Paul KeenanThe ‘Mercy Tent’ initiative held by priests and volunteers from Clonard Monastery in Belfast has been hailed “a great success” following high demand and positive feedback from visitors.
Entering the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping at the Kennedy Shopping Centre, Clonard set up its tent for two days, November 18 and 19, inviting shoppers to avail of the Sacrament of Confession or merely a ‘time-out’, and met with a warm response from all.
Speaking after the event, Fr Noel Kehoe, Rector of Clonard told The Irish Catholic: “We could never have imagined the impact such an event would have. There were queues formed on Saturday morning when we arrived, the word had got out and people were ready to avail of the service we were offering.” Adding that the Mercy Tent was an instant draw for those familiar with Clonard, Fr Kehoe said also “we were very privileged to meet people across the weekend who have been away from the sacrament for decades”.
Sarah Kenwright of the Clonard Mission Team said the event had gone so well that at one point an ‘emergency’ call to Clonard for an extra priest had to be made as volunteers, “working as a great team”, hastily borrowed extra chairs from the Kennedy food court to accommodate waiting visitors.
“It was very uplifting to hear people say that they haven’t been to Church in a while but the Mercy Tent allowed them to experience something of the Church in an environment that was familiar to them,” she explained.
Sarah confirmed that Clonard has subsequently received a number of requests for the Mercy Tent initiative to be re-run again before Christmas. And she expressed the thanks of all at Clonard for the help afforded by the management at the Kennedy Centre: “We can’t thank them enough for their openness and cooperation over the weekend and in the run up to this event.”
Teamwork
Brendan Dineen, Director of Youth Ministry at Clonard said the event had brought out a real spirit of teamwork between all.
“All of the ministries worked together to create a very open and welcoming atmosphere,” he said, noting, “the young people in the Kennedy Centre were being approached by peers which made the Mercy Tent more accessible to that generation. It was a great day, a great experience.”
Summing up the success of the Mercy Tent, Fr Kehoe said: “This initiative is a reminder how there is a whole world outside of the church building and that the message of plentiful redemption can bring healing and hope.”