24 Hours for the Lord is an initiative introduced by Pope Francis in 2014. It was received with great enthusiasm in Ireland and around the world and it will be celebrated again this year, from today Friday 24 March until Saturday 25 March.
The idea behind 24 Hours for the Lord is that people should be able to find special opportunities during these two days for prayer and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Pope Francis himself has presided over a Lenten penitential service last Friday in anticipation of this year’s 24 Hours for the Lord. participating in the ini
Speaking at his General Audience Pope Francis said, “I invite all communities to rediscover the Sacrament of Reconciliation.” The Holy Father said it was a privileged moment to experience the Father’s mercy and that this year’s 24 Hours for the Lord also be “a privileged moment of grace on the Lenten journey in order to experience the joyous encounter with the mercy of the Father, who welcomes and forgives everyone.”
The theme of the initiative this year comes from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew: ‘I desire Mercy’ (Mt 9:13).
Pope Francis has regularly promoted the benefits of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Speaking in the past week he encouraged the faithful to go to Confessions by saying, “Be courageous. Go to Confession!”. He also offered some pointers on how priests can be good confessors. He said that firstly, a good confessor is a true friend of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and a person dedicated to prayer. A Ministry of Reconciliation “bound up in prayer”, he said, is a credible reflection of God’s mercy and will “avoid the harshness and misunderstandings” that are sometimes associated with the Sacrament. Prayer is the first guarantee for avoiding harsh attitudes, pointlessly judging the sinner and not the sin.
Secondly, he said that the good confessor is a man of the Spirit, a man of discernment. How much harm is done to the Church through a lack of discernment, he added. Discernment, he insisted, enables a confessor to distinguish and not “tar all with the same brush” despite the many different and delicate situations people bring to the confessional.
Pope Francis also said that the confessional is a true place of evangelization and thus of formation. In the brief dialogue that is woven with the penitent, he said the confessor is called to discern what may be most useful or even necessary to the spiritual journey of that brother or sister. He stressed that confession is a real pastoral priority and he urged them never to limit the availability of the Sacrament to anyone who comes asking for it.
People around the world can show their support for the initiative by using the #24hoursfortheLord hashtag.
Irish dioceses have responded to the Pope’s ’24 hours for the Lord’ initiative and this is what is planned over the next two weekends in some Irish dioceses:
Achonry
24 Hours for the Lord will be held in a number of parishes throughout the diocese of Achonry. There will be a time of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and, in some cases, the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Parishes and times:
Attymass, Co. Mayo: Friday 8.00pm-Saturday 8.00pm
Bohola, Co. Mayo: Friday 7.00pm-Saturday 7.00pm
Charlestown, Co. Mayo: Friday 11.00am-11.00pm
Curry, Co. Sligo: Thursday 9.00am-9.00pm
Keash, Co. Sligo: Friday 7.00pm-Saturday 7.00pm
Kilmovee, Co. Mayo: Friday 7.00pm-Saturday 7.00pm
Swinford, Co. Mayo: Friday 6.30pm-Saturday 6.30pm
Ardagh and Clonmacnois
In the pastoral area of Saint Ciaran in the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, an hour of prayer including Mass, Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation are available in ten churches.
| Wednesday March 22 | 7.00pm | Boora (Father Tom Cox) |
| Thursday March 23 | 7.00pm | Ferbane (Father Scanlon) |
| Thursday March 23 | 8.00pm | High Street (Father Aidan Ryan) |
| Thursday March 23 | 8.00pm | Cloghan (Father Tom Cox) |
| Thursday March 23 | 7.00pm | Banagher (Father Peter Burke) |
| Friday March 24 | 7.00pm | Clonfanlough (Father James MacKiernan) |
| Friday March 24 | 8.00pm | Shannonbridge (Father Aidan Ryan) |
| Friday March 24 | 7.00pm | Boher (Father Peter Burke) |
| Friday March 24 | 7.00pm | Pullough (Father Michael Morris) |
| Friday March 24 | 7.30pm | Ballinahowen (Father Pierre Pepper) |
Armagh
The 24 hours for the Lord will take place in Saint Malachy’s Church, Armagh from 12.00noon until 12.00 midnight on Friday 24 March and from 5.00am – 5.00pm on Saturday 25 March. During the 24 hours, there will be special times of prayer and reflection. There will also be opportunities for Confessions during the 24 hours and people are encouraged to make a special effort in this season of Lent to celebrate the love and mercy of God.
Friday 24 March
| 12.00 noon | Midday Prayer |
| 3.00pm | Way of the Cross |
| 7.00pm | Evening Prayer and Benediction |
| 7.30pm | Mass |
| 10.00pm | Night Prayer |
| 12.00midnight | Rosary |
Saturday 25 March
| 5.00am | Rosary |
| 7.00am | Morning Prayer |
| 12 noon | Midday Prayer |
| 3.00pm | Way of the Cross |
| 4.30pm | Evening Prayer & Benediction |
| 5.00pm | Exposition of Blessed Sacrament ends |
From 12.00 noon to 12.00 midnight on the Friday and from 5.00am to 5.00pm on the Saturday, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed in Saint Malachy’s Church. The Adoration Room in Saint Malachy’s Church will be closed during these 24 hours. Confessions will be heard from after Mass on the Friday evening in Saint Malachy’s Church until 10.00pm and on the Saturday in Saint Malachy’s Church from 11.00am – 3.00pm.
Clogher
In the Diocese of Clogher, 24 Hours for the Lord will be celebrated from 7.30pm on Friday 24 March until 7.30pm on Saturday 25 March in Saint Patrick’s Church in Ballybay. Continuous Eucharistic Adoration will take place from 8.00pm on Friday until 5.00pm on Saturday. Confesssions are available on Friday from 8.00pm until 11.00pm and on Saturday from 10.30am until 6.15pm.
Down & Connor
In the Diocese of Down and Connor 24 Hours for the Lord will take place from Friday 24 until Saturday 25 March in Saint Brigid’s Church in Belfast.
Friday 24 March, 9.30am – 12 noon: Morning Mass followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. During this time a priest will be available for Confession. From 1.30pm – 3.30pm a priest will be available for Confession (to accommodate parents on the school run). Confessions will be available again from 5.00pm -7.00pm followed by Evening Mass.
Saturday 25 March, 12.00 noon Mass followed by Exposition until 1.00pm. Confessions from 12.30pm.
Elphin
24 Hours for the Lord will take place in Sligo Cathedral from 6.00pm Friday 31 March until 6.00pm Saturday 1 April. 24 hours Sacrament of Reconciliation and Confession will take place in Strokestown Church from 6.00pm on Friday 31 March to 6.00pm on Saturday 1 April for the Parishes of Aughrim, Kilglass, Tarmonbarry, Tulsk, Elphin and Strokestown.
Kildare and Leighlin
24 hours for the Lord is taking place between Friday 24 March and Saturday 25 March in three parishes across the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, one in each deanery area – Carbury, Portlaoise and Tullow.
Portlaoise: 10.00am Friday 24 March to 10.00am Saturday 25 March
| 10.00am | Opening Mass and Benediction |
| 3.00pm | Recitation of Divine Mercy Chaplet |
| 7.00pm | Rosary followed by Mass and Benediction |
| 11.00pm | Holy Hour with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Prayer room from midnight |
| 10.00am | Saturday, Concluding Mass |
Carbury: 5.00pm Friday 24 March to 5.00pm Saturday 25 March
| 5.00pm | Mass to start Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament |
| 7.00am – 3.00pm | The following day, Rosary or Prayer on the hour |
| 12.00am | Night Prayer of the Church |
| 10.00am | Morning Prayer of the church |
| 3.00pm | Prayer time for children especially First Communion Children |
| 4.00pm | Mass and blessing of the sick followed by Benediction to conclude |
Tullow: 6.00pm Friday to 6.00pm Saturday
Priests will be available at all times for the sacrament of Reconciliation.
You can follow events in Ireland and around the world using the hashtag #24HoursfortheLord.
ENDS
