Family of Parishes: Ardfield & Rathbarry | Barryroe | Clonakilty | Kilmeen & Castleventry | Rosscarbery

21 April 2025

Online Book of Condolence is open

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.

There was standing room only at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne on Thursday as Bishop Fintan presided at the Mass of Chrism

Parishioners travelled from across the diocese to join in the only Mass celebrated in the diocese on Holy Thursday morning.

The Mass was concelebrated by dozens of priests from the parishes, chaplaincies, religious orders and missionary societies in the diocese.

Deacon Frank McKevitt also ministered at the Mass along with Ministers of the Word and Eucharist, the Cathedral Choir directed by John Casey and altar servers from Cork and Barryroe.

Fr. Christy Fitzgerald and Fr Fergus Ryan were Masters of Ceremonies.

Mass of Chrism, Holy Thursday, Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Ann.Pic: Brian Lougheed

The church choirs from the six parishes around Clonakilty were together for the first time to reflect on the place of music and singing in Catholic worship

The workshop was led by Fr. Fergus Ryan OP CC who is based in Barryroe and ministers in the parishes.

Eighty choir members and priests from Barryroe in the east to Rosscarbery in the west and from most churches in between attended.

The gathering was held at Clonakilty Parish Centre.

Family of Parishes choirs join in workshop on liturgical music

27 March 2025

Parishioners with priests and deacons continue to meet in each family of parishes to consider the future of the faith communities in the diocese

The Office for Mission and Ministry with the support of other facilitators is guiding a series of three meetings in each of the 16 families of parishes.

The discussions are focused on responding to questions posed by Bishop Fintan Gavin in his Sept 2024 Message to the Diocese.

Read the Pastoral Message here

At the third meeting in the family of parishes for the Prayer, Listening and Discernment process in the diocese.