Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown, Charlotte Gormley, youth co-ordinator Templemore Parish and Tony Brennan pastoral co-ordinator
for the Diocese of Derry. 
Purposeful meetings are life-giving and this is the reason the Northern Pastoral Network continues to meet, writes Paula McKeown
In Church circles there are many phrases being bounced around that can leave nothing but negativity ringing between the ears: “The accelerator has been pressed on secularisation.”
“The few families that were coming haven’t come back.”
“We needn’t have worried about too few seats.”
“People prefer to sit in their pyjamas and watch Mass with a cup of tea.”
And so it could continue, if we let it.
Group
However a discerning group, such as the Northern Pastoral Network will not want to tend to the bad spirit alone but seek to find the good spirit and ways to identify the hope and the consolation.
What is the Northern Pastoral Network? Established in 2009 by the Irish Bishops’ Conference it comprises of laypeople, religious and clergy with pastoral responsibilities from the dioceses of Armagh, Clogher, Derry, Down and Connor, Dromore, Kilmore and Raphoe. The Northern Pastoral Network (NPN) spent time in discernment last year to refocus its energy and to identify its purpose for the years ahead. The period of discernment identified three key purposes for the NPN:
l nourishment for ministry;
l opportunities for collaboration;
l and to be a collective voice of hope;
Jim Deeds, from the Diocese of Down and Connor who led the discernment process noted that: “When groups take the time to work on their core purpose they begin their work with commitment and energy. Taking time to invest in the formation of a group pays dividends; relationships are stronger, there is clarity of purpose and the work is focused and meaningful.”
Gathering back together in September the NPN members reflected on the lock-down experience. What were we learning about the Church? Where are the opportunities and potential for growth? Where are the needs?
Support
One clear need that was identified was the need to provide support to those who were bereaved. In March 2020 the traditions upon which we drew solace at the time of a death were snatched from us. We sought to keep our communities safe in the midst of a pandemic. There are many families who by necessity had to relinquish the opportunity to be with their loved one in their final moments of this life, to hear the stories and words of sympathy at the wake house and to experience the gathering of the community at a Requiem Mass.
Family life is challenged by the death of a loved one, the challenge can feel all the greater when we cannot access support in the usual way.
The NPN members in their reflections on activity in their diocese knew that in spite of this time of hardship prayer in the home has been rekindled. Families are gathering together for prayer in renewed ways and this is a sign of great hope. When the People of God cannot gather in the parish the deep desire for prayer and connection does not disappear. And so prayer and connection are to be found around the kitchen table, on a facetime call with granny at bedtime or on a family walk surrounded by the grandeur of God.
Resources
And so, this November the NPN has prepared two simple resources for prayer at home. Firstly, a short booklet highlights the month of November as a time to pray for our dearly departed. It marks out our feast days, provides a family prayer service and some additional prayers for this time.
A second resource is for use on social media, particularly Facebook which connects with so many people. Each day in November a prayer will be posted at 8am allowing us to pray for the deceased and the bereaved. The prayers take on many different themes and as the days grow darker we hope that the prayers will bring consolation and the light of Christ into each of our days.
Bishop Micheal Router welcomed the publication of this booklet: “The resources included in this booklet are simple and easy to follow and I would encourage all households to mark this special month of remembrance with some time for prayer together. May it bring comfort and solace to many people during the coming days and weeks”.
Paula McKeown is Director of Living Church for the Diocese of Down and Connor. This is the first project for the newly constituted group but certainly not the last. If any readers would like to avail of the resources they can connect to www.northernpastoral.network and like on Facebook www.facebook.com/northernpastoralnetwork
