The ACP refers those contacting this site to the announcement by Tony Flannery, on his own web-site, of his decision to say a Public Mass in Killimordaly Community Centre on Sunday, 22 January, at 2.30pm and his reasons for doing so.
We wish Tony good health and every blessing as he celebrates his 70th birthday.
http://www.tonyflannery.com/i-am-celebrating-a-public-mass-on-january-22nd-you-are-welcome-to-come-if-you-wish/
Brendan Hoban reports on his recent discussion with the Priests’ Council of Ferns diocese, which centred on the difference Pope Francis is making to the Church (first published in the Western People).
The National Library of Ireland has made historical parish records of baptisms and marriages available on line from today 08 July 2015
Brendan Butler of We Are Church outlines the main issues that he would like to see the new pope dealing with.
Any effort at new evangelisation or renewal of faith in the Roman Catholic Church is doomed to failure unless there is a radical shift to address the dysfunctional magisterial teachings on sexuality.
Gerry O’Hanlon alerts us to a new publication that intends to spark a real and “constructive engagement and dialogue between secularists and religious believers, in order to imagine an alternative narrative” to one where “conventional economic models have failed, politics is fractured, what it means to be human is contested, and there is a Punch and Judy show of opposition between secularists and believers.”
This is Kevin Hegarty’s response to the report from the Vatican Visitation of the Irish Church. We publish it with acknowledement to the Mayo News.
Congratulations Tony!
And what a very fitting and appropriate way to celebrate your 70 years and over 40 years in ministry!!
The Mass, the Eucharist, is not in the ownership of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, or indeed of the Vatican.
So sad that this wonderful celebration is not taking place in a church. But that is a detail. You are the church; we are the church. The eucharist was given to the church by Christ to sustain us; it is not a gift from the CDF for good behaviour!
I am very much looking forward to celebrating with you in Killimordaly on the 22nd of January 2017!
Blessings and best wishes,
Colm Holmes
Happy 70th Birthday Tony!
I certainly hope that this is a welcoming and not a sending off as my mind plays the act “Bilbo’s Farewell”. Well the Throne has not been kind so I guess it is up to you to decide how to play out the last chapter, you deserve it – my advice : kick up as much fuss as you can.
Speaking of “the Lord of the Rings”, Pope Francis sounds like he, himself is ready to join the Fellowship these days. It is a tedious game he plays – “he doesn’t know half of you half as well as he would like, and likes less than half of you half as well as you deserve” comes to mind. One thing is for sure, he is inspiring a generation.
Hitting the 70 year mark would indicate that on average, you would have another 14 birthdays to celebrate – something to keep in mind.
Warm congratulations to Father Tony. I expect there will be a full house at Killimordaly Community Centre on the 22nd. But there will be many more celebrating with you in spirit on that day, and I will be glad to be among them.
Three years ago I produced a small, simple promotional video for Tony’s round of talks in Ireland during a time “social media” had no real grounding within the ACP and ACI.
Now that everyone is on board and seems to be aware of its place in modern times as a legitimate form of communication, feel free to distribute this short video. The video features a time lapse of a condemned church I’m helping resurrect here on Cape Breton Island as well as an audio clip that I produced at my in-home studio.
Tony’s response to my first creation was : “Thank you very much for that Lloyd. You are determined to make me famous in spite of myself!!”
I still hold true to that commitment today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqy7EKkNBdU
Congratulations Tony and Ad Multos Annos! Because your celebration is on a Sunday, I will not be free to join you. But be sure you will be remembered at the mass I will celebrate on that day, D.V.
Congratulations on your 70th birthday, Tony, and on your courageous decision to publicly celebrate Mass. A correct decision too, in my view.
Best good news of 2017 so far – congratulations Tony!
Congratulations and blessings on your 70th birthday Tony.
I believe your decision is truly inspired and I look forward to being there to join in the praise and thanksgiving.I also think it’s interesting it will be taking place while the Irish bishops are away on their ad limina visit to Rome….a kind of symbolic “coup d’église”by the Spirit…
A brave soldier of Christ. “The Church’s One Foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord”.
Congrats Tony and well done.Sometimes in life one has to take a situation head on, and this is one on your 70th. Too much time has gone by without any movement on this matter. And dare they take you on,why would they, after all at 70 you are hardly a precocious bold boy any longer.
NON SERVIAM
It is a very strange way to celebrate.
Why does Fr. Flannery continue to rebel against the Church?
Is this not making a mockery of the Eucharist?
Pope Francis has told us before that you can not love Jesus by rejecting the Church, the Spouse !!
Congratulations to Fr Tony,best wishes for the celebration and Eucharist.
Congratulations Fr Tony, on a life time of service to God’s People.
Take heart, 70 is the new 50.
Tony, my very best wishes to you on your 70th birthday and for your mass tomorrow. I hope you get a great turnout. You deserve the greatest support. I had thought at one stage that I could be with you tomorrow but it hasn’t worked out for me. However, I will be with you in my thoughts and prayers. Of course, Willie is right, 70 is the new 50 –it has to be, as I keep telling people that 60 is the new 40!!
Fr. Tony Flannery should heed words of Pope Francis
We are Church Ireland fully support Fr. Tony Flannery’s decision to celebrate a public Mass on Sunday on January 22nd in Killimordaly, Co. Galway.
This conscientious decision taken by Fr. Flannery on the occasion of his 70th birthday ignores the sanction of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine the Faith which forbade him to celebrate the Eucharist in public.
By defying this ban he has the implicit support of Pope Francis who told a group of Religious on June 13th 2013 not to allow any communication from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to bother them and encouraged them with these words:
‘Explain what you have to explain but keep going forward – open doors, do something where life is calling you‘
‘Fr. Tony Flannery should continue to open new doors and follow where his discernment is calling him’, stated Brendan Butler, spokesperson.
Brendan Butler, We are Church spokesperson.
20 January 2017