Youth Ministry

Over 120 young adults gathered for Connect 7

Last Saturday, over 120 young adults gathered at the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne in Cork for CONNECT 7, an event organised by the Diocese of Cork and Ross

CONNECT has become a much-anticipated occasion for young adults across the diocese to come together, combining faith, friendship and fun.

The theme for this Connect gathering was, “Finding Purpose - God’s Plan for My Life”, which centred around what God is inviting us to do with our lives, whether married, a priest, a religious or single.

Lorraine Buckley, Faith Development Coordinator with the Diocese of Cork and Ross, and Fr Conor McGrath, Vocations Director with the Diocese of Down and Connor, were the keynote speakers. Both offered insights and personal reflections on discerning God’s call and finding meaning in one’s life.

Connect 7 is taking place on Saturday 18th October in the Cathedral of St Mary at St Anne’s

Watch Fr Conor's invite video

Young people aged 18-35 are warmly invited to CONNECT 7

Connect 7 is taking place on Saturday 18th October in the Cathedral of St Mary at St Anne’s, Cork City from 2-7pm.

The theme of this Connect is ‘Finding purpose – God’s plan for my life’, which will centre around what God is inviting us to do with our lives, whether married, a priest, a religious or single.

Our keynote speakers are Fr. Conor McGrath, Vocations Director in the Diocese of Down and Connor, and Lorraine Buckley, Faith Development Coordinator in the Diocese of Cork and Ross.

The day will include a presentation by the two guest speakers, Mass, Adoration, time for a panel discussion and an opportunity for Confession.

There is a registration fee of €10, which includes pizza.

Register Here

The Diocese of Cork and Ross is delighted to announce CONNECT 7, an event for Young Adults aged 18-35.

Connect 7 is taking place on Saturday 18th October in the Cathedral of St Mary at St Anne’s, Cork City from 2-7pm. 

Connect is a gathering for young people of faith and for those who are searching between the ages of 18-35. Previous CONNECT events have been very successful in bringing young adults together to celebrate their faith and find support and nourishment for their faith journey today.

This Connect’s theme is: ‘Finding purpose – God’s plan for my life’, which will centre around what God is inviting us to do with our lives, whether married, a priest, a religious or single. Our keynote speakers are Fr. Conor McGrath, Vocations Director in the Diocese of Down and Connor, and Lorraine Buckley, Faith Development Coordinator in the Diocese of Cork and Ross.

The day will include a talk by the two guest speakers, Mass, Adoration, time for a panel discussion, confessions, pizza and more.

Register Here

The Sycamore and Foundations in Theology programmes begin on Wednesday 24th September

The Diocese of Cork and Ross, in collaboration with UCC Chaplaincy and the Presentation Brothers LEAF Project is offering two exciting programmes for young adults (18-35 years).

The Foundations in Theology and Sycamore programmes will be begin on Wednesday 24th September from 5.45-8pm in Mardyke House, Cork, T12 W8RP.

Both programmes will run concurrently over the next 10 weeks:

Foundations in Theology: This introductory programme explores the fundamentals of our Christian faith. Sessions will be presented by various expert speakers. 

Sycamore Formation Series: A welcoming and accessible starting point for young adults interested in learning more about the Catholic faith.

Bishop Fintan with Ella Smith, Aislinn Walsh and Anna Smith at the launch of Maranatha 2026.

Maranatha 2026 – our second annual celebration of music, faith, and young people in the Diocese of Cork and Ross – has officially been launched.

At the launch, teachers from post-primary schools across the diocese took part in a workshop on the music that will be part of the programme was presented.

A group of young adult singers from the Rome pilgrimage recorded the official Maranatha 2026 playlist, which is now available on Spotify (listen here: Maranatha Playlist on Spotify).

Some of these young adults attended the launch and gave teachers a taster of the songs at the workshop.

Maranatha 2026 will take place on Thursday, 26 February 2026, in Cork City Hall. Up to 500 students will gather for a full day of activities, including catechesis and music, all leading up to the concert that evening.

The Diocese recently met with priests and post-primary school teachers to share plans for the Alpha Youth programme, an initiative designed to support young people on their journey of faith by bringing schools and parishes together in partnership.

Alpha Youth is an experience that gives young people a space to have meaningful conversations about life, faith, and purpose.

Two information sessions were held—one in Mardyke House and another in Clonakilty Parish Centre—to explore how Alpha Youth can serve as a tool to engage young people, particularly those of post-Confirmation age, helping them to connect more deeply with faith and parish life.

After completing Alpha Youth, the young people will be invited to continue to meet in their own faith communities with the support of the parish youth leaders.

The information session at Mardyke House where priests and teachers explored how Alpha Youth can serve as a tool to engage young people.

Last weekend, altar servers from the parishes of Barryroe and Kilbrittain took part in the filming of new training videos for the Diocese.

The videos will act as a helpful resource for parents and adult volunteers, offering guidance on how to train and form altar servers within their own parishes.

The videos will be available shortly on our website and YouTube channel.

The Cork and Ross Jubilee of Youth Pilgrims met at Mardyke House for an evening of reflection, prayer, and community.

The group gathered to share and reflect on their experiences from the Jubilee of Youth pilgrimage and how it has helped them to grow in their faith. They looked at what faith practices they could introduce in their lives to keep it – such as daily prayer, mass, faith formation programmes and spiritual direction.