SacredSpace102fm : 18th March 2018 - St Mary's Cathedral Limerick celebrates 850th anniversary

18 Mar 2018

18th March 2018 - St Mary's Cathedral Limerick celebrates 850th anniversary

On this weeks programme John and the team are joined by Dean Niall Sloane to discuss with is the fact that St Mary's Cathedral is celebrating its 850th anniversary this year. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel as well as some other odds and ends.

You can listen to the full podcast of this weeks programme HERE.

Celebrating 850 years - St Mary's Cathedral Limerick

Dean Niall Sloane from St Mary's Cathedral joins us on this weeks programme to talk to us about this year’s festivities which are celebrating and promoting the Cathedral’s roles in city life including – community, civic, cultural, educational, ecumenical, musical, sporting and tourism to mark its 850th anniversary. Highlights of the year include a visit from the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge and a special service of thanksgiving.

Each month the Cathedral will highlight a figure associated with Saint Mary’s and there will also be a tangible dimension to the celebrations as each month will focus on a charity or cause based in or around Limerick.

Speaking at the start of the year, the Dean, the Very Rev’d Niall J. Sloane said ‘Saint Mary’s holds a very special place in the city of Limerick and its citizens. It has been a royal palace – no doubt, a place of story-telling, feasting and celebrations. Over the succeeding centuries it has witnessed unique events, welcomed countless people through its doors and marked key moments in the lives of Limerick people.

Today, as it continues to be a place of pilgrimage and prayer, it has a unique role to play within all aspects of city and diocesan life. The central theme of our celebrations in 2018 will be opening our doors to all and forging links with Limerick and beyond so that we may echo the Christian message of faith, love and witness."

You can listen to the interview with Dean Niall excerpted from the main programme podcast HERE.

Check out the cathedral's website, Twitter feed and Facebook page.

Gospel - John 12: 20-30

Some Greeks who had come to worship at the Passover Feast
came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee,
and asked him, "Sir, we would like to see Jesus."
Philip went and told Andrew;
then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
Jesus answered them,
"The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies,
it remains just a grain of wheat;
but if it dies, it produces much fruit.
Whoever loves his life loses it,
and whoever hates his life in this world
will preserve it for eternal life.
Whoever serves me must follow me,
and where I am, there also will my servant be.
The Father will honor whoever serves me.

"I am troubled now. Yet what should I say?
'Father, save me from this hour'?
But it was for this purpose that I came to this hour.
Father, glorify your name."
Then a voice came from heaven,
"I have glorified it and will glorify it again."
The crowd there heard it and said it was thunder;
but others said, "An angel has spoken to him."
Jesus answered and said,
"This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.
Now is the time of judgment on this world;
now the ruler of this world will be driven out.
And when I am lifted up from the earth,
I will draw everyone to myself."
He said this indicating the kind of death he would die.