The bishop with organisers from each of the parishes. 
“I am hoping that the Spirit will be very busy here,” said Bishop Donal Roche as he opened the Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS) in the Our Lady of Good Counsel parish hall. This initial meeting marked the beginning of a seven-week series, organised by the St Colmcille Parish Partnership in South Dublin, bringing together parishioners from Johnstown, Loughlinstown, Sallynoggin, Shankill, Cabinteely, and Ballybrack. The weekly meetings are open to anyone and are being run alongside a youth Alpha course, fun for the whole family. A chance for everyone to encounter Christ.
“Personal encounter with Christ is what matters. Through prayer, scripture, and the LSS, I came to a deeper relationship with Christ,” Bishop Roche told the gathering of about 150 people.
In an interview with The Irish Catholic, Bishop Roche, who previously served as a priest in Cabinteely, said he was encouraged by the “life and the vibrance” he witnessed in the diocese through events like this. While acknowledging that overall church attendance has declined, the bishop emphasised that people who do attend now come out of a genuine desire rather than obligation noting that it speaks volumes that so many people would come to the church on a Friday night. Initially expecting around 20 participants, Bishop Roche said he was pleasantly surprised to see people queuing out the door—a testament to the dedication of the evangelization committee.
“The church I grew up in was a maintenance church; now it is more of a missionary/outreach church. To have a parish committee devoted to evangelization is a sign of hope.”
The positive effect of consolidation is clear: combined congregations bring new life”
The bishop also reflected on the evolving nature of the Church in Ireland, noting that while the number of priests is declining the hope is to see lay involvement increase. “I think a lot of people in the pews have not fully understood the partnership project yet. They think, ‘This is my church…’ but the positive effect of consolidation is clear: combined congregations bring new life. A full church rather than two half-full churches.”
The evening was marked by a warm and welcoming atmosphere, with the scent of freshly baked cookies and cakes mingling with the aroma of coffee. The parish hall hummed with conversation, fostering a sense of fellowship before the evening had even begun. Organisers expressed the importance of this hospitality, noting that tea and coffee and chats are integral parts of the experience.
Laity
Johnstown parish priest, Fr John Sinnott, spoke enthusiastically about the active role of the laity. “It’s so great to have an engaged laity. It reminds me of something a priest from California told me: ‘All I have to do is say yes, and if it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.’”
Both Fr John and Bishop Roche pointed to Paddy Monaghan as a key figure in organizing the event. Mr Monaghan, head of the six-parish evangelization team and a member of both the Johnstown Parish Council and the greater St Colmcille Parish Partnership Council, played a crucial role in bringing the LSS to life for Lent. Having previously organised an Alpha Course in Cherrywood, he saw the seminar as an opportunity to continue fostering community and deepening faith.
Share your teaching on the Baptism of the Spirit, because it is produced by the work of the Holy Spirit through a personal encounter with Jesus, which changes lives”
“What we are doing is trying to put flesh on the partnership,” Monaghan explained. “If we continue to work together as one body, we become stronger. We are not six separate parishes trying to survive—we are one Church, on one mission.” A mission explicitly given by Pope Francis, who encouraged Catholics to share their teaching on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit: “Share your teaching on the Baptism of the Spirit, because it is produced by the work of the Holy Spirit through a personal encounter with Jesus, which changes lives.” The LSS aims to facilitate that transformation by offering participants a deeper, personal encounter with Christ.
The evening featured a time of worship, a talk, and a testimony on experiencing the love of God. “It’s one thing to know that God loves you or that God is love,” one speaker shared, “but it’s another thing to experience it and have it change you.” Attendees ranged widely in age and background, each finding meaning in different aspects of the seminar.
Testimomy
I spoke to a young man about his experience, and he said the talk and testimony resonated deeply with him, though he noticed that some of the older participants seemed to connect more with the worship. He had come on a whim after hearing a testimony at Mass the previous weekend and has continued to come through the connections he made with other young people.
The message at the heart of everything said was the importance of an encounter with Christ—a moment of personal transformation that the LSS seeks to nurture in all who attend. Equally important is the opportunity the LSS provides for parishioners and participants from different parishes to meet, share their experiences, and build new relationships through faith.