Bishop of Limerick welcomes new lay ministers ahead of Easter celebrations
THE Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy says a special ceremony to celebrate the first Limerick group to its Lay Ministry programme is a positive signpost to the future of the Church.
He was speaking ahead of this Wednesday night’s Chrism Mass – the commencement of Easter celebrations – when 21 lay people will have their ‘sending forth’ ceremony at St John’s Cathedral, Bishop Leahy said the timing of this celebration is strongly symbolic.
“The Church is embarking on a new journey in terms of ministry, a journey that brings hope, just like Easter offers us the hope of the Resurrection. Easter is the great dawn, the moment when we can begin again, seeing things with new eyes and that’s very much in keeping with the completion of the first round of our Lay Ministry Lay Pastoral Ministry and Leadership programmes,” said Bishop Leahy.
“We are starting something new, something good that is going to enrich our Church.”
The 21 lay people have completed the programme of Formation in Lay Ministry and Leadership, which has been run in conjunction with the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Mary Immaculate College. The programme ran over 30 months and covered elements of personal development, pastoral experience, academic learning and spiritual development.
The voluntary roles the lay leaders will be taking up will include involvement in local parish initiatives, such as assisting in sacramental preparation, leading opportunities to pray with scripture, develop music ministry, provide funeral team ministry and bereavement support.
Others will be engaged in activities beyond the local parish, including generating further awareness around our responsibilities in the environmental crisis, assisting in Cuan Mhuire Addiction Centre or with the GROW Mental Health organization, providing catechesis to children.
Some will also have involvement in creative ways of evangelizing through the Alpha Programme, which provides tools, training, and resources to bring about renewal in the church in Ireland, or by developing small Christian Communities.
There is also an awareness of issues around social justice and some participants will provide outreach to Ukrainian refugees while another is working as a Trócaire volunteer.
Also this week, on Holy Thursday evening, Bishop Leahy will travel to the Cuan Mhuire Addiction, Bruree, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
On Good Friday Bishop Leahy will join a public ecumenical ritual of carrying a large Cross in solemn pilgrimage through the streets of Limerick starting from St. John’s Cathedral at 12 noon and going to St. Mary’s Cathedral.
There will be six “stations” along the way at each one of which prayers will be said for those for whom Jesus Christ had a particular love, the sick, those on the margins of society, the bereaved, prisoners, those in despair, and the young. Anyone who is taking part in the pilgrimage will be able to carry the cross, if they wish, for a part of the walk.
Bishop Leahy will then preside at the Passion of the Lord commemoration in St. Joseph’s Church at 3pm.
He will celebrate the Easter Vigil at 9pm in St John’s Cathedral while on Easter Sunday morning he will celebrate Mass in Limerick Prison.