Diocese of Limerick - Prayers of our People

"What's Your Favourite Prayer?" was the Limerick Diocesan Youth Project in 2007/2008 and on 14th October 2010, the result of that project consisting of prayers from over 850 young people from the Diocese of Limerick as well as 13 parishes from neighbouring dioceses was launched at the Woodlands House Hotel in Adare, Co Limerick.

The great thing to come out from the project stressed by Fr Chris O'Donnell during the launch was the fact that despite all the negativity about the Church and young people that it demonstrated the prayerfulness of the people of the diocese and in particular the fact that the youth of the diocese were people of prayer from families of prayer.

The prayer book is available for €6 from Limerick Diocesan Pastoral Centre contactable at 061-400133 and all funds raised go to support youth ministry in the diocese of Limerick.

The Battle of the Prayers

 During the compilation of the book the following interesting facts were noted:

The top three favourite prayers of Limerick Diocese were

3. Our Father

2. Prayers to our Guardian Angels

1. Hail Mary

The "Memorare" and the "Hail Holy Queen" are two popular prayers to Our Lady; with the Memorare coming out on top as a firm favourite.

In terms of favourite saints, coming in as runner up to St Patrick, the young people of the diocese of Limerick's favourite saint is:

St Francis of Assisi

What are you Praying at?!(otherwise known as 'out of the mouth of babes')

And then there was a couple of times when it was hard to work out exactly what was being prayered by the youngsters in the diocese with some interesting interpretations on familiar prayers (which just goes to show, Irish adults should slow down saying their prayers, you never know what way it can be picked up!!!):

The correct prayer would be - "Our Father, who art in heaven"

Some people thought was:

• Our Father who does art in Heaven
• Our Father who worked in Heaven
• Our Father who ark in Heaven
• Our Father who aren’t in Heaven

'Hallowed be thy name'

• Harold be thy name
• hello be thy name
• Halloween be thy name
• How did ya know my name?

‘Thy Kingdom come’

• Thy Kingdom Kong
• Thy King don’t come
• My Kingdom come

'Give us this day our daily bread’

• Give us to stay our holy breath
• Give us the state our Daly bread
• Give us this day our staley bread

'Hail Mary full of grace' was interpreted as 'Hail Mary, full of grapes' 

'Blessed art thou amongst women' was interpreted as 'Bless it our doubt amongst women' or even 'Bless a dart down among women'

'Blessed is the fruit of your womb' was understood as 'Blessesd is the fruit of thy wound' or even 'Blessed is the fruit of thy moon'