Weekly Connect From: Dermot Cowhey dermot.cowhey@limerickdiocese.org
7th November, 2022:
Dear Chaplains/RE Teachers,
Welcome back after the mid-term break and I trust you had a well deserved break.
Invitation to Book Launch: You are cordially invited to the book launch ‘Of Saints and Seekers’ at the Limerick Diocesan Centre, St. Munchin’s, Corbally, Limerick. Please RSVP david.bracken@limerickdiocese.org. See Attachment 1
In ‘Of Limerick’s Saints and Seekers’ we journey through a millennium and a half of Limerick history with scholars and scribes, poets and preachers, martyrs and missionaries and founders of churches and religious communities. Drawing from early Ireland to present day, this collection of stories details the lives of extraordinary people from a variety of faith traditions and perspectives from well-known saints to unknown and unsung religious and lay people. With fascinating contributions from modern day people of Limerick, this book illuminates the diverse richness of Limerick’s story by highlighting the saints and seekers who have shaped its history.
The Pope's Monthly Intentions for November, 2022:
For children who are suffer …
We pray for children who are suffering, especially those who are homeless, orphans and victims of war; may they be guaranteed access to education and the opportunity to experience family affection.
https://www.popesprayer.va/popes-prayer-intentions
To watch the Pope Video - https://youtu.be/aJpxgGQywX8
Thought for the Day:
‘Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. Right is right even if no one is doing it.’
https://www.facebook.com/dioceseoflimerick
Liturgical Calendar for November: Colette O’Doherty, Director of Religious Education & Youth Ministry, Diocese of Ferns, has attached for your information the Liturgical Calendar for November which also includes some other Social Justice key dates, etc. There is excellent material therein as it is packed with lesson plans, videos, liturgical resources, etc. and it is hoped that it is a source of support to you during the year. You will be able to access PDFs, PowerPoints and Videos directly from the attached which should make life a little more convenient. Just a reminder not to post on a website but emailing to teachers is perfect. Please see Attachment 2.
1st November – All Saints
2nd November – All Souls
3rd November: St Malachy
5th November: St. Martin de Porres
12th November; Remembrance Sunday
14th November: St Laurence O’Toole, Bishop
14th November: World Diabetes Day
20th November: Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
20th November: Universal Children’s Day
20th November: World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims
21st November: Presentation of Mary
22nd November: St. Cecelia, patroness of music and musicians
25th November: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
27th November: First Sunday of Advent
28th November: First week of Advent
Dominican Sisters Retreats: The Dominican Sisters are offering retreats to secondary schools They are offering weekly 1hr long religion classes mostly suited for 1st-3rd years but can be older ages groups too. They also do full day retreats in secondary schools with many different themes they are:
**Encounter Jesus
** God the Fathers love
**Forgiveness
** Life choices
** Peer pressure
** Self image
** Self image (male/female)
The content offered can be perused in books if you want to see or clarify anything that is on offer. Contact details: Email - Limerickteam@netministries.ie Phone - 083 027 1353 (Ben and Lauren are the leaders)
Limerick Grief Centre: Carol Fitz-Gough, from the Limerick Grief Centre, has been in touch to give a little briefing on why the centre is getting in touch with schools in the region. Every November, bereavement services for children in Ireland take a week to help raise awareness of childhood loss. They do so by running different activities throughout the third week of November 14-18th. They would like to engage with the schools within our community and get the children and young people involved.
Limerick Grief will move into its new building early next year on O’Connell Ave, where they will have two new support rooms for the ages of 12-18 years and to mark Bereaved Children’s awareness week this year, they are looking for second Year students in the community to help them name those rooms.
Please see the Attachment 3 for letter containing relevant details.
Mary’s Meals Monthly On-Line Quiz:
Mary’s Meals – Calling all Quizzers!
Mary’s Meals Monthly Online Quiz – Held the last Friday of every month at 8pm. €5 to enter – which provides 55 school meals. To take part, go to bit.ly/QuizforMM or contact Martin Colfer at 087 2596159. Thank you.
Senior Cycle RSE course available in Limerick Education Centre
Courses available in relation to RSE which may be of interest. Please see
https://pdst.ie/onlinebooking?combine=&subject=Health+%26+Wellbeing&ec_name=Limerick+EC§or=All
Thanks to Claire Coakley, Chaplain, Kilmallock for alerting us to these.
‘The Letter – A Message for Our Earth’:
From Jane Mellet Laudato Sí Officer, Trócaire: The Letter – A Message for Our Earth, the movie recently launched by the Laudato Si’ Movement in association with Off the Fence Productions and YouTube Originals. The Letter was launched on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi in Rome and offers a compelling new message for our planet. You can see the trailer and info about the film. The movie itself is available to watch, for free on YouTube here. If you would like to see the recording of the premier event, which includes speeches from the stars of the show, it is available here . In just one week, this movie has had 3.5 million views online.
Communities are welcome to host a screening of the film. In fact, we are counting on YOU to make it happen! There will a training webinar, organised by the Laudato Si’ Movement on October 19th from 4pm-5.30pm Irish time. You can register for this webinar here and it will be an informative session on all you need to know to host a screening. You'll have the opportunity to ask any questions about it to the LSM Team, brainstorm with the other participants and you'll receive a resource pack to help you organise. I realise some of you are already registered and apologies if you are receiving this information for the second time.
We would ask that you register your planned local screening on the official website here. By registering your screening, you will receive a link to the film that can be watched without license, for free. For those of you who are based in Ireland, we would ask that you wait to organise your local screening until after November 15th if possible.
It is an exciting moment for the Laudato Si’ world and we are counting on our grassroots communities to share this powerful film with as many people as possible.
Advent and Christmas 2022: Kieran O’Mahony OSA has published his very first volume of the Hearers of the Word series which is devoted to the readings for Advent and Christmas in Year A. The book is available online from Messenger Publications. Click on this link. It is also available for Kindle.
Attachments –
- ‘Saints and Seekers’ invitation
- Liturgical Calendar for November
- Letter from Limerick Grief Centre
- Liturgies for November, Halloween and Advent.
- Attachment containing the usual links and resources. If you can add to this list, please forward all information to me.
If you are accessing this from the diocese website and would like to have these resources, please email dermot.cowhey@limerickdiocese.org. Also, if you have not received the September Liturgical Calendar, contact me and I will send it.
To conclude … as we approach ‘the bleak mid-winter’, we reflect …
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.
Enough for Him, whom cherubim, worship night and day,
Breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels fall before,
The ox and ass and camel which adore.
Angels and archangels may have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air;
But His mother only, in her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart. (‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ Christina Rossetti)
Dermot
Dermot Cowhey
Diocesan Advisor (Post Primary)
dermot.cowhey@limerickdiocese.org
085 8623904