Diocesan News
Our Lectio Divina resource for week 2 of Advent is now available to download
Listening for God’s promise of mercy and restoration
As we journey through the Second Week of Advent, our Gospels draw us into a posture of hopeful waiting. God speaks his promise into the ordinary moments of our lives: a promise of mercy for the weary, rest for those who labour and are overburdened, and restoration for a world longing for peace. Advent reminds us that our waiting is never empty - Christ is already at work, renewing creation and preparing our hearts to receive him. Together, let us listen attentively to God’s word this week and allow hope to take root and grow within us, lighting our way toward the coming of our Saviour.
Our Lectio Divina resource for week 2 of Advent is now available to download here.
Waiting in Hope: Week 2 - Listening for God’s Promise Through the Word
More than 120 young people gathered for Connect 7, which focused on the theme “Finding Purpose - God’s Plan for My Life.”
Lorraine Buckley and Fr Conor McGrath were the keynote speakers at Connect 7, which saw over 120 young people gather in St Mary and St Anne’s Cathedral, Cork.
The theme for this Connect gathering was, “Finding Purpose - God’s Plan for My Life”, which centered around what God is inviting us to do with our lives, whether married, a priest, a religious or single.
Both speakers offered insights and personal reflections on discerning God’s call and finding meaning in one’s life.
The full keynote talk from Connect 7 is now available to watch on the Cork and Ross YouTube channel.
Watch Lorraine Buckley and Fr Conor McGrath's key note talk here
The Diocese of Cork and Ross invites you to join us for Light Fever in Ss. Peter and Paul's Church, Cork on Sunday 7th December form 2.30pm-5pm.
Throughout the afternoon, young people will go out in pairs to gently invite passers-by to step away from the busy city streets and into the quiet, prayerful atmosphere of the church, while others remain inside praying for all who enter.
The blessed sacrament will be exposed and the church will be lit up with candles, with gentle praise and worship music playing. Confession will be available and a prayer-intention box will be placed near the altar.
This event offers a wonderful opportunity to give witness to our faith and to share a welcoming, uplifting experience of the Church with others.
All help is greatly appreciated! If you’d like to get involved, please email connect@corkandross.org
In the responses gathered during the Year of Prayer, Listening and Discernment, you expressed a desire to build community and to pray with God’s Word.
As we begin Advent, we are invited to slow down, reflect, and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. Gathering around the Gospel together can enrich our spiritual preparation and strengthen our sense of community.
To support this, we are delighted to offer three online Lectio Divina sessions during Advent so that people from all parts of the diocese can gather as one community of faith and share in the hope of Advent.
- Wednesday, 3 December
- Wednesday, 10 December
- Wednesday, 17 December
Time: 7.30pm to 8.30pm
Deepen Your Advent Journey with Lectio Divina
During our Year of Prayer, Listening and Discernment, people shared a desire for a deeper and more united experience of worship during the Sunday Eucharist.
In responding to this desire, we’re introducing the use of common postures at Mass, as outlined in the Missal, starting this weekend, the First Sunday of Advent. It is hoped that this will help make people feel even more welcome and at home in whatever church in our diocese that they attend the celebration of the Eucharist.
Advent invites us to renewed attentiveness, hope, and preparation for the coming of Christ. In that same spirit of renewal, adopting unified postures – standing, sitting, and kneeling together at the appropriate times – helps us express more visibly that we are one community in faith.
Posters and pew cards will be available in our churches with a with a brief explanation of why we stand, kneel and sit at Mass.
