Susan Gately
WMOF 2018
Despite at times inclement weather, the Family Picnic Fun Day in Lough Key Forest Park last Sunday (April 22) was a winner. “One of the lovely things about the west of Ireland is that people are so used to the weather that they come out anyway, because [otherwise] you’d never come out,” Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin told The Irish Catholic.
“They came out in their droves. All the car parks in Lough Key, including the overflow car parks, were full, so we’re talking about a few thousand people anyway.”
Mothers, fathers, children and grannies joined Bishop Doran and his Church of Ireland counterpart, Bishop Ferran Glenfield at the fun-filled event in Boyle that was a true celebration of family.
“We had everything from the Castlerea Brass Band, to various different choirs – the Sligo Gospel Choir and a choir set up for the occasion. The Focolare movement put on various games and activities for children and we had face painting,” said Bishop Doran.
The event provided an ideal opportunity to welcome asylum seekers living at the direct provision centre in Sligo.
“They came and they brought the kids and the kids were like all the other kids, they were having a ball of a time. They were delighted to be there,” said Bishop Doran.
It was also an ecumenical celebrations. “We are very conscious as a community in the west that in every parish there are Inter-Church couples, so inevitably welcoming the families has an ecumenical dimension. So my colleague who is the Church of Ireland bishop of Elphin, Bishop Ferran Glenfield, joined me for a prayer movement and a reflection on the Gospel on the feeding of the 5,000 and we planted a tree.
Limerick’s registration roadshow
The Diocese of Limerick was visited by the World Meeting of Families registration bus as part of the WMOF ‘Registration Roadshow’, which aims to recruit volunteers and register people for the event. On Tuesday, April 17 at St Munchin’s Diocesan Centre in Corbally, there was a focus on getting schools and youth groups involved.
Later that day, it moved on to Desmond Complex, Newcastlewest to recruit and register people in the parish, individuals and families.
Finally, the following day – April 18 at 10.30am – it arrived at the Redemptorists in Mt St Alphonsus and focused on people in all Limerick’s parishes.
Inmates to get involved in WMOF build-up
Irish prisoners will get a chance to take part in discussion about family in preparation for the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) with their chaplains in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin.
As the Icon of the Holy Family makes its way from Portlaoise church to Newbridge church it will stop off at Midlands Prison in Laois at the beginning of May and give prisoners the opportunity to engage in the WMOF build-up. Bishop Denis Nulty, local clergy and chaplains will all be in attendance.
The Icon arrives in the diocese on April 27 with three liturgies being prepared for primary and secondary schools – one in each of the three churches it visits. It is also an opportunity for the schools to bring their petitions.
