AN ABUNDANCE OF GRACE

Having witnessed in the Parish of Saint Jude, Willington the effect of the Mission led by the Saint Patrick’s Community, I suggested to our Parish Pastoral Council that we might host the Mission here in Clondalkin. The PPC accepted my suggestion and to my surprise the only date free before next April was the week just gone by.  Divine providence aligned the beginning of the Year of Mercy and our own special Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception.  I hope that all who attended the Mission in part or in whole gained some graces.

A grace I experienced this week was that I remained calm and didn’t get tetchy at all, something that can happen when I find myself under pressure.  I think it was because so many people offered their time and talents so thank you to the following:

Firstly, to the members of the PPC who assisted in the preparation, Fran Byrne who coordinated the distribution of the flyers to every home in the parish,  Margaret, Sean, Gerry, Celia and Josephine in the sacristy and hospitality ministry,  Fr. Séamus who very kindly hosted the team in his house and fed them too.  To Fathers Des, Shán and Padraig who took on extra duties and Fathers Michael from Sruleen and Eamonn from Lucan South who joined us for the Evening of Mercy.  To all our ministers who re- arranged their schedules and in particular the 12.00 Gospel Group who re-arranged their practice. Part of the Mission is to visit the schools so a big thank you to the RE coordinators in our primary and secondary schools who invited the Mission Team into their schools.  Bert and Margaret Brown provided the music ministry every day. Mary Farrell and her team in the shop who did a lot of overtime during the mission and to our altar servers who served the Mass of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, to all who joined us for any part of the mission and who were open to the Holy Spirit working through the gifts and testimonies of Catherine, John and Neill, may the God of Surprises bless you and keep you in his love forever.

Fr. Damian.

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