Year of Prayer, Listening and Discernment

The people and clergy of the Diocese of Cork and Ross responded with 111,193 words to questions posed by Bishop Fintan Gavin across the diocese.

That’s 291 pages on standard paper. It’s the feedback from a series of meetings held by the Office for Mission and Ministry of the Diocese as part of what Bishop Fintan had called a year of “Prayer, Listening and Discernment”.

Now the content of these conversations has been collated and analysed and the summaries have been made available online. 

No! You won’t need to read 291 pages of text because as Bishop Fintan noted in his pastoral response “There was a remarkable unity across the diocese as to what God is challenging us to do, to work towards and to prioritise for this time.”

You can read all the documents, including thematic summaries for each family of parishes, by clicking on this link:

Report on Prayer, Listening and Discernment

Logo for year of prayer, listening and discernment

The Diocesan Year of Prayer, Listening and Discernment, continues

Bishop Fintan and the Office for Mission and Ministry thank all who participated in the recent sessions across the sixteen Families of Parishes.

In the coming weeks, the responses received are being prayerfully reviewed. This stage of reflection and discernment is vital as we seek to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us as a Diocesan family and to shape the next steps of this process.

The diocese asks everyone to continue to pray that those entrusted with this work may be guided by wisdom, humility, and hope.

The next steps will also include reporting back to the families of parishes.

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)

More about the Year of Prayer, Listening and Discernment

Parishioners with priests and deacons continue to meet in each family of parishes to consider the future of the faith communities in the diocese.

The Office for Mission and Ministry with the support of other facilitators is guiding a series of three meetings in each of the 16 families of parishes.

The discussions are focused on responding to questions posed by Bishop Fintan Gavin in his Sept 2024 Message to the Diocese.

Read the Pastoral Message here

Last evening's gathering was in the family of parishes which includes Ardfield & Rathbarry | Barryroe | Clonakilty | Kilmeen & Castleventry | Rosscarbery & Lisavaird | Timoleague.

At the third meeting in the family of parishes for the Prayer, Listening and Discernment process in the diocese.

Meeting of parishioners in West Cork

Next steps in Year of Prayer, Listening and Discernment about to begin

Gatherings in each Family of Parishes across the diocese are the next steps in the Year of Prayer, Listening and Discernment which was annoiunced by Bishop Fintan Gavin last autumn.

Over the next four months, all the Parishes and Families of Parishes of our Diocese will be involved. Representatives of each Parish Leadership Team along with the local priests will participate in three meetings over three weeks reflecting on the questions posed in Bishop Fintan’s invitation in September.

Since September, people individually and in Parishes, have been praying the Diocesan Prayer from the Boat. As we continue to pray this prayer together, we pray for the success of these gatherings and we pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us as together we try to pray, listen, and discern God’s future for our Church.

Plans being made for vital meetings in early 2025 about parishes and faith

The early days of 2025 will see a lot of energy going into planned meetings about the future shape of the Catholic Church in the diocese.

Between February and May 2025, 15 Families of Parishes in the diocese will host three 1 hour 30 minute sessions centred on these key themes:

1. Baptism – Gateway to the Faith Community
2. Eucharist – Nourishment for Mission
3. Review of the Families of Parishes

The meetings in each family of parishes will include the priests and deacons, the members of the parish leadership group (either a parish pastoral council or a parish assembly) and the members of the parish finance committee from each parish in the family of parishes. 

Representatives of over 28 parishes gather for final diocesan information meeting in Cork

Over 200 people, including priests, parish leadership teams and chaplaincies gathered for the third and final information meeting for the year of prayer, listening and discernment. 

The three meetings have outlined the context for a time of prayer, listening and discerning in our Diocese as we discern where the Holy Spirit is calling us in each family of parishes to contribute to the future life of our faith communities. 

The third meeting was held in Rochestown, Cork, and was addressed by Bishop Fintan Gavin and personnel from the Office for Mission and Ministry. A time of prayer was led by young adults.

An outline was given of the process for the year of prayer, listening, and discernment which will be rolled-out across the Diocese of Cork and Ross in the new year in each family of parishes.  

Parishioners also attended a special time of guided prayer before the Blessed Sacrament in St. Columba’s Church, Douglas, before Sunday's meeting began. 

Discussion at the diocesan meeting