The Annual Cork Eucharistic Procession is a milestone in the religious and community life of Cork City since 1926

Each year people from parishes and faith communities throughout the city and beyond walk in the procession or prayerfully participate along the route as the Bishop carries the Blessed Sacrament from the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne to the city centre.

This year will be the 98th celebration of the Cork Eucharistic Procession as we look forward to its 100th anniversary in 2026. Last year people gathered in their thousands to join the first Cork Eucharistic Procession since 2019 due to Covid. This year we hope even more will join us.

Preparations are underway for several months to reach out to many people (particularly young people), parishes, and faith groups to ensure a dignified and prayerful celebration. A programme has been created for primary schools to share the meaning and history of the Eucharistic Procession with children and to encourage them to be part of the procession with their families. Post-primary school students have also been invited to take part this year.

Choirs and music groups throughout the Diocese are invited to join one great choir to raise up voices together in the procession.

I am very grateful to the many people who have helped with the preparations.

I invite you to join the procession on Sunday, May 26th to walk together in faith as people and families from different parishes, age-groups, communities and countries.

Yours sincerely in Christ,
✠ Fintan Gavin
Bishop of Cork and Ross

A series of eight meetings to support newly formed primary school Boards of Management are ongoing at different locations throughout the Diocese

There are 175 Catholic primary schools in Cork and Ross under the patronage of Bishop Fintan Gavin.

In the region of 120 participants have attended each of these meetings where BOM’s are supported in their wide range of governance responsibilities. Chairpersons and school principals have already participated in training for the new Boards of Management in late November and early December 2023 when new BOM’s took up their responsibilities on 1st December 2023.

Further diocesan training and support will be available to new BOM’s in relation to specific roles including treasurer, safeguarding and recruitment later this year.

All these training modules are co-ordinated by the Diocesan Education Secretariat in conjunction with CPSMA (Catholic Primary School Management Association)

The Holy Thursday Mass of Chrism was celebrated at Cork's Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne this morning

Bishop Fintan Gavin welcomed parishioners and priests and religious from across the diocese.

The ceremony included the:

• Renewal of Priestly Promises
• Blessing of the Oil of the Sick
• Blessing of the Oil of Catechumens
• and the Consecration of the Chrism

Bishop Fintan acknowledged especially the contibution of priests across the diocese in a time of a lot of change.

“I want to acknowledge the generosity of so many of our priests who generously continue to minister beyond the retirement age of parish priests at 75 years."

The Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne invites applications for the position of Director of Music at the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne, Roman Street, Cork

This is a part-time fixed-term contract. The person undertaking this post will work collaboratively with the Administrator of the Cathedral, Bishop of the Diocese and Priests of the Parishes, to:

• Develop music within the Cathedral Parish and will work to develop a wider vision and programme of Music for the Diocese of Cork and Ross
• Select appropriate liturgical music for each liturgy
  Leading the Cathedral Choir at weekly Sunday Mass with Tuesday rehearsal. This work includes liturgical key dates and events for Holy Week and Easter Triduum Liturgies, The Liturgies at Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Corpus Christi and other Diocesan / Parish Liturgies that will arise on various occasions.

This talk was delivered at CONNECT 4 - an event organised by the Diocese of Cork and Ross at UCC in February 2024

It was attended by over 200 young people of faith.

During his talk, Msgr Shea addresses a wide range of topics that impact on young people in today’s world. He also encourages us to be active in our faith and, in so doing, discover new levels of happiness and fulfilment.

Msgr. Shea is President of the University of Mary, North Dakota, USA, and was invited to Cork by Bishop Fintan Gavin.

Watch the full address

At CONNECT 4 in Cork - a faith centred event for young adults. Attendees pictured outside the Honan Chapel, UCC

Over 200 hundred young Catholics spending a day listening to a monsignor and a bishop is a rare event these days!

But this is what happened on Sunday in the grounds of University College Cork when a prominent American priest addressed the topic ‘What does it mean to be Catholic today?’

Msgr. James Shea is president of the University of Mary, North Dakota, USA, and was the guest speaker at CONNECT 4 in Cork on Sunday last.

“Young people who are searching believe they are alone and nobody is listening, so we feel we might as well suffer in silence,” Msgr Shea said.  “But that’s not what God wants.”

This was the fourth in a series of meetings of young people which were initiated by Bishop Fintan Gavin, Bishop of Cork and Ross, to help young Catholics connect with one another in a sociable and reflective atmosphere.