The Focolare Movement will gather with families today in Saint Patrick’s College Maynooth, for a one-day event on the theme of ‘Family Matters’ in preparation for World Meeting of Families 2018.
Guest speakers at the ‘Family Matters’ event include Father Timothy Bartlett, Secretary General for WMOF 2018; Doctor Lorna Gold from Trócaire; and Susan Gately, journalist and author of God’s Surprise – the New Movements in the Church.
‘We are really looking forward to this day,’ said Declan O’Brien from Focolare. ‘The World Meeting of Families 2018 is going to be a momentous event for families in Ireland and throughout the world. But it will be more than an event – how we prepare for it and how we build on it afterwards is just as important as the event itself.’
Declan O’Brien spoke about the event with Brenda Drumm on this week’s episode of Faithcast, which you can listen to here.
A major feature at today’s event will be the launch of the ‘Family Cube’. Sarah O’Brien of Focolare described the Family Cube as a ‘very useful tool to remind us of the importance of love in the family. Each face of the cube displays a Gospel based phrase. Families role the cube every morning and try to live according to what comes out on top.’ Family’s using the cube have praised it saying that although the cube is small, it has ‘more power than you could imagine’ and that ‘it has brought encouragement and hope, along with much love’.
The Family Matters event is taking place in the Aula Maxima in Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth and will conclude with a Mass celebrated at 4.00pm. The day-long event will include a special programme for children and teenagers.
For more information please visit www.focolare.org/ireland.
ENDS
