On 27 and 28 September, the parish cells national seminar will be hosted in Our Lady’s Parish Centre, Leixlip, in the Archdiocese of Dublin. The aim of the parish cell group is to foster within a parish a greater community spirit and an awareness of God in a more personal way.
The seminar’s keynote speaker will be Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Bishop Paul Dempsey (pictured), and there will be inputs from cell communities around the country; Father Gregory O’Brien, Parish Priest of Leixlip & Confey; and, Canon Michael Hurley, Spiritual Director of Parish Cells in Ireland. This seminar is open to all and will provide an excellent opportunity for those who wish to explore the parish cell system and hear of its impact on individuals and parishes.
Background
The Cell System of Evangelisation was introduced to the Church in 1980 by Longford-born missionary, the late Monsignor Mike Eivers (1928 – 2017). The pioneering priest was a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) and ministered in Nigeria before spending nearly six decades serving in Miami, south Florida. Over time the parish cell system spread throughout the world and was introduced to Ireland in 1990 by Canon Michael Hurley and three of his parishioners from Ballinteer.
A parish cell is a faith group of 4 to 12 people who meet every two weeks in the informal setting of a home. Each invites family members, friends and neighbours, and when 12 regularly attend, two groups are then formed. In this way a network of groups grow within a parish, which offers a welcome to all.
In September 2015, when Pope Francis met in the Vatican with cell participants drawn from around the world, he said, “Meeting in people’s homes in order to share the joys and hopes that are present in each of our hearts, is a genuine experience of evangelisation which is very similar to what went on in the early days of the Church.”
A €40 fee applies to those who register to attend this seminar, and further information is available on parishcellsireland.ie, 087 703 4429 and [email protected]
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