Mags Gargan
The sound of song and laughter emanating from the Church of the Most Holy Sacrament in Cherry Orchard, Dublin last week, not to mention the giant inflatable candle at the door, signalled that the Redemptorist parish was once again hosting its annual Candleweek mission, the “biggest event of the year” in the parish.
This year is the 10th anniversary of the mission, which came about when the parish pastoral council decided to organise an event that includes as many people as possible, gathered together so that they can enjoy a sacred space, a spiritual time and an opportunity to reflect and pray in a good humoured and inclusive way.
“Candleweek went very well,” said new parish priest Fr Michael Murtagh. “We focused on Pope Francis’ writing so we had a night on mercy and on the environment, we had a healing night and the last night was about being steadfast in faith. The healing night is always the most popular when people feel a little lift, when people are suffering at this time.”
The parish team began preparations for the mission a few months ago and posters promoting Candleweek were competing with election posters around the area. Large crowds filled the church to capacity each night, and Fr Murtagh said there was “a nice attendance, good mood, lots of humour and prayer and people enjoying being together in faith”.
He said the success of the mission is down to people encouraging each other to come “because they are finding something from it and a lot come out of a sense of belonging to the parish and supporting each other. It is a little bit of giving so you can receive back, like all mission events. Faith is a community event as much as a personal event.”