Mags Gargan
Parish activity in public spaces can be a kind of “neutral ground” allowing Catholics to reconnect with the Church, a priest involved in a Tralee outreach exercise has said.
‘Mercy in the Square, Mercy in Manor’ saw priests from Tralee and neighbouring parishes, as well as Killarney’s Franciscan community spending six hours over last Saturday and Sunday meeting people in the Square in Tralee and the Manor West Shopping Centre.
The event was inspired by a similar event in Shannon on December 15, curate Fr Bernard Healy told The Irish Catholic. “We’d heard about it as a parish when wondering what to do for the Year of Mercy,” he said. “There was an energy about it, so we got on to the priest in Shannon – Fr Tom Ryan – and decided to do it on Palm Sunday weekend.”
Reception
“We got a great reception in the middle of town,” he continued, explaining that the idea was that “the priests would be available for a prayer or a blessing, a conversation or Confession”.
Those involved believed the outreach had been a success, he said, as “People felt they could approach us as we weren’t on home territory – some people might not feel comfortable coming into parish buildings or confessionals or churches, but by making ourselves approachable and visible they were willing to reconnect.”
Emphasing that the event had depended on the active support of the parish pastoral council, liturgy group and choir, Fr Healy added that, “On a personal level it’s something I would recommend to any parish – find a space which is neutral ground where people are, and let people know you’re there for them.”
Separately, a similar initiative took place on Saturday, March 19 in Athlone, when clergy from St Mary’s and Ss Peter and Paul’s parishes joined with the local Franciscan friary and other local groups to set up a ‘Mercy Tent’, where adoration and confessions could take place, near the Golden Island Shopping Centre.
“It was a good collaboration between the churches,” said Fr Padraig Kelliher, curate in St Mary’s parish. “There was good footfall going by. The number talking part in Confession was small but people took a mercy prayer card and some came into the tent for a chat.”