Month: November 2016

Thinking for Ourselves

Brendan Hoban in his Western People column tells us that ‘openness, transparency and respect are prerequisites for sustaining loyalty…… Adults will only give their loyalty if they are respected as adults.
Which is why infantilism – treating adults as children – no longer works in the modern world. And which is why the Catholic Church, in a more open and questioning society, is struggling so hard to maintain the loyalty of its members.’.

The “new” Missal; We can do better

The issues with the ‘new’ Missal are ongoing for us in the ACP. Difficulties continue to be experienced by so many people with the “new translation” of the Roman Missal. The ACP has decided to highlight the fact that there was, and is, a ready alternative available.
The ACP is making available the prayers for the Advent and Christmas seasons along with the Order of the Mass from the 1998 Missal in a printed format. The opening prayer, prayer over gifts, prefaces and prayer after communion are also available at the weekly ‘Liturgy Preparation’ page on our site.

A Priesthood Imprisoned: Presentation by Marie Keenan to the AGM

A Priesthood Imprisoned:
Presentation by Marie Keenan to the AGM
“I am not sure whether we are Killing our Priests as is the title of this AGM but I am sure that we are imprisoning them in a prison of invisibility, silence and to a great extent impotence.”
“most of all I urge you to take care of yourself in this time of uncertainty and challenge.”

Updated! Some go low, some go high, reactions to the election of the 45th President of the USA

Updated with comments by Sean McDonagh on the potential devastating consequences President elect Trump’s policies on the environment will have if implemented.

Last Tuesday, 08 November 2016, citizens of the U.S.A. elected their new President.
The resulting democratic election of Donald Trump led to joyous celebration among his followers and despair, despondency, and even a sense of fear among those who opposed his views and values.

Brendan Hoban, in his Western People column and Tony Flannery, on his own blog site, have shared some thoughts on the election of Donald Trump and possible implications for us in Ireland.

Mercy Friday Visit

Pádraig McCarthy draws our attention to reports of Pope Francis completing his year of ‘Mercy Fridays’, Pope Francis chose to visit priests who have left active ministry to marry and also met their families, in order to give a sign that the Church does not judge people but embraces all.

Catholic Identity

Stan Mellett, a Redemptorist priest, suggests we have a problem with our identity as catholics.
Stan is suggesting we begin to make an attempt this Advent to forge a new catholic identity for ourselves, even if “With our age profile coupled with ill health, weary with poor response and poor participation in the parish, it is an effort to muster up enthusiasm for a new start. Our attending faithful flock is also ageing and weary. But they are regular – in this lower income parish we count about 700 at three Masses between Vigil and Sunday. Politicians, Summer Schools and other organisations make headlines with that kind of attendance. Surely the alarming prospect of losing our identity totally, will rake the embers to stir up new life in our old bones! There’s fire in the grate still even in our eighties!”

The ‘new’ missal; there is an alternative: Item for Agenda of AGM

To highlight the immediate availability of an alternative to the present ‘new missal’ the prayers and prefaces for the seasons of Advent and Christmas and the Order of Mass from the 1998 Missal will be made available at the AGM of the Association of Catholic priests.

Prayers from the 1998 ICEL Missal are also made available on a weekly basis in the liturgy section of this website; see the Presider’s Page of the Liturgy Preparation section.

Bishops’ Letter to the Association of Catholic Priests: Item for Agenda of AGM

Last May an ACP delegation raised some serious and urgent issues about the Irish Church with representatives of the Irish Bishops. We also looked for a process of continual dialogue in order to meet the challenges facing us.

A response was received from Ray Browne, bishop of Kerry.

Select a category in the sidebar for more posts

Select a category in the sidebar for more posts