Novena for the Church in Ireland - An Invitation

Sacred Space 102fm invites all our readers,to take part in a special Novena for the Church in Ireland organised by Irish lay people starting Sunday 7th of August and finishing Monday 15th of August the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The initiative started on Facebook has the following intentions behind it:

‘More or less all of the events that have been going on over the last while,between the Cloyne report,Enda Kenny’s speech,scandal in the Church,media reaction to it all (some of it very hostile) and listening to people talking had me feeling pretty low for a while there. So I thought that what we need is a lot of prayer for the Church in Ireland at this time. For me and for many,many others I know that the Church has been a powerful force for good in our lives and it really kills me to think that others did not have that wonderful experience of it,in fact they end up abused and mistreated by the very people who were meant to bring the light and love of Christ to them. It’s something I know that the rest of us find distressing and difficult to understand.

So my idea is to have a large novena for the Church,beginning Sunday the seventh of August....and ending up on Monday 15th of August (the feast of the Assumption of Our Lady,because who better to look after us at this difficult time?)

The novena is also inspired by the Holy Fathers wishes expressed in his challenging Letter to the Faithful of Ireland that is being so widely ignored or misconstrued in Ireland. Please feel free to spread this far and wide:

Novena for the Church in Ireland

(Sunday 7th August – Monday 15th of August)

There are three intentions:

1) We pray in atonement for the sins of the Church in Ireland and for all those who were hurt by them.
2) We pray for all of our priests and bishops,the guilty that they might find God’s mercy and the innocent that God might support them in this difficult time.
3) We pray for the healing and renewal of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

If everyone who wants to join in could pray the rosary on each day (or even just a decade of the rosary) for these intentions and if you can;the Pope’s prayer for the Church in Ireland,which is below,and finally just offer up your Mass on the feast of the Assumption for these intentions."
The Facebook page can be accessed here:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=199278633458761
Pope Benedict XVI's Pastoral Letter to Irish Catholics

Prayer for the Church in Ireland

God of our fathers,
renew us in the faith which is our life and salvation,
the hope which promises forgiveness and interior renewal,
the charity which purifies and opens our hearts
to love you,and in you,each of our brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus Christ,
may the Church in Ireland renew her age-old commitment
to the education of our young people in the way of truth and goodness,holiness and generous service to society.

Holy Spirit,comforter,advocate and guide,
inspire a new springtime of holiness and apostolic zeal
for the Church in Ireland.

May our sorrow and our tears,
our sincere effort to redress past wrongs,
and our firm purpose of amendment
bear an abundant harvest of grace
for the deepening of the faith
in our families,parishes,schools and communities,
for the spiritual progress of Irish society,
and the growth of charity ,justice,joy and peace
within the whole human family.

To you,Triune God,

confident in the loving protection of Mary,
Queen of Ireland,our Mother,
and of Saint Patrick,Saint Brigid and all the saints,
do we entrust ourselves,our children,
and the needs of the Church in Ireland.

Amen.