Clonmacnois Youth Festival 12-15^ August

Youth 2000 invites you to join them for their Summer Festival from 12-15 August 2010 in Clonmacnois, County Offaly, The dynamic weekend programme for 16-35 year olds includes music, drama, prayer, talks, workshops, reconciliation and healing service, games and chill time. The festival will be held along the banks of the river Shannon near the historic monastic ruins of Clonmacnois. It is a donation only weekend and all you need to bring is a sleeping bag. Why not take time out this summer to discover more about your faith in an atmosphere of fun and friendship. Reflecting on his visit to the ruins at Clonmacnois in 1979, Pope John Paul II said, "These ruins are still charged with a great mission. They still constitute a challenge..." Are you ready to take up the challenge and come along for a fantastic weekend filled with new experiences and many opportunities to meet new people? The keynote speaker for the weekend will be Fr Larry Richards from Pennsylvania, USA. Fr Larry is a gifted and captivating speaker who has inspired thousands of young people worldwide. He is founder and director of 'The reason for our Hope Foundation'. Fr Larry's humour and enthusiasm will add great zest to an already packed programme. There will be free transport available, for pick-up points near you and for more information check out www.youth2000.ie or contact the National Office 01-675 3690 

Basic Statement:
Each child and vulnerable adult is cherished and affirmed as a gift from God with an inherent right to dignity of life and bodily integrity that will be respected, nurtured and protected by all. The full detailed policy and associated documents will be available at your parish office and on this website.

Responding to Child Protection Allegations and Suspicions:
Children have a right to be listened to and heard. Any person who suspects that a child is being abused or is at risk of being abused must report their concerns immediately, to the local safeguarding representative, or designated officer, HSE and Gardaí as per accompanying chart. Detailed reporting procedure and recording forms are available in the Policy document.

Preventing Harm:
The Diocesan safe recruitment and vetting requirements will be strictly adhered to by all diocesan agencies when recruiting Church personnel and assessing their suitability to work with children and vulnerable adults.

Training and Education:
In order to maintain high standards and good practice all church personnel who work with children will have induction training by qualified personnel based on the Clonfert Diocese’s Child Protection Policy and Procedures.

Communicating the Church’s Safeguarding Message:
This summary will be displayed prominently in all Church buildings and places where children and young people engage in church related activities. All personnel/groups involved in diocesan and parish activities associated with children and young people will obtain a copy of the full Policy document and must comply fully with it.

Access to Advice and Support:
Those who have suffered child abuse will have available a compassionate and just response and will be offered appropriate pastoral care to rebuild their lives. Those who have harmed others will be helped to face up to the reality of abuse, as well as being assisted in healing.

Implementing and Monitoring the Policy:
To ensure children are kept safe this policy, procedures and guidelines will be implemented across all Church organisations within the Diocese. Regular checks and audits will be carried out by qualified diocesan personnel to ensure compliance with the child protection policy and procedures.

Guiding Principle:

The guiding principle is that the safety of the child is always the most important consideration. Any allegation or concern regarding the abuse of a child should be treated seriously and for this reason it is important for anyone raising a concern to strictly follow a reporting procedure. Particular care should be taken in regard to confidentiality and the sharing of information with appropriate people.

 

 

1st June 2010

 

Bishop John Kirby has announced the following appointments in

Clonfert Diocese

 

Fr. Vivian Twohig P.P. Mullagh and Killoran retiring.

 

Fr. John Mannion, C.C., Killoran retiring

 

Fr. Niall Foley, Vice Principal St. Joseph’s College, Garbally Park, Ballinasloe to be Parish Priest, Mullagh and Killoran.

 

Fr. Iomar Daniels, Chaplain N.U.I. Galway to rejoin the staff at St. Joseph’s College, Garbally Park, Ballinasloe.

 

Fr. Declan Kelly, Adm. appointed Parish Priest Leitrim and Ballyduggan.

 

Fr. Christy McCormack, Adm. appointed Parish Priest Fohenagh and Killure.

 

Fr. Michael Kennedy, Chaplain Emmanuel House, Clonfert to have added responsibility as Curate, Kilrickle.

 30th May 2010

Ordination

Raymond Sweeney, Kilrickle, Loughrea, Co. Galway was ordained to the Diaconate for the Diocese of Clonfert on Sunday May 30th at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth.

Monday 31st May 2010

Apostolic Visitation in Ireland

 

  The following press release was published by the Vatican concerning the Apostolic Visitation in Ireland        

 

Following the Holy Father’s Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, the Apostolic Visitation of certain Irish dioceses, seminaries and religious congregations will begin in autumn of this year.

 

Through this Visitation, the Holy See intends to offer assistance to the Bishops, clergy, religious and lay faithful as they seek to respond adequately to the situation caused by the tragic cases of abuse perpetrated by priests and religious upon minors. It is also intended to contribute to the desired spiritual and moral renewal that is already being vigorously pursued by the Church in Ireland.  

The Apostolic Visitors will set out to explore more deeply questions concerning the handling of cases of abuse and the assistance owed to the victims; they will monitor the effectiveness of and seek possible improvements to the current procedures for preventing abuse, taking as their points of reference the Pontifical Motu Proprio “Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela” and the norms contained in Safeguarding Children: Standards and Guidance Document for the Catholic Church in Ireland, commissioned and produced by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church.

The Visitation will begin in the four Metropolitan Archdioceses of Ireland (Armagh, Dublin, Cashel and Emly, and Tuam) and will then be extended to some other dioceses.

The Visitors named by the Holy Father for the dioceses are: His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Emeritus Archbishop of Westminster, for the Archdiocese of Armagh; His Eminence Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, for the Archdiocese of Dublin; the Most Reverend Thomas Christopher Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, for the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly; the Most Reverend Terrence Thomas Prendergast, Archbishop of Ottawa, for the Archdiocese of Tuam.

In its desire to accompany the process of renewal of houses of formation for the future priests of the Church in Ireland, the Congregation for Catholic Education will coordinate the visitation of the Irish seminaries, including the Pontifical Irish College in Rome. While special attention will be given to the matters that occasioned the Apostolic Visitation, in the case of the seminaries it will cover all aspects of priestly formation. The Most Reverend Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, has been named Apostolic Visitor

For its part, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life will organize the visitation of religious houses in two phases. Firstly it will conduct an enquiry by means of a questionnaire to be sent to all the Superiors of religious institutes present in Ireland, with a view to providing an accurate picture of the current situation and formulating plans for the observance and improvement of the norms contained in the “guidelines”. In the second phase, the Apostolic Visitors will be: the Reverend Joseph Tobin, CSsR and the Reverend Gero McLaughlin SJ for institutes of men; Sister Sharon Holland IHM and Sister Mairin McDonagh RJM for institutes of women. They will carry out a careful study, evaluating the results obtained from the questionnaire and the possible steps to be taken in the future in order to usher in a season of spiritual rebirth for religious life on the Island.

His Holiness invites all the members of the Irish Catholic community to support this fraternal initiative with their prayers. He invokes God’s blessings upon the Visitors, and upon all the Bishops, clergy, religious and lay faithful of Ireland, that the Visitation may be for them an occasion of renewed fervour in the Christian life, and that it may deepen their faith and strengthen their hope in Christ our Saviour.