Mission and Ministry

If Jesus asked you the question, “Who do you say I am?” How would you answer it?

Alpha helps people not just know about the person, Jesus, but to come to know him, to come into an encounter with him, and into a relationship with him. Alpha also brings new life and energy back into the parish community because people form friendships, experience Christian community, and experience God in a new and life-giving way through Alpha.

We are hosting a Diocesan Alpha Information Day on:

Saturday 25 November
Ovens Parish Centre
1:30pm to 4:00pm

We will begin with welcome and hospitality from 1.30pm to 2.00pm, followed by an exploration of what Alpha is, why run Alpha and who Alpha is for.

Alpha is currently run in a number of our Parishes with great success, and some Parishioners will share both their personal experience of attending Alpha and the experience of running Alpha in a Parish setting. We are hoping that other Parishes or Families of Parishes would consider introducing Alpha.

Please contact us as soon as possible if you are interested in attending this information day to find out more about running Alpha in your Parish or Family of Parishes

Contact Us as soon as possible

October has been a busy month for the Office for Mission and Ministry!

Eilís and Lorraine have met with gatherings of priests. We have also been meeting Parish Councils/Assemblies.

We have met with priests and lay people from Douglas & Rochestown, Ballyphehane, The Lough, Togher and Innishannon. We have also been in contact with other Parishes and Families of Parishes who will be availing of reflection, formation, and spiritual nourishment for existing Ministers of the Word and for Ministers of the Eucharist.

Eilís and Lorraine began Parish Pastoral Council training with Clonakilty and Ovens & Farran this week, with more Parishes and Families of Parishes booked in for November and December.

Members of Clonakilty Parish Assembly

Eilís and Lorraine are continuing to meet with Priests, Parishes and Families of Parishes

Our diary is filling up fast, so we would like to remind Co-Parish Priests and/or Moderators to please contact us as soon as possible if you wish to avail of formation in any of the following areas:

• Formation for Parish Pastoral Council/Assemblies
• Ministers of the Eucharist
• Ministers of the Word

Contact Us as soon as possible

Bishop Fintan Gavin has announced the appointment of a Faith Development Coordinator to serve the parishes of the diocese

Lorraine Buckley will work alongside Eilís Casey, Parish Life Coordinator, and will be based at the Mission and Ministry Office located in the Cathedral Presbytery. Both will support the teams of priests and lay leaders across parishes in the Families of Parishes. Lorraine’s particular focus will be on faith development and formation for lay ministry.

Lorraine has worked both at parish and diocesan level in various areas of faith development and has been involved in parish councils and pastoral areas. She holds qualifications in business, theology (particularly in the areas of applied theology and catechetics), and counselling plus psychotherapy.

On the weekend of Pentecost this year, two gatherings of people and priests of the diocese met to explore new ways of being church

Julianne Stanz, a Carlow native now living and working in the US, spoke about transforming parishes into mission-centered faith communities.

Julianne’s presentations are available here to view and discuss. They are introduced by Eilís Casey, Parish Life Coordinator of the Diocese of Cork and Ross.

Watch the videos

Hundreds of parishioners from across the diocese have heard a call to become active in putting new life into parishes with hope and faith by reaching out in new ways

Representatives of parishes and faith communities in the diocese, along with the priests of the diocese and Bishop Fintan Gavin, took part in two gatherings last weekend.

The principal speaker was Julianne Stanz, who serves the Diocese of Green Bay, WI, USA, and who grew up in Hacketstown, Co Carlow. She spoke of her own faith and her experience of parish life and the challenges of handing on faith to a new generation.

The Saturday meeting was held in Rosscarbery and was attended by people from West Cork parishes. Sunday’s gathering in the city had people from Cork city, suburbs and surrounding areas. Each parish was asked to send representatives and more than 500 people attended.

Feedback from the discussions is being collated and this, along with the presentations will be available at family of parishes meetings to be held in the autumn.

The attendace in Rosscarbery included people from West Cork parishes. Pictures: Andy Gibson

The upcoming Pentecost gatherings on Saturday 27th in Rosscarbery and on Sunday 28th May in Cork city will be a wonderful opportunity for people and priests to gather to further develop the way forward for our diocese and the Family of Parishes way of being Church

At the centre of both gatherings will be presentations from Julianne Stanz who is Director of New Evangelization in the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. Julianne has extensive experience in guiding faith communities towards a more vibrant and mission-oriented future. Her expertise and wisdom will be thought-provoking as we navigate the changes in our own diocese.