Tony Foy leads training for a group of NET missionaries. NET Ministries is looking forward to a return to “face-to-face” mission following a year of limited in-person missionary work, according to Executive Director of NET Ministries Ireland, Tony Foy.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Mr Foy said the coming mission year is a “different approach to last year”, but that they’re equally eager to get out and “re-evangelise” Ireland.
“A lot of the work we did last year initially was online, and as the restrictions eased, we got more face-to-face,” Mr Foy explained, continuing “However, this year we’re going in with the expectation that it’ll be face-to-face, in schools, with youth groups. I think we can get 50 people together and that’s not a problem for our numbers.
“For the purpose of youth ministry, we can get 50 people together….we can work in the parishes as well, so it’s really, really good.”
Padraig O’Laimhin was a missionary during the pandemic last year and is joining the staff this year in support of the missionaries. He described his experience with NET Ministries last year as “brilliant” and “beautiful”, acknowledging that this year promises to be a very different experience.
“It was very different to what a usual experience would be, but that was my first year as a missionary, so it was the only experience I had and I absolutely loved it. Despite all the difficulties that were there, God really did bless the year,” he said.
NET expects to see 30 missionaries participate in their work around Ireland this year, supported by 20 mission staff, which will allow them to form one more team than last year.