November 23rd - St Columban (Colmbanus)

With apologies to our readers and a H/t to Phil over at Ennis Blue for the reminder, but November 23rd is the feast day of St Columban or St Colmbanus and this year we are celebrating the 1400th anniversary of his death. 

The bishops of Ireland have designated 2015 as a celebratory year to mark the 1400th anniversary of the death in Bobbio, Italy, of the extraordinary Saint Columban, also known as Saint Columbanus.

Born around 543AD in Leinster, Saint Columbanus studied in the monastery on Cleenish Island, Co Fermanagh, after which he then entered the monastery in Bangor, Co Down. He became a monk at Bangor and later principal teacher there. In 591, desiring to go on a pilgrimage for Christ, he set out with twelve companions and came to Burgundy. He established monasteries at Annegray, Luxeuil and Fontaine. Later he worked in Bregenz in Austria. 

His greatest foundation is at Bobbio, near Genoa, where he died in 615. He is remembered as one of the greatest of all Irish missionaries who dedicated his life to preaching the Gospel and to establishing monasteries in Europe. 

This anniversary will be celebrated in Ireland with liturgies and events on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June 2015, in Bangor and in Armagh respectively

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Phil has a fabulous round up of links and reflections here, here, here and here.

Continue reading about the national celebrations here. 

Check out the page of the Irish Catholic Bishops Conference for events here.

Celebrating St Columban

- Fr Seán McDonagh discusses the significance of the celebrations of the 1,400th anniversary of the death of St Columban

21st June 2015 - NET Ministries - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

On this weeks programme John and the SS102fm team are joined by Eliza Jane Phillis from NET Ministries Ireland to tell us about their work and outreach. We have our usual reflection on the Sunday gospel and some other liturgical odds and ends.

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

NET Ministries Ireland

On this weeks programme we have an interview with Eliza Jane Phillis about NET Ministries Ireland. Eliza is originally from Prince Edward Island, Canada but has been living in Ireland for the past five years volunteering with NET. She currently work in their main office up in Ballybofey, Co. Donegal coordinating all of the sponsorship fundraising efforts, managing the office, and most importantly supervising the team based in Athenry, Co. Galway. Before joining staff, she spent two years on team starting on the Road Team and then as part of the first local team based in Delvin, Co. Westmeath. 

NET stands for National Evangelisation Teams. They are Catholic Missionaries who share Jesus' gospel message with young people in a team format. NET Ministries Ireland encourage young people to love Jesus and embrace the life of the Church. NET Ireland recruits and trains teams to evangelise to over 20,000 youth every year in churches, schools, parishes, and dioceses across Ireland.
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You can find out more about NET Ministries at their website, Facebook page and Youtube page.

You can listen to Eliza's interview excerpted from the programme HERE.

Gospel - Mark 4:35-41

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Reflections on this weeks gospel:

Word on Fire
Sunday Reflections
English Dominicans
Centre for Liturgy
Ennis Blue - here and here

In this weeks newsletter, LDPC provides a link to a visio divina on the above painting of the Calming of the Sea by Rembrandt for reflection as part of reflection on this weeks gospel.

Just a note to Limerick readers, after the recording of the programme we realised that this weekend in Limerick diocese as part of the national celebrations the readings for the Sunday Mass are different to those we used on the recording of this weeks programme as Ireland marks 1400 years since the death of the saint.

Also just to point out a correction to a previous blog post. On June 9th we had initially posted a blog post about St Columban or Columbanus and incorrectly noted that June 9th was his feast date. Actually June 9th is the feast day of St Columba or Colmcille of Iona who is a secondary patron saint of Ireland. The post has been taken down and will appear again later in the year on the correct date of November 23rd. Apologies for the confusion.

Liturgical odds & ends

Liturgy of the Hours: Psalter week 4 - 12th week in Ordinary time

Saints of the Week

June 22nd - St John Fisher and St Thomas Moore
June 23rd - Saint Joseph Cafasso
June 24th - Nativity of St John the Baptist (Solemnity)
June 25th - Blessed John the Spaniard
June 26th - St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer
June 27th - St Cyril of Alexandria