Fr Arnie Rosney PP in Shannon has recently launched a creative writing competition that will end on April 19.
Fr Rosney has invited people across the island of Ireland to compose a prayer, a reflection, a short story or a poem while they are spending time at home. He asks that the piece reflects the need to pray for protection for ourselves and those we love at this time. He will be awarding prizes in each category.
Fr Rosney said that he wanted to encourage creativity in the current crisis: “With so many people spending so much more time at home these days, I thought that it might be a good idea to ask them to explore their creative side.
“Creative writing can be very therapeutic and calming and I am inviting people to connect the emotions they are experiencing these days with their faith and find new ways of expressing the desires of their hearts.”
It is open to all ages and there are no restrictions or word limits. There will be two €50 book tokens awarded to winners in each of the categories: prayer, poem, short story, reflection.
“The hope is if we get enough entries we would be delighted to put them into a book form and the proceeds would then go to charity. Also maybe if we look back from a historical perspective it would be, well this is what the people of Ireland, while they were at home, joining with their parishes and prayer of all faiths and none wrote down prayers and reflections during the coronavirus crisis, so there’s a twofold dimension to it.
“It’s to engage people at home, there are loads of activities going on but this is one to maybe engage a sense of reflecting on things in general.”
The closing date for receipt of entries is 12 midday on the April 19, 2020.
Entrants can email office@shannonparish.ie or Fr Arnold Rosney PP, Parish Office, Shannon Parish, Co. Clare.