Limerick hosts street party ahead of World Meeting of Families celebration

A ‘STREET-PARTY’ was held St John’s Square in Limerick this Tuesday to mark the upcoming visit of Pope Francis in the run up to the World Meeting of Families at the weekend.

Launched by Sr Helen Culhane, founder of the Children’s Grief Centre in Limerick and her recently appointed ambassador Olive Foley, wife of the late Munster and Ireland rugby legend Anthony Foley, the event happened simultaneously to others in Catholic dioceses across the country. 

St John’s Square was pedestrianised for the event, which featured food-stalls, face-painting, music and magic shows.

Limerick is expected have a strong a strong presence at the World Meeting of Families, with Bishop Brendan Leahy among the Bishops who will moderate sessions at the three-day event, to which three trains are booked out.

The Bishop expressed his deepest gratitude to the people of Limerick for the hugely encouraging ‘send-off’ he and the diocesan delegates to the World Meeting of Families received at the official celebration on Tuesday.

Some 700 people also gathered in St John’s Cathedral for what Bishop Leahy described as a “deeply meaningful and spiritual” ecumenical prayer service.

“We are on the cusp of something very exciting for the Church here in Ireland with the visit of Pope Francis at the weekend and the World Meeting of Families already kicked off. The build-up has been a very trying time for many, particularly victims of abuse by clergy and religious, as a lot of dreadful experiences have been recalled over the past few weeks," he said.

“It has been challenging for all Catholics in Ireland to understand how this could have happened so these weeks have been really difficult and understandably so. Yet yesterday afternoon at our Street Party and last evening at our prayer service in St. John’s there was a real sense of joy at what lies ahead. But there was also very much an acknowledgement that this is a hugely important moment for the Church in Ireland when we look back and atone for the sins of the past, bring the great good also with us that has been done and turn the Church in Ireland to a better future."

Larry de Cléir from the Bedford Row Family Project will be on a panel discussing on the impact of conflict on families and children at the World Meeting of Families, as will Christine Hoctor, chaplain in Limerick Prison.

Olive Foley will speak on a panel, which will also include rugby legend Ronan O’Gara, on ‘Celebrating Family and Sport.’