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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.
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.
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
Last evening's gathering was in the family of parishes which includes Ardfield & Rathbarry | Barryroe | Clonakilty | Kilmeen & Castleventry | Rosscarbery & Lisavaird | Timoleague.
The people of the diocese have been praying, listening and discerning as plans for the future of the diocese are needed.
In Sept 2024, Bishop Fintan Gavin announced the start of a period of time during which parishioners and clergy together would consider how the faith communities of the diocese will reorganise to answer the mission of the Lord in this time and place.
Meetings are now ongoing in each family of parishes across the diocese.
To date the Office for Mission and Ministry has completed three sessions in each of the Families of Parishes of:
Confirmation of pupils of Ardfield NS and Rathbarry NS on Friday 28 February
Confirmations took place at St. Michael's Church, Rathbarry. The sacrament was conferred by Mons Gearóid Dullea, Chancellor of the Diocese of Cork and Ross.
Also in attendance were Viola O'Donovan SNA, Fr. Tom Hayes, Co-PP, and teachers Clare Buckley, Ardfiled NS and Aoife Hourihane, Rathbarry NS.
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