Oasis of Peace Retreat Centre
New Catholic Young Adult Group (18-35y). Join us for a relaxed Meet-Up on the first Sunday of each month @1pm. Mellifont Abbey, Collon Co Louth.
Join us to make new friends, and enjoy an Italian coffee & cake.
Live Worship music, time to reflect, Fun & Faith, discuss some life issues like, Finding Happiness, Purpose in Life, Is God Real.
Contact Daryl or Deacon John Taaffe (089) 615 2568 www.apostlesoflove.ie
https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en.html
Countdown to Jubilee Year 2025 in Ireland and in Rome
By ancient tradition, a Jubilee Year of the Church is called every twenty-five years, and Pope Francis has announced that the theme for the Jubilee/Holy Year 2025 is ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ (Spes non Confundit – Hope Does Not Disappoint). This theme encourages each of us to be messengers of hope in our very troubled world.
You can view the full message here https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/bulls/documents/20240509_spes-non-confundit_bolla-giubileo2025.html
Pope Francis wrote ” In this time of preparation, I would greatly desire that we devote 2024, the year preceding the Jubilee event, to a great “symphony” of prayer. Prayer, above all else, to renew our desire to be in the presence of the Lord, to listen to him and to adore him. Prayer, moreover, to thank God for the many gifts of his love for us and to praise his work in creation, which summons everyone to respect it and to take concrete and responsible steps to protect it. Prayer as the expression of a single “heart and soul” (cf. Acts 4:32), which then translates into solidarity and the sharing of our daily bread. Prayer that makes it possible for every man and woman in this world to turn to the one God and to reveal to him what lies hidden in the depths of their heart. Prayer as the royal road to holiness, which enables us to be contemplative even in the midst of activity. In a word, may it be an intense year of prayer in which hearts are opened to receive the outpouring of God’s grace and to make the “Our Father,” the prayer Jesus taught us, the life programme of each of his disciples.
You can download and read his full letter below.
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled
in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your Kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
Jubilee Year Hymn
https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/giubileo-2025/inno-giubileo-2025.html
A Catholic charity is hoping to exceed last year’s milestone of more than a million children joining a campaign to pray the Rosary for peace in the world’s conflict zones.
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is holding its ‘One Million Children Praying the Rosary’ initiative for the 19th year in a row today (Wednesday, 18th September).
ACN (UK) National Director Caroline Hull said that the charity is “hoping to surpass last year’s record of 1,039,628 children praying the Rosary for peace around the world”.
She added: “We would like to invite all our friends and benefactors here in the UK and beyond to encourage all the children they know to join this powerful initiative inspired by Our Lady of Fatima.”
This year’s motto – “Pray the Rosary and there will be peace” – places at the centre of the campaign the request made by Our Lady of Fatima in 1917.
Through this initiative, ACN is also participating in the ‘Symphony of Prayers’ campaign, which Pope Francis called for on the occasion of the 2024 Year of Prayer – and which also paves the way for the 2025 Jubilee Year.
In a statement, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, ACN (International) President, and Father Anton Lässer, ACN (International) Ecclesiastical Assistant, wrote that everyone should “apply strength and imagination, so that in as many places as possible prayer meetings can take place…
“Go to children’s groups, schools, prayer groups, radio and television, digital platforms, social media… and win over your own children and grandchildren for the prayer of the Rosary.”
The target of a million children praying the Rosary for peace was reached for the first time on 18th September last year.
The ‘One Million Children Praying the Rosary’ campaign has taken place every year on 18th September since first being organised in Caracas, Venezuela in 2005.
There is free material – including colouring pictures for children and more information about the campaign – available online for those looking to help encourage their parishes, schools, children’s groups and families to join the initiative.
For more details and to join the campaign, please visit: https://acninternational.org/millionchildrenpraying
The Relics of St Bernadette are coming to Ireland for the first time These are being taken from Diocese to Diocese and schools may wish to organise a class visit.
ICN today had this report this morning
The Relics of St Bernadette of Lourdes are being brought on their first-ever visit to Ireland this week.
Bishop Kevin Doran, Bishop of Elphin and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Achonry and President of the United Irish Pilgrimages to Lourdes, said: “We hope that many people will be able to share in the blessings of the Pilgrimage, by gathering to pray with Saint Bernadette in cities and towns across the country.”
The International Marian Shrine at Lourdes has always had a special place in the hearts of Irish people. Countless Irish pilgrims have made the journey to the shrine for the last 166 years since the apparitions of Our Lady to Saint Bernadette in 1858. This year the people of Ireland will have the opportunity to welcome the spirit of Lourdes and Saint Bernadette to a local church in their own home diocese.
Tomorrow, 3 September, a special ceremony will be held at the grotto in Lourdes, where the holy relics of Saint Bernadette will be entrusted to Bishop Kevin Doran who, along with parishioners of the Diocese of Elphin, is currently on pilgrimage in Lourdes. The Elphin Pilgrimage will bring the relics home with them to begin the pilgrimage around Ireland, beginning in Galway Cathedral on 5 September.
Bishop Doran said: “There is a well established tradition of people bringing religious objects home from Lourdes, to share with family members and friends. This year, we have the unique privilege of bringing home the relics of Saint Bernadette, as we fly back into Knock Airport after the Elphin Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes. Many people are unable to travel on pilgrimage to Lourdes, but this year Lourdes will come to them, as the Relics of Saint Bernadette make their way around Ireland. We hope that many people will be able to share in the blessings of the Pilgrimage, by gathering to pray with Saint Bernadette in cities and towns across the country.”
During September and October the relics of Saint Bernadette will journey on pilgrimage – for the very first time – to each of the 26 dioceses on the island of Ireland. This very special, once-in-life-time, opportunity will enable people of all ages experience the special gifts and charisms of Lourdes in their local diocese, and to share the grace of an encounter with Mary as Bernadette experienced it. By venerating the relics, people of faith can encounter peace and joy of heart and become credible and courageous witnesses of love.
The relics will visit cathedrals and churches in every diocese, north and south. The full programme can be found on the dedicated website here.
Welcoming the visit of the relics, Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin said: “The pilgrimage around Ireland of Saint Bernadette’s relics will be a source of hope, great joy and inspiration, especially for the many people of Ireland who have traveled to Lourdes over the years and for the dedicated groups across the island who work all year round to plan pilgrimages at parish and diocesan level. Of course Lourdes is synonymous with care and love for sick and disabled persons and it is a special sanctuary for those who struggle with worries or decisions of one kind or another.”
Father Gerard Fox, Pilgrimage Director for the Diocese of Down & Connor, and member of the steering group who collaborated with the Sanctuary of Lourdes to arrange the visit said, “This is a unique opportunity for those of us engaged in bringing pilgrimages to Lourdes, to bring the message and a little ‘taste’ of Lourdes to local communities. Saint Bernadette understood her role as a messenger of Mary’s message, now she brings that message to the Church community in Ireland.”
During their visit, there will be opportunities to venerate the relics privately as well as by participating in liturgies reminiscent of the Lourdes’ pilgrimage experience. The intention is to bring Lourdes to the faithful, especially those who may not have the ability to go to Lourdes in person. It is in the music, prayer, processions and gestures that this unique spirit will be shared.
Speaking today Archbishop Eamon said “Saint Bernadette once wrote: ‘One who loves does not notice her trials; or perhaps more accurately, she is able to love them. I shall do everything for Heaven, my true home. There I shall find my Mother in all the splendour of her glory. I shall delight with her in the joy of Jesus himself in perfect safety.’
“Together with my brother Bishops in Ireland, I look forward to welcoming the relics of Saint Bernadette to all parts of the island. I encourage you to take the opportunity to encounter the beautiful and inspiring person that Saint Bernadette was and to hear the powerful message she was able to convey to the world from Our Lady.
“Please pray also that many gifts and graces will be granted during this pilgrimage,” Archbishop Martin said.
St Bernadette Relic Tour 2024 - https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1565iyjwerzp289jYPCN2TtW_tUj_n8Y&usp=sharing
Source: Vatican Media
The theme chosen by the Holy Father for the World Day of Peace for 2025 is “Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace”, corresponding to “the biblical and ecclesial understanding of the Jubilee Year”.
“Only from a genuine conversion on all levels – personal, local and international – will true peace be able to flourish,” says the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in its statement on the theme for the Day.
The Dicastery adds that peace comes not only from an end to conflicts, “but also in a new reality in which wounds are healed and each person’s dignity is recognized”.
The World Day of Peace is observed each year on January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Since its establishment in 1967 by Pope St Paul VI, the Popes have taken the occasion to offer magisterial reflections in Messages for the day, dealing with topics such as the United Nations, human rights, diplomacy, and economic development.
In its statement, the Dicastery says the theme is inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical letters Laudato sí and Fratelli tutti, “and above all by the concepts of Hope and Forgiveness, which are at the heart of the Jubilee, a time for conversion that calls us not to condemn, but instead to bring about reconciliation and peace.”
The Dicastery goes on to note by “considering the reality of conflicts and social sins afflicting humanity today in light of the hope inherent in the Jubilee tradition of the forgiveness of sins and the cancellation of debts, together with the reflections of the Fathers of the Church in this regard, concrete principles emerge that can lead to a much needed spiritual, social, economic, ecological and cultural change.”
Message for Day of Prayer for the care of Creation
From 1 September (World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) to 4 October (Feast of St Francis of Assisi), Christians around the world will celebrate the Season of Creation. The theme this year is: ‘To hope and act with Creation.’
Catholics are encouraged to organise prayer and practical initiatives to combat the environmental crisis facing our common home. This “time for creation” offers, in the words of Pope Francis, “individual believers and communities a fitting opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation.”
The Season of Creation website has a wide variety of resources for individuals, groups and parishes which can be accessed for free. The materials available include a Celebration Guide that contains numerous ideas for activities such as prayer services, ecumenical pilgrimages and walks, or organising educational and sustainability activities. Other materials include liturgical resources for various denominations, including prayers and hymns.
This 2024 season, Christian voices are urged to support a joint advocacy initiative on 21 September promoting the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty which calls for a halt to new fossil fuel projects.
RESOURCES
A Season of Creation Celebration Guide can be downloaded from www.seasonofcreation.org
A live prayer service will be available on the website on 1 September.
‘Peace, Love and Climate Justice’
Green Christian
A new pack for churches from Green Christian. It is offered to help explore Christian responses to the global climate and environmental crisis. Focusing on the Great Commandments in Mark 12:30-31, it asks questions that connect peace, love and justice.
The resource and a training session video can be downloaded from the Green Christian website:
https://greenchristian.org.uk/special-zoom-workshop-peace-love-and-climate-justice/
Cloud and Fire – rediscovering ministry for an age of climate breakdown
Green Christian
Next course begins in January 2025
DVD – Stations of the Forests
Columban JPIC
An audio-visual lamenting the devastation of rainforests and tribal people. A Resource Booklet provides agendas and reflections for meetings. £7 inclusive of p&p from vocforjus@aol.com or download from: www.columbans.co.uk/resources/dvd-video/stations-of-therainforests/
‘On Care for our Common Home’ – 6th Form Syllabus from the Ecological Conversion Group. This can also be used as a study guide for Laudato Si’ for parishes. https://theecg.org/resources/6-form-syllabus/
‘Conflict and Climate Change’ 18-minute DVD:
www.kevinmayhew.com/products/conflict-and-climate-change-1501412
MORE RESOURCES
Westminster Justice and Peace: https://westminsterjusticeandpeace.org/environment-resources/
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales: www.cbcew.org.uk/environment/
EVENTS
Justice and Peace Scotland will host its inaugural Season of Creation Conference in September. The Conference will allow parishioners from across the country to come together and explore how we may hope and act for creation in our own dioceses and parishes. Workshops on the day will be held by Justice & Peace Scotland and SCIAF and there will be opportunities for networking and ideas-sharing among attendees. A key-note address will be delivered by Ben Wilson, Director of Public Engagement at SCIAF and a member of the Holy See delegation at COP 28.
9 September 7.30pm, Woking: Film screening of ‘X Trillion’ – About Plastic Pollution – organised by the Live Simply at St Dunstan’s Church, Shaftesbury Road, Woking, GU22 7DT. The film tells the story of an international crew of scientists, sailors, designers, engineers, and teachers who set sail on a transformative month-long voyage, 3,000 miles across the North Pacific Ocean, through the densest accumulation of ocean plastic on the planet. The producer will talk about the film and answer questions afterwards. Book free tickets at: www.tickettailor.com/events/livesimplywoking/1310232
More events at: https://greenchristian.org.uk/whats-on/
Booklet is available here to download
On Tuesday students from St Catherine’s College joined both Archbishops of Armagh for a celebratory walk to mark the Season for Creation.
The Season of Creation has a special significance for the Catholic Church, particularly since Pope Francis established 1 September as an annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. The Season of Creation is marked throughout the Christian world from 1 September to 4 October (Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi) and celebrates the joy of creation as well as encouraging awareness-raising initiatives to protect the natural environment.
This year’s theme is “To Hope and Act with Creation”. We hope that the following resources will help you and your parish community to celebrate the Season of Creation 2024. These resources are compiled by the Laudato Si’ Working Group of the Irish Bishop’s Conference & Trócaire. You can find further resources on the international Season of Creation website: www.seasonofcreation.org
“Christ is alive! He is our hope, and in a wonderful way he brings youth to our world, and everything he touches becomes young, new, full of life. The very first words, then, that I would like to say to every young Christian are these: Christ is alive and he wants you to be alive!” – Pope Francis, Christus Vivit, Section 1.
Reflecting on the theme, Catholic schools will explore what it means to be fully alive as a human being – living life to the full in Christ. Sensitive to the age appropriateness of the various classes and years, the theme will explore how we exist for one another in Christ, building from the wellbeing of the individual, extending the notion of true wellbeing to others, to our families and communities, and to The Other, in God. The theme will mediate on hope, the true purpose and meaning of human life, and, in the more senior years, on true freedom.
As is usual, the theme will be connected at primary level with Grandparents’ Day on the Wednesday of Catholic Schools Week, and with the Family in post-primary. There will be a November ‘turning to’ remembrance moment.
Catholic Schools Week 2025 will run from ~Sunday 19th January to Saturday 25th January, 2025.
Note: Sunday 26th January is not being included in Catholic Schools Week as it is the Sunday of the Word of God.
Posted 4.8.24
Teachers sent me some resources to pass on to colleagues.
Leanne kindly sent this checklist form St Mary’s Grammar Magherafelt.
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Roisin shared this revision aid from St Catherine’s College Armagh
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Paddy sent a copy of his Start of Year Mass in Dean McGuirc Carrickmore
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Leanne sent on this resource about living the Mass St Mary’s Grammar Magherafelt.
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This reflective Poem The Train of Life makes for a great reflection at a graduation Liturgy.
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Paschal sent this from St Ciaran’s Ballygawley
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Year 9 TextBook Revised Fully Alive 2
Declan sent the following today from Mrs Susan Morgan
“Please see attached a copy of a letter sent to all Heads of Religion with a copy of the new Fully Alive textbook for Year 9 students. The best way for teachers to order in Northern Ireland is through either the Derry or Newry branches of the Veritas store – details in attached letter. This will ensure that they get the best discount. The book is priced very competitively at £11.99 and with a further discount of 12 ½ % discount, this brings the price down to £10.49 per text.”
Archdiocese of Armagh Annual Religious Education Community Day 2024
This a reminder that this year our Annual Religious Education Teacher Community Gathering will
Meet on Thursday 13th June in St John the Baptist College, Drumcree, Portadown.
These Annual Gatherings have proved to be very successful in helping to meet the personal,
spiritual and professional needs of teachers of Religious Education in our Archdiocese.
They also provide an opportunity for RE teachers and HODs to build networks for support
and to exchange ideas and resources. Being part of this community helps build a strong
sense of support, belonging and identity. I ask Principals to release RE Staff to be present
for this important day. I thank school management for their commitment and leadership in
service and faith.
St Patrick’s Day Message from Archbishop Eamon 2024
RE SOURCE 
