On Monday 14 November last, Archbishop Dermot Farrell celebrated Mass in Saint Mary’s Pro Cathedral for the Feast of Saint Laurence O’Toole, Patron Saint of the Archdiocese of Dublin.
During his homily, the Archbishop of Dublin said, “Real life is on the ground: messy and painful, and at times, very dark, as is brought home to us in these days. We may not run from the darkness. People’s hurt is real; their pain is genuine. To deny any of this, is not only an injustice to those who have been hurt; it is a further betrayal of Christ, and of our responsibility to protect the vulnerable, to stand with them, and to live the gospel’s deepest call.”
Drawing attention to the need for a renewed evangelisation in Ireland, Archbishop Farrell said, “In the Ireland of today, there is a credibility gap – not just that the church has lost credibility – at least as institution, but the gospel itself lacks credibility for many of our contemporaries. A feature of this credibility gap is the failure to get across even the fundamentals about the faith, independently of any conviction. To ask, “what happened for us in his death and resurrection” – the centre of our faith – is generally met with incomprehension.
“There is a case to be made for a launch of another evangelisation in Ireland. Such an initiative would have to make room for questions as pivotal as the possibility of God actually being able to share his very being with us.”
In conclusion, Archbishop Farrell turned to the Patron Saint of Dublin in prayer, “May the Holy Spirit open our hearts to be inspired by the example of St Laurence O’Toole and keep before us the things that endure – the things of heaven – amid all the changes of this world.
Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.
St Laurence O’Toole, pray for us
St Kevin, pray for us.”
ENDS
