Update on AGM: November 9/10: Regency Hotel, Dublin
Friday Evening, Nov. 9th, 7.30pm: Address by Peter McVerry: “Justice in Society and in Church”. This session is open to all.
Saturday: 9.00am: Session confined to priests. This will deal with Association business. In particular we hope to present a draft constitution to the meeting for approval.
Saturday: 11.00am: This session will be an open one, with lay and clergy welcome. It will deal with the question: Where do we as an Association go from here. The main speaker will be Tony Flannery, and there will be plenty of time for contributions from the floor.
The AGM will end at about 12.45pm. We will need to have an idea of how many will stay for lunch, so we will have a registering facility available on the website a few weeks in advance.
Wishing you all the best and every success with your meeting.
Will be praying for you all asking the Holy Spirit enlighten and guide each and all there.
As the Claddagh suggests, “In Love and friendship may you reign.”
Salam
I am delighted to read that your session on Saturday at 11a.m. is open to lay people as well as clergy and I am particularly pleased by the point that there will be plenty of time for contributions from the floor at this session. As lay people too few church gatherings allow us speak. (Listening seems our more usual role.)
If it’s not too late – might I suggest – that perhaps you would invite the Papal Nuncio to attend this session to hear what those of us, who would like to engage with him and who also regard ourselves as ‘authentic catholics’, would like to share with him about our hopes, ideas and plans for renewal in the Irish church at this time.
I heard him speak recently where he told us he had learned so much while with groups at Knock, Croagh Patrick and Youth 2000 in Clonmacnoise. But what struck me was what a great shame it would be if he only prayed with and conversed with church groups, many of whom, share the exact same view of the problems and the solutions as himself.
Also if he only participates in celebratory occasions (such as the Eucharistic Congress or Knock Novena) how can he possible appreciate ‘ordinary church occasions’ in parishes? As those of us involved in parishes know, mass on christmas night, which is full of people delighted to be there, is very different to mass on the third Sunday of lent, when often only a sprinkling of people are present- sadly, mostly the elderly of our communities.
Your meeting in Dublin will I’m sure have many people – 1000 clergy (ACP members) and it’s lay movement – who would be more than willing to engage respectfully and honestly with Archbishop Brown on this occasion, giving him another perspective on what committed catholic people in Ireland today believe about renewal in their church.
For him to try and shape a credible path forward for the Irish church without at least this breath of engagement is to postpone, I believe, starting the process of finding a solution to the crisis in the Irish church, for at least another generation of people.
Well said Jane Forde. I agree totally with everything you have stated above. As you rightly said what an opportunity it is at this time to invite our Papal Nuncio to come and hear our concerns regarding renewal in our church. While it is important to meet groups in prayer as he has and is doing, it mustn’t stop there. It is vital to extend this to all the other groups working for positive growth and change that is absolutely needed in our church today.
I would include and expect Archbishop Diarmuid Martin and his bishops to attend to hear, to listen, to debate, to dialogue and to share with all of us present. I remember being present at last year’s ACP AGM and recalling what a lost opportunity it was that our leaders of our church weren’t there to hear and see the energy and vitality of the whole group present sharing their concerns for urgent renewal and change for a church of equality.
What i find baffling about your gatherings is that you don’t seem to have any time for prayer factored in? You talk about renewal but yet you don’t decrease to let the Lord increase. I believe that the Church needs to get its act together but throwing the so called baby out with the bath water is not the way. Saying that the laity want this or that. The vast majority of the laity are not tuned in with their faith, or do not know it in anyway, they will always take the populist view. Pandering to the so called laity is simply people pleasing. Following Christ is meant to be radical,not people pleasing, its about altering ones life radically in every way to experience real joy and freedom as his follower. If you don’t start doing some serious prayer for the Lords direction you can stop talking about renewal and call it something else
Paddy, unlike the institutional Church the ACP are not perfect. I am sure your request for prayer will be included at the next meeting. From the tone of your post I detect that you have not attended an ACP meeting in the past. I would respectfully suggest that you might attend the next one, and I am convinced that you will find it very worthwhile, and very, very radical. When did you last have the oppertunity of addressing your concerns/suggestions/hopes for our Church,to over 1000 committed Catholics. The ACP are worth supporting.
I’d be surprised if there was no prayer at the meeting. The meeting of the laity at All Hallows earlier this year was quite prayerful.
And I’d suggest you start by taking your own advice and stop pandering to your ego. Leave the ‘liaity lone. Had more than enough interference thank you very much.
Prayer should be core to all, of course, but we lay already know, knew that.
“Pandernig to the laiety. ” Jesus wept !!!
If it were not that progress seems to be moving us to a ‘pandering to the laity’ – I’d leave the rest to finish the job they started, continue to accomplice and at which they wholly succeed in accomplishing, when left to their mindless ‘panderings.’
How aroggrant and pompous. No shred of real humility.
Look to the plank in your own eye.
If you want it all your way, just make that clear, so those of wishing that clarity, know our ‘pandering place’ and can dust off our feet and ponder walking.
Thank you
God bless