Courtney McGrailOut and About
Fr John Murray
Patrick himself would have been proud of it! In Downpatrick, where tradition holds him to be buried, local priests and people enjoyed a three-week mission with the enthusiastic members of the Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath-based Céilí Community.
The parish of Downpatrick had not had such a large-scale mission for many years and the thought of it was a daunting prospect, but the priests of the parish were encouraged by a dynamic pastoral council which rose to the occasion. The Céilí mission involved housing and feeding up to 22 people – at one point – over a three-week period but the parish managed this with efficiency and grace.
The mission in some way reflected the experience of the Irish Church today and especially the Church in the North – where there is little hostility but a lot of indifference and most people do not practice their faith on a regular basis.
In response, Céilí, which has offered missions and retreats throughout Ireland for almost 20 years, tried to reach people both at their own homes and through their children.
Highlights
One of the highlights of the mission was an intensive week where 3,727 houses were visited in the parish. Some people were out at work, of course, but in most cases a welcome was received and an invitation given to attend the mission’s closing week of preaching and liturgy.
Most people were more than open to accepting the simple house blessing Céilí offered, and in many cases were open to further prayer for problems or illness in the family.
Within a short time word spread about ‘the yellow vests’ which were being seen about the town as the Céilí members and the parishioners went out ‘two by two’. Parishioners were inspired by the Céilí team who came from throughout Ireland to share their faith and their love of Jesus, while the Céilí team was encouraged by the welcome and support they received.
Every school in the parish experienced a week-long ‘mission’ of its own. The town has three large secondary schools and three primary schools, with a total school population of 2,500 pupils. The Céilí group’s primary and secondary school teams were able to reach out to all of these in a lively and exciting way.
The ‘buzz’ around the schools and the feedback from them was tremendous.
Paraliturgy
All of this led to the final week’s preached mission, with a phenomenal attendance every day at the two daily Masses and paraliturgy in the main church of St Patrick’s. Eucharistic prayers followed by individual prayer for healing took place throughout the week in the parish’s three other smaller churches.
With the mission involving priests, religious and laity, some of the most inspiring spoken witness and prayer of the week came from the team’s lay members.
At the mission’s final Mass, Mattie McGrath, one of the mission’s lay coordinators, thanked the parishioners for their incredible participation in the three weeks of the mission and added “now is the time to come down from the stand and on to the pitch”.