22nd October 2017 - SS102fm has a catch up with Bishop Brendan Leahy

On this weeks programme (despite some horrendous technical difficulties!), John and Shane are joined by Bishop Brendan Leahy for a chat about various things including the Limerick Pastoral Plan, WMoF2018 and whether the Pope is coming to Ireland.

This Sunday also happens to be Mission Sunday 2017 and here on SS102fm we remember in a special way all missionaries who work in the "vineyard of the Lord".

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

Mission Sunday 2017

From World Missions Ireland:

World Mission Sunday takes place on the second last Sunday of October each year. Since 1926, the Church has traditionally remembered its universal mission during the month of October. This year Mission Sunday will be celebrated globally on the 22nd October 2017. The theme is ‘Reach Out, Spread the Joy.’ Throughout the world the faithful will reflect on the universal call to Mission of all the baptised. They will be invited to contribute what they can to support the development and growth of young churches internationally. Mission Sunday is celebrated by every Church worldwide, including the poorest. This special Sunday in October provides Catholics with the opportunity to unite with their missionary sisters and brothers overseas, and to recommit themselves to bringing the Joy of the Gospel to everyone they meet in their daily lives at home and at work. 

In October and especially on Mission Sunday Catholics are invited to be specifically conscious of the Church’s missionary activity abroad (Ad Gentes) through prayer, sacrifice and financial contributions. The funds collected are used to assist Churches who need financial support and directed towards communities in need, both spiritually and materially. 

In October 2016, Irish Catholics contributed more than €1.5 million on Mission Sunday. The Mission Sunday collection is made available to be distributed to as many as 1,100 young Churches who are supported by the generosity of Churches that have been blessed with a greater quantity of financial and material gifts. Our Mission Sunday figures for October 2016 are available to download here. 

Contributions will be used to build simple mission churches, to educate and nurture our future leaders of the Church including seminarians, religious novices, lay catechists and pastoral workers. The Mission Sunday gift may also be used for building health facilities for children and adults as well as for providing emergency aid in times of war or natural disaster or to assist missionaries in their efforts to care for refugees. 

On Mission Sunday, in a special way, we celebrate the work of circa 1,300 Irish born missionaries and all missionaries throughout the world. We thank God for them, for all who support them in our own country and during mission month we unite ourselves in prayer with them and with the communities with whom they work.

You can read Pope Francis message for Mission Sunday HERE.

A Catch up with Bishop Brendan Leahy

On this weeks programme, we were delighted to have an opportunity to catch up with Bishop Brendan Leahy to discuss a few things including the progress being made on the diocesan plan after Synod 2016, forthcoming WMoF2018, the possibilities of a 2018 Papal visit and how it wont be confirmed by the papal household officially until next March at the earliest, reflection on the Irish bishops Ad limina visit to Rome as well as Bishop's Brendan visit to Zimbabwe with Trocaire.

You can listen to the interview excerpted from the main programme HERE.




Gospel - Matthew 22:15-21

"The Tribute Money." Peter Rubens, 1512.

The Pharisees went offand plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful manand that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,for you do not regard a person's status.Tell us, then, what is your opinion:Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing their malice, Jesus said,"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's."At that he said to them,"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesarand to God what belongs to God."

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
Sunday Reflections
English Dominicans
The Sunday Website of St Louis University
Vatican Radio
Religion is always political, but it can never be partisan: What’s Jesus telling us today?

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours: Psalter week 1, 29th week in ordinary time

Saints of the Week

October 23rd - St John of Capistrano
October 24th - St Anthony Mary Claret
October 25th - Bl Thaddeus McCarthy - read A saint for the persistent but discouraged
October 26th - Ss Chad & Cedd
October 27th - St Otteran
October 28th - St Simon & Jude

23rd October 2016 - Mission Sunday - 30th Sunday in Ordinary time Year C

On this weeks programme John and Shane reflect on Mission Sunday and discuss the recent appointments to the College of Cardinals. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel as well as other notices and liturgical odds and ends.
 
You can listen to the podcast of the full programme HERE.
 
Mission Sunday
 

World Mission Sunday takes place on the second last Sunday of October each year. Since 1926, the Church has traditionally remembered its universal mission during the month of October.
 
This year Mission Sunday will be celebrated globally on the 23rd October 2016. The theme is ‘Every Christian is a missionary’.
 
Throughout the world the faithful will reflect on the universal call to Mission of all the baptized. They will be invited to contribute what they can to support the development and growth of young churches internationally and provides Catholics with the opportunity to unite with their missionary sisters and brothers overseas, and to recommit themselves to bringing the Joy of the Gospel to everyone they meet in their daily lives at home and at work.
 
In October 2015, Irish Catholics contributed more than €1.7 million on Mission Sunday. The Mission Sunday collection is made available to be distributed to as many as 1,100 young Churches who are supported by the generosity of Churches that have been blessed with a greater quantity of financial and material gifts. Contributions will be used to build simple mission churches, to educate seminarians as well as female religious novices. Your support also assists in the formation of catechists and lay leaders. The Mission Sunday gift may also be used for building health facilities for children and adults as well as for providing emergency aid in times of war or natural disaster or to assist missionaries in their efforts to care for refugees.
 
On Mission Sunday, in a special way, we celebrate the work of circa 1,300 Irish born missionaries and all missionaries throughout the world. We thank God for them, for all who support them in our own country and during mission month we unite ourselves in prayer with them and with the communities with whom they work.
 
Pope Francis message for Mission Sunday 2016 - Missionary Church, Witness of Mercy
 
You can learn about Mission Sunday and the work of the pontifical missionary societies on World Missions Ireland.
 
The section of the programme discussing Mission Sunday is excerpted from the main programme podcast here.
 
Gospel - Luke 18: 9 - 14
 

"He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ¹⁰“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ ¹³But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
 
 
Reflections on this weeks gospel
 
Word on Fire
Sunday Reflections
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
 
Liturgical odds & ends
 
Liturgy of the Hours - psalter week 2; 30th week in ordinary time
 
Saints of the Week
 
October 24th - Saint Anthony Mary Claret
October 25th - Bl Thaddeus MacCarthy
October 26th - St Alfred the Great
October 27th - St Otteran
October 28th - Ss Simon & Jude
October 29th - St Colman

Called to Mission – A Personal Reflection on the experience of mission (Repost)

This piece was originally posted in June 2011. It is a reflection on the role and place of Irish missionaries and missionary priests in particular as well as being a reflection on mission in the lives of all Christians. Given the death of Fr Jim Noonan SPS who was one of the inspirations behind the reflection, it seems to be an appropriate time to repost it.

To Fr Jim, ar dheis Dé to raibh a h-anam.

Called to Mission – A Personal Reflection on the experience of mission 
 

Fr David Costello OCD, Uganda

When a person says missionary priest to you what comes to mind in this modern age? Tasteless wafers, bitter sweet red wine, soutanes, clerical collars, funerals, newspaper headlines? For me such word association conjures up – billowing incense and the morning cool of a chapel in the Ugandan sun with earthen floor and tin roof and the primordial surge of African drums reverberating through my body at a community celebration. A strange kaleidoscope of images and scents you would think to associate with such a loaded and historical term as missionary! But to me what it invokes before the sacramental is the human, each image or scent represents a priest – a friend - in a human situation who has invoked the sacramental nature of our faith and the ultimate sacrament associated with priesthood – Eucharist in and within community.

Writing about such an experience is unusual as it forces one to consider seriously what it means to my understanding in a faith context of the role of a priest especially in these dark times for the Irish people. My experience has been unusual in some respect because I have an uncle who is a priest.

Fr John has been a Mill Hill Missionary for 47 years of which he has spent 46 serving the people of the Philippines in Antique province. Even now, after 46 years, or more especially because it has been 46 years, his parishioners are his people and we his family have to share him with them. Each time he gets back on the plane to go home, we wonder if it will be the last time we see him in Ireland. But it is this very human man, who to me has witnessed as to what it means to be a priest. But then again, it is not just him.

In our home parish many of us know the names of our missionaries – Fr John Ambrose (MHM), Fr John Cribben (Oblates), Fr John Guiney (SJ), Fr Dan O'Malley (Columban Fathers), Fr Jim Noonan (Kiltegan Fathers), all over seas and remembered with our missionary sisters, who on their infrequent visits home celebrated Mass and helped out in the parish when they, like the swallows, returned to Ireland for the summer to rest and recuperate and with the changing of the leaves in the autumn, just like the swallows, returned to their homes in Brazil, Kenya, Philippines and other diverse and far flung places – almost with relief.

Even now, when I myself am overseas as a Volunteer Missionary with the Volunteer Missionary Movement (VMM – www.vmm.ie ) I still am in awe of these men and women and the sacrifices they have made over many years, more so as I realise that being honest, I don't think I could do it – being there for such a long period, fulfilling a "mission" to a community far from that community which brought me forth into the world. Such stability, such faithfulness is humbling and so counter cultural to the modern world and to my own generation.

"A generational trend among some young college-educated men and women who are free to choose is the choice made for flux over such stability. Some social scientists have dubbed these post-college years the "odyssey years" -- a nomadic period when young adults move from one job to another, from one city to the next, delaying marriage, children and permanent career tracks longer than previous generations. Spiritually, they tend to be seekers, a characteristic that applies even to many with deep roots in a traditional religion such as Catholicism and no great desire to venture too far from the fold".

"Their stories reinforce the view expressed by New York Times columnist David Brooks….who wrote that today's children "graduate into a world characterized by uncertainty, diversity, searching and tinkering. Old success recipes don't apply, new norms have not been established and everything seems to give way to a less permanent version of itself. Dating gives way to Facebook and hooking up. Marriage gives way to cohabitation. Church attendance gives way to spiritual longing. Newspaper reading gives way to blogging.""

In this modern unstable life there is almost a hesitation or even a lack of understanding of how a person could decide to voluntarily give their word for life to such a venture as "the missions" overseas. Despite an over abundance of words in the modern communication age, there seems to be an inability to communicate, to relate, to understand as the very nature of words seems to be slipping from the knowledge of society. It is almost like "the paradox affecting so many Millennials: the simultaneous pull towards isolation and interconnectedness. Young adults have grown up in the impersonal individualism of the information age, and in many ways embrace it. They feel at home with enormously popular Web sites like Facebook and MySpace, where they maintain non-commital "loose affiliations" with a variety of acquaintances and issues."

Passing of a great missionary Fr. Jim Noonan

Canon Anthony O'Keeffe PP and Fr Jim Noonan SPS
Knockpatick Easter Dawn Mass
April 2012

(From Limerick Diocese) - Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy has stated that the passing today of Fr. Jim Noonan today after a short illness has seen a remarkable priest and human being go to his eternal reward.

Loughill, Co. Limerick native Fr. Noonan, who had been unwell since last autumn, died at 8:30a.m. at the Kiltegan Missionoary Society Care Centre in Co. Wicklow.  He is survived by his brothers Michael and Tom and sisters Madeline, Joan and Mary.

A member of St. Patrick’s Missionary Society at Kiltegan, Fr. Noonan’s Funeral Mass will take place in Kiltegan on Thursday at 12 midday, with burial afterwards in the local parish cemetery.  His removal takes place tomorrow, Wednesday, at 5:30p.m. For local mourners in Limerick, there will also be an opportunity to pay their respects later at his Month’s Mind Mass which will be held in Foynes Church on a date to be selected.

Commenting on Fr. Noonan’s passing, Bishop Leahy said,  “He really was a remarkable man, a man who did quite remarkable work on the missions in Nigeria and in a very harsh environment there for all of 47 years.

“We have heard many stories of his incredible spirit of giving and Christianity. He was a true missionary and many, many people have spoken about how heroic he was in his work in Nigeria. He lived and worked in very difficult circumstances – in terms of climate, geographical and social conditions but he never relented.”

Bishop Leahy said that the parish of Shanagolden-Foynes was delighted to welcome Fr. Noonan home almost six years ago.  “Coming back from the missions after 47 years couldn’t have been easy for Fr. Jim but he settled back in so well and made an instant connection with parishioners.
“He was a quiet-spoken and gentle soul who had a deep interest in people and what was happening in their lives.  He had a really strong and innate sense of pastoral care and made very strong connections with people.  He will be very much remembered for that.

“Sadly, he fell ill late last year and I was pleased to have been able to visit him last week at the Kiltegan Missionary Society Care Centre and he was very much aware of his health situation but was still in good spirits. Indeed I found his whole approach very inspiring.

“As well as his having his breviary beside him, he was watching a Rugby match, reading the Limerick Leader and was well up to date on things in the Diocese.  He spoke with gratitude of his good experience in recent years in Foynes/Shanagolden. He really will be deeply missed and our heartfelt sympathies to this family and friends.”

Fr James Noonan died this morning, in the Care Unit in St Patrick’s, Kiltegan. Fr James, from Limerick, was ordained in 1962. He worked in Nigeria and Ireland.

 

May he rest in peace.

 

Removal from the Care Unit Oratory to St Patrick’s Chapel at 5:30pm on Wednesday 20th, January.

 

Funeral mass at midday on Thursday 21st.

Thanks to your Noble Shadow - A life less ordinary: Spending time with the last Irish missionary nun in Japan

 

 

James Creedon, a journalist based in Paris for France 24, spent a year recording the memories of his elderly cousin, the last Irish missionary nun in Japan. As he turns the footage into a documentary, he tells her story.

 

You can read the article from the Irish Examiner here or visit James blog here.

October - the month of prayer for the missions - The Work of the Pontifical Mission Societies - iCatholic

October is the month dedicated to prayer and support of the missions of the church through out the world with a special focus on the work done by missionaries on Mission Sunday which this year in Ireland is 18th October.

In October and especially on Mission Sunday Catholics are invited to be specifically conscious of the Church's missionary activity abroad (ad gentes) through prayer, sacrifice and financial contributions. The funds collected in all Churches throughout the world on Mission Sunday, is coordinated by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, founded by Pauline Jaricot 190 years ago. The funds are used to assist Churches who need financial support and directed towards communities in need, both spiritually and materially.

In October 2014, Irish Catholics contributed more than €1.78 million on Mission Sunday. The Mission Sunday collection is made available to be distributed to as many as 1,100 young Churches who are supported by the generosity of Churches that have been blessed with a greater quantity of financial and material gifts. Our Mission Sunday figures for October 2014 are available to view in the Mission Sunday magazine.

Contributions will be used to build simple mission churches, to educate seminarians as well as female religious novices. Your support also assists in the formation of catechists and lay leaders. The Mission Sunday gift may also be used for building health facilities for children and adults as well as for providing emergency aid in times of war or natural disaster or to assist missionaries in their efforts to care for refugees.

The theme for Mission Sunday 2015 is ‘Abundant Life’.

On Mission Sunday, in a special way, we celebrate the work circa 1,300 Irish born missionaries and all missionaries throughout the world. We thank God for them, for all who support them in our own country and during mission month we unite ourselves in prayer with them and with the communities with whom they work.

Click on link to get the 2015 reflection and information sheet.

To find out more about World Mission Ireland please go HERE.

19th October 2014 - Mission Sunday - 29th Sunday in Ordinary time

Due to some technical difficulties at SS102fm base camp, this week we are unable to bring our planned programme, so instead we are going to repeat and interview we did with Fr John O'Shea.
 
You can listen to the podcast of the programme HERE.
 
Mission Sunday
 

This weekend is Mission Sunday in Ireland which has a particular focus on supporting the missionary church. World Mission Sunday takes place on the second last Sunday of October each year. Since 1926, the Church has traditionally remembered its universal mission during the month of October. This year Mission Sunday will be celebrated throughout the world on the 19 October 2014. In Rome the celebration of Mission Sunday will take place at the conclusion of the Synod of Bishops on the “Pastoral Challenges to the Family in the Context of Evangelization” which is taking place in Rome from 5 to 19 October.
 
Throughout the world the faithful will reflect on the universal call to Mission of all the baptised and they will be invited to contribute what they can to support the development and growth of the young churches throughout the world. Mission Sunday is celebrated by every Church throughout the world, including the poorest. This special Sunday in October provides Catholics with the opportunity to unite with their missionary sisters and brothers overseas, and to recommit themselves to bringing the Joy of the Gospel to everyone they meet in their daily lives at home and at work.
 
In October and especially on Mission Sunday Catholics are invited to be specifically conscious of the Church’s missionary activity abroad (ad gentes) through prayer, sacrifice and financial contributions. The funds collected in all Churches throughout the world on Mission Sunday, is coordinated by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, founded by Pauline Jaricot 190 years ago. The funds are used to assist Churches who need financial support and directed towards communities in need, both spiritually and materially.
 
In October 2013, Irish Catholics contributed more than €1.6 million on Mission Sunday. The Mission Sunday collection is made available, in its entirety, to be distributed to as many as 1,100 young Churches who are supported by the generosity of Churches that have been blessed with a greater quantity of financial and material gifts.
 
Contributions will be used to build simple mission churches, to educate seminarians as well as female diocesan religious novices. Your support also assists in the formation of catechists and lay leaders. The Mission Sunday gift may also be used for building health facilities for children and adults as well as for providing emergency aid in times of war or natural disaster or to assist missionaries in their efforts to care for refugees.
 
The theme for World Mission Sunday in Ireland this year 2014 is “That they may have Life”. The theme goes to the heart of Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) published by Pope Francis on 24 November 2013.
 
On Mission Sunday, in a special way, we celebrate the work our c. 1,300 Irish born missionaries and all missionaries throughout the world. We thank God for them, for all who support them in our own country and during mission month we unite ourselves in prayer with them and with the communities with whom they work.
 
 

 
Pope Francis message for World Mission Sunday 2014 is available HERE.

 As part of our outreach, SS102fm wanted to highlight the difficulties of our fellow christians in the Middle East. While issues of everyday concern to families are on the agenda at the extraordinary Synod on the Family, one participant has come to Rome with a very sinister tale to tell. It’s the plight of tens of thousands of Iraqi Christian families who fled for their lives to escape from Islamic State militants. Few think they will ever return home.

That’s according to Archbishop Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of the Syriac Catholic Church who was eager to speak to Vatican Radio outside the Synod hall. He wanted to raise global awareness about the desperate conditions in which his people are now living in northern Iraq.

Listen to the interview with Patriarch Younan in this program by Tracey McClure on Vatican Radio HERE.
 
Gospel - Matthew 22:15-21

"Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Hero'di-ans, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax." And they brought him a coin. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.""

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Sunday Reflections
English Dominicans
Word on Fire
Centre for Liturgy

Beatification of Pope Paul VI

The beatification of Paul VI takes place this weekend. You can read more about it in an earlier post HERE.

Liturgical odds and ends

Saints of the Week

October 20th - St Aidan of Mayo
October 21st - Bl Charles of Austria
October 22nd - St Pope John Paul II
October 23rd - St John of Capistrano
October 24th - St Anthony Mary Claret
October 25th - Bl Thaddeus MacCarthy
 

October 20th 2013 - Mission Sunday - "Growing in Faith"

World Mission Sunday takes place on the second last Sunday of October each year. October is the traditional month of universal mission since 1926. Mission Sunday will be celebrated on the 21st October in 2012.

The collection for World Mission Sunday is organised by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, founded by Pauline Jaricot 190 years ago and it is celebrated by every Church throughout the world, including the poorest.

World Mission Sunday provides Catholics with the opportunity to unite with their missionary sisters and brothers, and to recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity, through prayer, sacrifice and financial contribution. Funds raised are used to assist Young Churches and missionaries in helping communities in need, both spiritually and materially.

In October 2012, Irish Catholics contributed more than €2 million. In Limerick Diocese, the contribution was €40,676.

The Mission Sunday collection is made available, in its entirety, to be distributed to as many as 1,100 young Churches who are supported by the generosity of Churches that are better off.

Contributions will be used to build simple mission churches, to educate seminarians and to assist in the formation of catechists and lay leaders. The Mission Sunday gift will also be used for the building of health clinics for children, emergency aid in times of war or natural disaster and to assist missionaries in their efforts to care for refugees.

The theme for World Mission Sunday in Ireland this year 2013 is "Growing in Faith". A very appropriate theme as we come to the end of the Year of Faith and welcome the first encyclical of Pope Francis published in July 2013 and entitled "Light of Faith".

On Mission Sunday, in a special way, we celebrate the work our c. 1,600 Irish born missionaries and all missionaries throughout the world. We thank God for them, for all who support them in our own country and for our growing in communion with them, the communities with whom they work and with one another.

Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for Mission Sunday 2013


Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This year, as we celebrate World Mission Day, the Year of Faith, which is an important opportunity to strengthen our friendship with the Lord and our journey as a Church that preaches the Gospel with courage, comes to an end. From this perspective, I would like to propose some reflections.

1. Faith is God's precious gift, which opens our mind to know and love him. He wants to enter into relationship with us and allow us to participate in his own life in order to make our life more meaningful, better and more beautiful. God loves us! Faith, however, needs to be accepted, which means, it needs our personal response, the courage to entrust ourselves to God, to live his love and be grateful for his infinite mercy. It is a gift, not reserved for a few but offered with generosity. Everyone should be able to experience the joy of being loved by God, the joy of salvation! It is a gift that one cannot keep to oneself, but it is to be shared. If we want to keep it only to ourselves, we will become isolated, sterile and sick Christians. The proclamation of the Gospel is part of being disciples of Christ and it is a constant commitment that animates the whole life of the Church. "The missionary outreach is a clear sign of the maturity of an ecclesial community" (BENEDICT XVI, Verbum Domini, 95). Each community is "mature" when it professes faith, celebrates it with joy during the liturgy, lives charity, proclaims the Word of God endlessly, leaves ones own to take it to the "suburbs", especially to those who have not yet had the opportunity to know Christ. The strength of our faith, at a personal and community level, can be measured by the ability to communicate it to others, to spread and live it in charity, to witness it to those we meet and share the path of life with us.

6th October 2013 - 27th Sunday in Ordinary time (Year C) - Mission Sunday (20th Oct) and an Interview with Fr Derek Leonard on mission

The team returns to normal service this week with being back in studio for our regular programme format. On this weeks programme we are joined by Fr Derek Leonard who comes to tell us about his service on the missions in Peru as part of the Limerick-Peru mission with the Society of St James. We have our regular reflection on the Sunday gospel, our liturgical odds and ends and some local notices.
 
This weeks programme is available to listen to HERE.
 
Fr Derek Leonards interview on the programme is excerpted and available HERE.
 
October - The Month of the Missions
 


The story behind the poster

World Mission Sunday takes place on the second last Sunday of October each year. October is the traditional month of universal mission since 1926. Mission Sunday will be celebrated on the 20th October in 2013.
The collection for World Mission Sunday is organised by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, founded by Pauline Jaricot 190 years ago and it is celebrated by every Church throughout the world, including the poorest.

World Mission Sunday provides Catholics with the opportunity to unite with their missionary sisters and brothers, and to recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity, through prayer, sacrifice and financial contribution. Funds raised are used to assist Young Churches and missionaries in helping communities in need, both spiritually and materially.

In October 2012, Irish Catholics contributed more than €2 million. Over the last decade, Ireland has ranked seventh in the world in the total contribution to the missions. The Mission Sunday collection is made available, in its entirety, to be distributed to as many as 1,100 young Churches who are supported by the generosity of Churches that are better off.

Contributions will be used to build simple mission churches, to educate seminarians and to assist in the formation of catechists and lay leaders. The Mission Sunday gift will also be used for the building of health clinics for children, emergency aid in times of war or natural disaster and to assist missionaries in their efforts to care for refugees.

The theme for World Mission Sunday in Ireland this year 2013 is "Growing in Faith". A very appropriate theme as we come to the end of the Year of Faith and welcome the first encyclical of Pope Francis published in July 2013 and entitled "Light of Faith".

On Mission Sunday, in a special way, we celebrate the work our c. 1,600 Irish born missionaries and all missionaries throughout the world. We thank God for them, for all who support them in our own country and for our growing in communion with them, the communities with whom they work and with one another

Popes message for Mission Sunday

**********

 
The call to mission is the fundamental to the understanding of the the church. Historically Irish people went on the missions overseas but now the focus is on what we as community can do here in Ireland but we are also asked on Mission Sunday each year to continue to support the young churches overseas who are growing and developing but still need our support.

Fr Derek tells us a bit about his work in Peru working with the Society of St James in a parish of 100,000 people served by 11 churches amongst those on the margins of society yet with the realisation that God was with them in their poverty.

Mission Sunday is a reminder to us that it is not enough to talk about God's love but also to give concrete actions to that love

You can see pictures/blog on Limerick-Peru mission and previous blog posts from SS102fm here and here

Gospel - Luke 17:5-10

"The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, `Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

"Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, `Come at once and sit down at table'? Will he not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'"

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
Sunday Reflections
Blue Eyed Ennis
The Text this week

Liturgical odds and ends

Liturgy of the Hours - Psalter Week 3, 27th Week in Ordinary time

Weekday Cycle of Mass Readings - Cycle 1

Saints of the Week

October 7th - Our Lady of the Rosary
October 8th - St Pelagia
October 9th - Bl John Henry Newman
October 10th - St Francis Borgia
October 11th - St Canice
also St Damien of Molokai
October 12th - St Wilfrid

Blog Patron Saint 2013

As readers and listeners of the programme know, each year around New Years Day, the team on SS102fm seek out a individual patron saint for the year ahead. Last year we also selected a patron saint for the blog - St James the Great.
 
For 2013, our blog patron saint is going to be.......... (drum roll please)............

St Francis Xavier!

 

 

Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta (7 April 1506 – 3 December 1552) was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre (now part of Spain) and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534. He led an extensive mission into Asia, mainly in the Portuguese Empire of the time. He was influential in the spreading and upkeep of Catholicism most notably in India, but also ventured into Japan, Borneo, the Moluccas, and other areas which had thus far not been visited by Christian missionaries. In 1552 he set out for China, landed on the island of Sancian within sight of his goal, but died before he reached the mainland. Working against great difficulties, language problems ( contrary to legend, he had no proficiency in foreign tongues ), inadequate funds, and lack of cooperation, often actual resistance, from European officials, he left the mark of his missionary zeal and energy on areas which clung to Christianity for centuries. He was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Pius X. F. D. Dec. 3.

You can read more about the saint from:

• Catholic Encyclopedia
• Wikipedia
• Catholic Online

 
 You can also see images of the relics of St Francis Xavier HERE

 

 

 

Mission is not an optional extra

Did you know that the man in charge of the world wide missionary society charged with supporting the missions on behalf of the Holy Father is a Cork man?

“Mission Sunday is not just about the money – of course this is important for the Church structurally – but what is more important for the Church, what we need, is people to discuss their role in the Church. If I am a baptized person, what is my role as a baptized person in my particular Church. Mission is not an optional extra”.

From Vatican Radio:

"“Today too the mission ad gentes must be the constant horizon and paradigm of every ecclesial endeavour, because the identity of the Church herself is constituted by faith in the Mystery of God who revealed himself in Christ to bring us salvation, and by the mission of witnessing and proclaiming him to the world until he comes”.

In his message for this World Missions Sunday Pope Benedict XVI is urging believers worldwide to rediscover the zeal of the early Christian communities, and realise that they too –as part of the Church through baptism- are called to mission, in all places and at all times.

“I’m looking for a missionary people, a missionary spirit and that is what the Holy Father is talking about when he speaks of the mission ad genetes - to the people and of the people -as being our constant horizon”, says Fr. Timothy Lehane Barrett SVD, Secretary General, of Propagation of the Faith.

Continue reading and listening to Fr Tim's reflection on Mission Sunday HERE.



Fr Barrett SVD was born in 1955 in Innishannon, in County Cork (Ireland). After studying Agriculture at Multyfarmham (County Wetmeath), he studied Philosophy at Donamon Castle (Roscommon) and Theology at Maynooth (County Kildare). In 1978, he entered in the Congregation of the Divine Word, where he took his perpetual vows in 1985. He was ordained a priest on March 17, 1986. Within the Congregation, he has had various tasks, firstly as a former in 1990-2000, and later as Provincial Superior, from 2004 until now. Fr. Timothy has been a missionary in Ecuador for 25 years, where he served mainly in prison ministry in the city of Quito. Beginning in 1999, he served as National Director of the Pontifical Missionary Societies in Ecuador and coordinating the Third American Missionary Congress CAM 3-Comla 8, which was celebrated in Quito on August 12-17, 2008. He was appointed Secretary General of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith (aka Propoganda Fide) in 2008.

Continue reading about Fr Tim and his work HERE.