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20 new seminarians to commence priesthood studies at St. Patrick's College Maynooth |
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20 New Seminarians to commence priesthood studies at St. Patrick's College Maynooth
 
Today St Patrick’s College Maynooth welcomed 20 new seminarians who will commence their formation for the priesthood at the National Seminary. At the conclusion of the Introductory Programme at the end of September, four of the new seminarians from Northern dioceses will continue their studies at St Malachy’s College in Belfast.
Welcoming the new candidates, their families and friends to Maynooth, the President of the College, Monsignor Hugh Connolly, said:
'Today as our thoughts and prayers accompany these 20 men who have taken the first step along the road to ordained ministry and to placing their lives at the service of Christ and of his people we recall Pope Benedict’s words to seminarians attending this year’s World Youth Day celebrations: " You are a sign of hope and renewal for God’s people; and yours will be the task of building up the Lord’s house in the coming generation.”
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Download Year of Vocations powerpoint here |
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Bishop Martin Drennan: Pastoral Letter for Year of Vocation |
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PRESS RELEASE 2 October 2008
Bishop Martin Drennan, Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora, publishes Pastoral Letter for Year of Vocation entitled 'God Loves a Cheerful Giver'
“When we encourage the different vocations within the Christian community, we are strengthening our brothers and sisters in their commitments.”
To mark the Year of Vocation in the Catholic Church in Ireland, Bishop Martin Drennan, Bishop of Galway, has written a pastoral letter to the people of the diocese entitled ‘God Loves a Cheerful Giver’.
It was presented to the priests of the diocese a special gathering in St. Mary’s College, Galway, on Thursday, September 25th, at which Dr. Andrew O’Connell, Director of Communications for the Presentation Brothers, delivered a most inspiring and encouraging reflection on vocations today.
The Year of Vocation began on Good Shepherd Sunday, April 2008, and will end on Good Shepherd Sunday, May 3rd, 2009. On Good Shepherd Sunday, Jesus is offered as the model for the living of every Christian vocation.
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Clogher Diocesan Forum 2008 |
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The forum was the culmination of a longer process of reflection, consultation and input. Priests firstly met in their parish clusters to reflect on the inspiration for their own vocation. There followed a highly acclaimed input from Dr. Andrew O’Connell, Communications Officer for the Presentation Brothers and National Year of Vocation Committee member, at the pre-Easter diocesan clergy meetings. Behind the scenes preparation for the forum involved consultation with the priests’ council of the diocese and also with the Vocations Committee, from whom came the original inspiration of having a Vocation forum. Many of the large number of clergy who took part in this year’s two and a half day diocesan forum on Vocation had positive things to say about it afterwards. The keynote speaker, Dr. Eamon Conway of Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, shared ideas on modern culture and its thought currents, mindsets and challenges. He followed this with some insights into the different ways clergy see themselves within their own priestly culture. Fr. Kevin Doran, previous National Vocations Co-ordinator for Ireland, led everyone in further reflection on the above and primed a sharing on the positives and negatives of Vocations promotion. A sizeable group of lay people joined the forum to hear Brenda Drumm of the Catholic Communications Institute speak energetically and sincerely about the upcoming Year of Vocation. Lay people and clergy worked together in groups afterwards on possible implications of what all had just heard.
One way or another, much of the colour and nuance of priestly thinking in the diocese vis-à-vis Vocation, and particularly Vocation to the priesthood, was expressed and reflected back in this whole exercise. There were many suggestions for action issuing from the final day. A lay/clergy diocesan Year of Vocation Committee, in the hands of Fr. Ian Fee, is being set up to carry forward the work of the forum and the initiatives of the National Year of Vocation. A number of priests volunteered to join the Diocesan Vocations Director, Fr. Séamus Quinn, in visiting secondary schools this coming winter, to ensure that no young man leaves school in the diocese without having been invited to consider priesthood as a way of life. A special ceremony to launch the Year of Vocation in the diocese, organised by St. Joseph’s Young Priests Society in conjunction with the Religious of Ireland, was held at the Cathedral on the evening of Vocations Sunday. It is intended to act on several more of the ideas proposed at the forum as the year progresses.
PRAYER SPACE
FR SEAMUS QUINN (DIOCESAN VOCATION DIRECTOR) / BRENDA DRUMM CATHOLIC COMMUNICATION OFFICE
GROUP PHOTOGRAPH OF PARTICIPANTS
PARTICIPANTS HARD AT WORK
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
GROUP DISCUSSIONS
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This page gives information on Vocations. |
The Chairman of Vocations Committee for the Diocese of Clogher is:
Rt Rev Mgr. Seán Cahill
Tattygar House, 4 Tattgar Road,
Lisbellaw, Co. Fermanagh BT94 5GQ.
028 6638 5232
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Mgr Cahill will always be glad to hear from you and to meet with you.
Feel free to ring or email
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