This week, Members of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference gathered in Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, for their Winter 2024 General Meeting. The President of the Conference is Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, and the Vice-President is Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin. During their meeting, Mass was celebrated in Saint Mary’s Oratory and prayers were offered for persons with disabilities, for vocations to the priesthood, and for peace on earth.
Themes discussed by the bishops during their meeting included parishes becoming involved in the Community Sponsorship Programme, run by the Irish Red Cross, to welcome and host families seeking refuge in Ireland. Other issues included:
- Programme for Government of the incoming 34th Dáil needs to prioritise end of life care
- Support charities working for families in need and the homeless this Christmas
- Child safeguarding in the Catholic Church in Ireland
- Discussion on the final document of the XVI Synodal Assembly
- Pope Francis’ new encyclical Dilexit Nos (He loved us) on the human and divine love of Jesus Christ, expressed through the symbol of His Sacred Heart
- International Day of Persons with Disabilities
- Bishops support call to action to bring peace to the Holy Land
- Responding to the outcome of COP29
- Catholic Schools Week 2025: Alive in Christ!
- Participation in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on 18-25 January 2025
- Countdown to 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope in Ireland, Rome and the world
- Advent 2024 – the season of hope and preparation
- In Memoriam
Visit CatholicBishops.ie to read the Bishops’ Winter General Meeting full statement.
ENDS