Bishop Paul Dempsey. Photo: iCatholic.ie Bishop Paul Dempsey
I’ve experienced and I’ve seen a lot of great signs of hope as well, indeed, we have the building hope initiative in the diocese and there’s very much a sense of working together in partnerships as parishes and that’s synodality in action. Pope Francis obviously talks about synodality and I think that building hope, that sense of working together in partnerships is synodality in action. And again, it’s been a great commitment of priests and people and religious and deacons to the mission of the diocese.
Pastoral Council
We have a new Diocesan Pastoral Council at the moment being set up and that will be up and running in the new year. So again, a lovely sense of synodality in this new Diocesan Pastoral Council, really looking forward to being part of that. And I think that’s a great sign and symbol of hope for the future as well.
I think that’s a lovely symbolism that even though there’s a lot of change going on, what we’re all anchored in is Christ”
And it’s lovely that it’s going to be set up in the year of pilgrims of Hope, the Jubilee Year. And I just looking at the logo actually of the of the Pilgrims of Hope year, the Jubilee year and there’s an anchor in it. And I think that’s a lovely symbolism that even though there’s a lot of change going on, what we’re all anchored in is Christ.
Many ethnic groups
I’ve also noticed a great sign of hope going around the diocese is the new Irish. I’ve been with many, many ethnic groups around the diocese, Brazilians, Filipinos, Indians and some from the African communities, and they’re bringing great vibrancy and life to many, many parishes. And you know, they’re so, so welcome. And it’s lovely to see that life and that energy in the diocese as well. I think that’s a great sign of hope for the future as well for the Church in Dublin and indeed in Ireland.
The Church is not dying it it’s a model of Church that’s dying at the moment. And obviously that’s a difficult process.
Young people
Another great sign of hope is obviously young people. Now it’s a huge challenge at the moment for the Church to connect with and to reach out to young people. But again in a number of schools and gatherings that I’ve been at, I’ve met a number of youth groups and in various parishes around the diocese and one of the big elements of the New Year is pilgrimage. And one of the moments during the year is the youth pilgrimage to Rome.
So we will have a representative of young people going to Rome the end of July, beginning of August. And again, a lovely symbol and sign of hope, I think in the new year there is the canonisation of Carlo Acutis. That young man who had a great love for the Eucharist. And I think he is there to inspire young people along the faith journey as well. And I think that’s a great sign and a symbol of hope for the diocese and indeed for the Church into the future. I think that’s a great positivity there. Yes they’re challenging times. We all know that they’re challenging times but I think it’s how you look at things. I think there are great signs of hope. There are great signs of life. There are great signs of vibrancy, and I think it’s important that we that we capture that and run with that as we go forward as a Church, it’s going to be different obviously into the future. But I think it’s going to be a strong Church and a faithful Church, and I think that gives my heart a great lift as I go forward as a servant, as in servant leadership.