Bureau from Dr & Lynda: Kilmeen/Castleventry Parish) Eucharistic Processions. With the help of Adult Faith Development – National Pastoral Conference forthcoming events On September 15th, four of us from Turner’s Cross Catholicism: A Short Introduction Parish travelled to the 4 Mondays ~ Nov 12th, 19th, 26th, third day of the National December 3rd, 8.00pm. Wilton Parish Pastoral Conference in Centre. Athlone where we joined 1. Catholic Believing with 230 other participants 2. Catholic Living made up of Bishops, 3. Catholic Praying and Worshipping Priests and laity from all 4. Catholics in the Modern World over lreland and some This course is for anyone who would like from other countries. The a better understanding of Catholic belief theme of the conference and practice - why we do what we do. You was “Community and may be engaged or married to a Catholic; Co-responsibility in the recently moved to Ireland or surrounded Church” and one of its by Catholics at home or work, or perhaps primary aims was to support the work of renewal and reform in the Church in Ireland you just never really understood what it at this time.