24 Hours for the Lord

In the Diocese of Limerick the 24 hours for the Lord initiative will take place in Saint Augustine’s Church, O’Connell Street, Limerick beginning with Mass at 4pm on Friday 4 March and concluding with Mass for the sick at 3pm on Saturday 5 March.

There will be opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the 24 hours and in keeping with the theme for the time of prayer, people are encouraged to make a special effort in the season of Lent, to celebrate the love and mercy of God.

All are welcome to participate in this initiative.

Engaging the Heart - March 12th & 13th - Knock Shrine - John McAreavey to speak at Knock faith event

John McAreavey is to speak about his personal faith journey since the tragic loss of his wife, Michaela, as part of a faith festival at Knock Shrine next month. 

‘Engaging the Heart’ is a free weekend event on Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13, featuring a full programme of talks, workshops and a choral concert in Knock Basilica.

The theme of the weekend is ‘forgiveness, hope, healing and reconciliation’ and it has been organised to celebrate Pope Francis’ ‘Jubilee of Mercy’.

Mr McAreavey is to give a personal testimony at 11.45am on Saturday, March 12, about his faith journey, including forgiveness, healing and hope, following the tragic death of his wife Michaela in 2011. Mr McAreavey is the co-founder of the Michaela Foundation, a youth orientated charity that promotes wellbeing and faith through summer camps for girls across Ireland.

Well-known Northern Ireland peace and reconciliation campaigner, Rev Ruth Patterson, will also speak at the event. Rev Patterson is a Presbyterian minister and the director of Restoration Ministries, a non-denominational, Christian organisation committed to peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. She was awarded an OBE in 2003 for her efforts in reconciliation and has authored four books and numerous articles stemming from her commitment to unity and peace. Rev Patterson will deliver a talk and a workshop over the weekend.

Another highlight of the weekend is a free choral concert on Saturday evening at 7.30pm. Choirs from across Ireland will join together in song and praise in the beautiful surrounds of the newly refurbished Knock Basilica.

Speaking about the weekend, Fr Richard Gibbons, parish priest and rector, Knock Shrine, encouraged individuals and parish groups to come along and join in the talks and workshops on one or both days. “There is a fantastic line-up of speakers and talks throughout the two days and an excellent workshop programme. I have no doubt this will be a wonderful event and a vibrant celebration of faith,” said Fr Gibbons.

“Engaging the Heart is an ideal opportunity to celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy and is also very relevant for the Lenten journey and Easter preparations.”

For the full weekend programme and further information, please visit www.knockshrine.ie/mercy or telephone (094) 93 88100.

Rome Reports: The Botero Way of the Cross arrives in Rome for the Jubilee

28th February 2016 - Interview with Canons from Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest - 3rd Sunday Lent

On this weeks programme John has an interview with members of the community of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest who are the community now in residence at the Sacred Heart Church on the Crescent in Limerick city. We have some reflections on this weeks gospel here on the blog as well as other liturgical odds and ends.
 
You can listen to the podcast of this weeks full programme HERE.
 
Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
 

On this weeks programme John has an interview with Canon Wulfran Lenocq (Prior of the community in Limerick) and Canon Benjamin Goggeshall from the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest.

 

On the programme they discuss with John the history and mission of the Institute as well as sharing both of their vocation stories. They share the formation members of the Institute under go on the road to priesthood, their daily schedule and how the community came to take custody of the Sacred Heart Church in Limerick and of its development since their arrival.

 

The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest is a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right with the stated goal of honouring God and the sanctification of priests in the service of the Catholic Church and souls. An integral part of the institute’s charism is the use of the traditional Latin liturgy of 1962 for Mass and the other sacraments. It has undertaken the restoration of a number of historic church buildings. The Institute's rule of life is based generally on that of the secular canons.The institute was founded in 1990 by Gilles Wach and Philippe Mora in Gabon, Africa, where the institute still has missions, notably in the capital Libreville. Deacons and priests are incardinated into the institute, whose prior general has the right to call to orders. The institute is currently based in Gricigliano, Italy, where the international seminary is located.

 

You can learn more about the Institute at their website here.

 
The Institute have a special weekend coming 4-7 March when they welcome three Sisters from their female branch - Sisters Adorers of the Royal Heart of Jesus Christ Sovereign Priest. Schedule of the visit of the Sisters is available here.
 
The interview with the members of the Institute is excerpted from the main programme and is available here.
 
Gospel - Luke 13:1-9
 

The Accursed Fig Tree (Le figuier maudit) - James Tissot

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.’

Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

• Word on Fire
• English Dominicans
• Sunday Reflections
• Centre for Liturgy

Liturgical odds & ends
 
Liturgy of the Hours: psalter week 3; 3rd week of Lent
 
Saints of the Week (commemorations during Lent)
 
February 29th - Feria - memorials on this day
March 1st - Blessed Christopher of Milan
March 2nd - Saint John Maron
March 3rd -  Saint Katharine Drexel
March 4th - Blessed Christopher Bales
March 5th - Saint Colman of Armagh also Saint Kieran

Some web browsing.........

Meeting with Pope was prepared in secret because of too many opponents – Patriarch Kirill

Filipinos recall revolution 30 years after Marcos was toppled

WoF - "Risen” and the Reality of the Resurrection

Canadian archbishop: no anointing for people planning assisted suicide

To lift Mother Angelica’s spirits we should pray to the Divine Infant

The Secret Privilege of “Offering it Up” - One cannot participate, even infinitesimally, in Christ’s agonies without participating in the expansion of his mercy toward all

A Bride of Christ on Her 29th Birthday - A married woman sees her vocation in the consecration of a nun

A Badass Feminist Can’t Hide the Truth About Abortion - The author of "Twenty Tips for Your First Abortion" says more about the experience than she perhaps intended

Where Are the Thin Places? - Really, they are everywhere we permit them to be

Antonin Scalia: America’s Good Servant ‘Because He Was God’s First’  Justice’s funeral Mass was both edifying and evangelizing — and unambiguously Catholic

Does religious life have a future?

The new push to end priestly celibacy

Book Launch - "The End of All Things Earthly - Faith Profiles of the 1916 Leaders"

Pastoral Statement of the Catholic Bishops of Ireland on the Upcoming General Election

(CatholicIreland.net)Hierarchy focus on five key election issues: housing crisis, education, crime, healthcare, right to life and refugee crisis.
                                  

Exercise your democratic right and vote, and during this general election, “take stock of the health of the nation” and “how we respond to the plight of the most vulnerable,” the Catholic bishops have said.

They also encourage the electorate to “engage with and challenge” their candidates about their commitment to issues and about their understanding of politics as “truly working and walking together to foster the common good”.

In a statement released on yesterday and signed by Archbishops Eamon Martin of Armagh, Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Kieran O’Reilly of Cashel and Emly and Michael Neary of Tuam, the bishops focus on five key election issues: homes, education, security, health, the fostering of a solid human ecology, and international responsibility.

The crisis in homelessness affects not just those sleeping rough but those housed in inadequate accommodation like hotel rooms which are “totally unsuitable for children and families”, say the bishops.

Speaking on RTE Radio’s Morning Ireland yesterday, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin said a whole industry had been created in hotels extending the tourist season to provide inadequate accommodation for families.

On education, the bishops say there has been much talk of “inequality in access to education” but the real inequality in Irish schools is “economic inequality where poorer communities and schools with a large percentage of disadvantaged children are not being adequately supported.”

They point in particular to the lack of opportunity for the most deprived like Travellers.

Shocking recent killings on the streets highlight the need for security and are the product of a “criminal industry of death which unscrupulously floods our streets and our children with drugs,” say the bishops.

The most fundamental obligation of the State is the protection of its citizens affirming that people will willingly support policies to strengthen an Garda Síochána.

On health, the bishops say that progressive governments have presented solutions which have failed or not been implemented.

Commenting on RTE radio, Archbishop Martin said the crisis was “not fault of nurses and doctors. Our politics has failed.”

Turning to “fostering human ecology”, the bishops say austerity is not a popular word but “there is another kind of austerity, that of simplicity in life-style in harmony with nature, through which all of us indicate where our real values lie, rather than in the empty values of consumerism.”
“A true human ecology recognises the equal right to life of every person from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.”

The Constitution of Ireland embraces the right to life of the unborn child.

“It is a fundamental affirmation of equality, where the right to life of no child is considered of less value than that of another,” say the bishops adding that they “strongly oppose any weakening of the affirmation of the right to life of the unborn”.

Asked on radio if the bishops were telling people of faith not to vote for those who support the repeal of the 8th amendment, Dr Martin said it was not the job of the bishops to tell people how to vote.
People have to make a “mature decision”.

“I’m saying, ‘Here are the fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church.’ Then it is up to every person to make up their mind in conscience,” he said.

In their statement, the bishops also referred to immigrants saying as a traditionally emigrant country Irish people shared “a historical memory of how our emigrants were received”.

Now it is the time for Irish people to “reciprocate the experience of openness by welcoming to our communities people who flee from persecution, from economic exclusion or from religious discrimination”.

They also call on the next government to maintain its commitments in international life especially “commitments to finance development and to combat climate change”.

Pointing to Jesus’ account of the last judgement: “I was hungry and you gave me food….”, the bishops say the Christian in politics and society, “cannot renounce his or her special responsibility to protect the weak and the marginalised. This responsibility cannot be delegated or suppressed to party interests or emptied into the language of spin.”

******************

Full text of the Bishops Pastoral Statement HERE

Some web browsing...

Bishops urge voters to put right to life No.1

Outgoing Government put ‘choice’ before children - David Quinn

 

The right to life must be a non-negotiable election issue - Nuala O Loan

Abortion is a major election issue - It is "very difficult to see how any Catholic could, in good conscience, vote for a candidate or a political party whose policy it is to legalise abortion" - Bishop Doran.

The unvarnished desert

Did St. Thérèse of Lisieux Send Roses to Pope Francis in Mexico?

Monotasking this Lent

Reminding people that God is a reality - "We should not forget the quiet but vibrant faith which still remains", writes Andrew O'Connell

Discernment in a Nutshell

Moscow patriarch visits Antarctica

Head of Ukrainian Catholic Church consoled by pope's words

Papal preacher begins weekly Lenten sermons

Church of Nativity undergoes restoration project

Pope Francis: Abortion is evil, not the solution to Zika virus

Nothing to Celebrate - The seriousness of a society’s funeral rites speaks volumes about the seriousness of a society, for the way we treat the dead is really a function of how we value life

Gnostic Bodies: Why Millennials Love Tattoos

Ever Ancient, Ever New: Audrey Assad Discusses “Inheritance” Her new album will become the soundtrack for many to the Year of Mercy

Shortage of Priestly Vocations? Not at This Midwestern Parish. Saints Peter and Paul in Naperville, Illinois, lets us in on their secret

“This Sinner, Antonin Scalia …” and Why We Are Here A deep appreciation of Fr. Paul Scalia's remarkable homily at his father's funeral

Liberty's Rise and Fall - A modern history of religious freedom- how the Catholic Church moved from the sacristy to the street

Synod Sports Conference 24th February 2016 (REPOST)

Limerick is a city and county in love with and passionately interested in Sport. One of our themes for the Synod is ‘Building Community’ and sporting organisations have much to teach us in this regard. This one-day conference will be a mix of keynote speakers and workshops.

Keynote Address One:

‘Building Community – Lessons from the World of Sport’

Michael "Mickey" Harte is the current—and most successful—Gaelic football manager of the Tyrone senior inter-county team. He has led Tyrone to three All-Ireland titles, four Ulster titles, one National League, and eight Dr. McKenna Cups to date (as of January 2015). Harte has been very forthcoming with his Christian views.

Workshops

A variety of workshops will be provided by sporting personalities including:

• Gerry Hussey has been working at the fore front of Olympic and International Sport since graduating from Trinity College Dublin in 2003. In his role as Performance Consultant, Gerry has coached elite athletes for Olympic Games, Heineken Cups, European and World Championships.   
• Ger Downes and local GAA personalities including Cian Lynch, Seamus Hickey and Declan Hannon.
• Pat O’Sullivan from Limerick Soccer.

Keynote Address Two:

'The Fellowship of Sport'

Gerard Hartmann is a native of Limerick City, Ireland who, over the past twenty two years, has developed a reputation for treating many of the world's elite sport stars. Gerard has treated 61 Olympic medal winners, 47 World Champions including World Record holder. He has worked with a record seven winners of the London Marathon including world record holders Paula Radcliffe and Khalid Khannouchi. In this input Ger will elaborate on the concept that sport connects people and communities giving identity, purpose and unity.

Venue: Mary Immaculate College

Date: Wednesday 24th February

Time: 6p.m. to 9.30p.m.

21st February 2016 - Justice: March for Life and Trocaire Lenten Campaign 2016 - 2nd Sunday of Lent

On this weeks programme we focus on the call to action which Lent presents to us. John is joined by Rebecca Kealy about the Munster March for Life and then by Meabh Smith from Trócaire about their Lenten campaign 2016. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel and other odds and ends.

You can listen to the full programme podcast HERE.

Munster March for Life 2016

John talks to Rebecca Kealy on this weeks programme about the Munster March for Life which is being held on 27th February 2016 in Cork. The rally is the coming together of the pro-life community in the Munster area to highlight the need to protect the right to life of the unborn, support to mothers and children and the defence of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution.

You can listen to the interview with Rebecca excerpted from the programme HERE.

The Munster March for Life website and blog is HERE including stories of famous people who were nearly aborted including Celine Dion, Andrea Boccelli and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Trócaire Lenten Campaign 2016

John has an interview with Meabh Smith from Trócaire about the 2016 Lenten campaign. Trócaire launched their 43rd Lent campaign on 11th February, the biggest annual fundraising campaign in Ireland. For the first time, this year’s Trócaire box features people from Ireland, celebrating Trócaire supporters, who are fighting for justice for the world’s poor.

The Trócaire boxes come to Limerick as charity thanks people from the Diocese of Limerick for raising €182,919 last year

Last year, The Diocese of Limerick raised €182,919 to support Trócaire’s annual Lenten campaign, which according to the charity, has supported thousands of people living in devastating poverty across the developing world.

Eamonn Meehan, Executive Director of Trócaire said:

“This year’s Trócaire box is a recognition of ordinary people from places like Limerick, who are doing extraordinary things in the pursuit of justice and a fairer world. Every year we receive tremendous support from Limerick’s school children, teachers, grandparents, clergy, volunteers and families. All of them have something in common. They cannot ignore poverty and they want to make a difference in whatever way they can. Together, they are fighting for justice.”

Last year, thanks to support from people in Ireland, Trócaire supported over 2.4 million people across Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. This included 45,000 poor families who got access to local resources, including land and water. Trócaire protected over 700 human rights defenders who were abused and attacked in Guatemala and over 6,000 women, who survived abuse, got healthcare, counselling and legal aid to get justice.

“Sometimes, it is easy to look at the scale of global poverty and think ‘what can I do?’ said Eamonn Meehan. “This year, our Trócaire box is dedicated to thanking people who say ‘I’ll do what I can’.”

This year is Trócaire’s 43rd Lenten campaign. The agency was founded in 1973 by the Catholic Bishops of Ireland to combat extreme poverty and injustice overseas.

Trócaire boxes are available from parishes throughout Limerick, through trocaire.org or by phoning 1850 408 408. As well as donating through the Trócaire box and trocaire.org, people can download a free Trócaire box app for their mobile phones or tablets. The app is available from the Apple App Store or Google Playstore.

You can listen to the interview with Meabh excerpted from the main programme HERE

Gospel - Luke 9: 28-36 - The Transfiguration

Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus^* took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. ³⁰Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. ³¹They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. ³²Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake,^* they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. ³³Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings,^* one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. ³⁴While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. ³⁵Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen;^* listen to him!’ ³⁶When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Sunday Reflections
English Dominicans
Word on Fire
Centre for Liturgy
Salt + Light - The Hidden Glory of Mount Tabor
Thin Places, Veils, and Transfiguration
Behold What Your Are, Become What You See – A Sermon for the Feast of the Transfiguration, Luke 9:28-36








Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours - psalter week 2; 2nd Week of Lent

Saints of the Week (commemorations during Lent)

February 22nd - Chair of St Peter
February 23rd - Saint Polycarp of Smyrna
February 24th - Feria (free day) - memorials of various
February 25th - Feria - memorials of various saints
February 26th - Feria - memorials of various saints
February 27th - Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Time out with God - Ask - Seek - Knock

Catch up with Pope Francis in Mexico with Rome Reports III

Remembering the Coptic Martyrs of Libya

(Vatican Radio) Monday 15 February marked one year since video surfaced of the murder of 21 Orthodox Coptic Christians on a beach in northern Africa. The men were marched in orange suits across the beach, forced to kneel and then were beheaded by militants of the so-called Islamic State. It is impossible to forget the images of the atrocity seared into the public imagination but the Egyptian Coptic community is celebrating the memory of their martyrdom this week with prayer meetings, liturgies and reflections, culminating in a solemn liturgy on Tuesday.

Listen to the report from Vatican Radio here.

Some web browsing.........

Pope Francis’ love affair with Our Lady of Guadalupe

Don’t Waste Your Lent: 7 Ways to Have a Good Lent

Lenten Duties: Remember, Thank, Share

Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving - in harmony with human nature

Easter church services cancelled due to 1916 centenary parade ‘There is a considerable sense of disappointment and sadness at this’, Church of Ireland says

The death of the Last Rites

Pope Francis meets local Jesuits, receives relic of Bl. Miguel Pro

Ireland’s Momentous Year

Women Saints: Virgins, Martyrs…and Mothers

How Pope Francis shakes up what it means to be ‘pro-life’

Bishop asks Catholics in his diocese: ‘When did you last go to Confession?’

Analysis and Commentary on the Havana Declaration by Pope Francis & Patriarch Kirill

• Pope Francis: The Return of Ostpolitik
• The Pope and the Patriarch: Something More Than Politics
• Francis and Kirill: Who Played Whom? – Adam A.J. DeVille, The Catholic World Report
• Francis and Kirill: Some Success, Some Wait-and-See. The meeting between Francis and Kirill opens significant new chapter in building unity between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. However, there is something to keep in mind
• The Vatican Did Everything to Accommodate Patriarch Kirill, Received Little – Fr. Mark DrewHis Beatitude Sviatoslav Unhappy in Joint Declaration; Vatican Is “Weaker Team” – C.E. OlsonPope Francis: The Return of Ostpolitik – Andrea Gagliarducci, Monday Vatican
• The Pope, the Patriarch, and the Pan-Orthodox Council – Edward Pentin, N.C. Register
• Five Insights About Today’s Pope Francis-Patriarch Kirill Meeting – Victor Gaetan, Register
• Correcting N.P.R. on the Differences Between Catholics and Eastern Orthodox – Trent Horn
• Eastern Orthodox Cacophony in America – Peter Berger, The American Interest
• The Byzantine Rite, Jesus, Zacchaeus & Mercy – Kevin Bezner, The Christian Review
• Seven Thoughts on the "Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill" - Catholic World Report
• The Havana Declaration - First Things

A future not our own

February 7th was Synod Sunday in Limerick diocese to bring parishioners upto date with the progress of the Synod 2016 and to continue to ask for prayer and support. One of the suggested reflections for use during the Mass was the reflection "A future not our own" which is was timely reminder to us caught up in the midst of the Synod preparations to hold things in perspective and to remember that it wont all be done in one go! But it is also a reminder to us as we rush through life, perhaps to take time to seek the Lord, to not worry about the plans and the doing of things but perhaps to think that maybe "being" rather than "doing" might be the better option!

In memory of Oscar Romero (1917–1980)

A Future Not Our Own
It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.

The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.

Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives include everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water the seeds already planted knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing this.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's
grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

************

From Xavarian Missionaries:

Oscar A. Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, in El Salvador, was assassinated on March 24, 1980, while celebrating Mass in a small chapel in a cancer hospital where he lived. He had always been close to his people, preached a prophetic gospel, denouncing the injustice in his country and supporting the development of popular and mass organizations. He became the voice of the Salvadoran people when all other channels of expression had been crushed by the repression.

This prayer was composed by Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw, drafted for a homily by Card. John Dearden in Nov. 1979 for a celebration of departed priests. As a reflection on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Bishop Romero, Bishop Untener included it in a reflection titled "The mystery of the Romero Prayer." The mystery is that the words of the prayer are attributed to Oscar Romero, but they were never spoken by him.

Catch up with Pope Francis in Mexico with Rome Reports II

 

(ONLY VIDEO) During the meeting with thousands of young people at the José María Morelos y Pavon stadium, the Pope noticed two young women who wanted to hug him. Pope Francis called them up to the stage. Afterwords, he tenderly embraced them both.

Conference to look at how sport can build faith - Limerick Diocesan Synod 2016

(From CatholicIreland.net) “Throughout competitions I recited decades of the rosary praying as I competed. I drew on my faith to empower performance” - Gerard Hartmann.

Some high profile sports stars are lined up for a conference later this month in Limerick which will look at how the Church can learn from sport’s sense of ‘community’.

The ‘Building Community – Lessons from the World of Sport’ conference is due to take place on 24 February at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick.

It will hear from speakers who will give their personal testimony around how sport helps build a community and how the Church can learn from this.

One of the speakers is one of Ireland’s and the world’s best known physio therapists, Gerard Hartmann, who has described faith and sport as “indelibly linked” stating that both are “at the core of the best communities”

Gerard Hartmann is set to join legendary Tyrone manager, Mickey Harte, as well as other well-known sporting figures such as Limerick GAA stars Cian Lynch, Seamus Hickey and Declan Hannon and Pat O’Sullivan from Limerick FC.

The conference is one of the key diocesan events organised for the lead-in to the 8-10 April Limerick Synod.

Looking ahead to the event, Hartmann said that when he competing, religion was always close to him – “literally”.

“When I competed in triathlon competitions my faith was integral to my success. I always placed a Padre Pio relic under the saddle of my bicycle as I and my family have great devotion to Padre Pio. I used to stitch a brown scapular relic depicting devotion to Blessed Mary on my sports attire,” he said.

“Throughout competitions I recited decades of the rosary praying as I competed. I drew on my faith to empower performance,” he explained.

“My faith is hugely important to me but faith plays a huge role in the sporting world. For 15 minutes before athletes step onto the athletic track at the Olympic Games they go into what is known as the call room to wait before being summoned to the start line.”

“I have worked with 73 Olympic medal winners and numerous world champions and record holders. Spanning the past six Olympic Games and 14 World and European Athletics Championships I have been a regular visitor to the call room.”

“In a place so quiet – yet full of coiled energy – I tend to the final needs of the athletes and observe every movement. Be they European, American, African or Asian, the majority of athletes spend those final moments before the ‘off’ in prayer, in the request for the perfect performance.”

“So faith and sport really are intertwined for so many. When you go to really strong communities, you will typically also see faith and sport really prominent. They are the glue for many great parishes and communities and we all know the importance of communities.”

According to Synod Director, Fr Eamonn Fitzgibbon, “Ultimately with our Synod, we are seeking to reimagine the role of the Church in the future and if it is to make the type of contribution we want, it must be at the heart of a community. Sport is at the heart of communities and we have a lot we can learn from sport.”

“Next Wednesday will do that for us. We get to hear from some incredibly inspirational sports people who will give us their insights and from a Synod perspective, we will be hoping to learn from them and see how we can apply those learnings to how we work in communities in the years ahead.”

The ‘Building Community – Lessons from the World of Sport’ conference will be held at the Lime Tree Theatre, Mary Immaculate College on 24 February from 6-9:30pm.