PRESS RELEASE – 28th SEPTEMBER – IMMEDIATE
ATTENTION NEWSDESKS & RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENTS
BISHOP’S COMMEMORATE 1979 PAPAL VISIT
“Mission Alive” in Holy Spirit Church, Dennehy’s Cross, Cork City – October 3rd 2004
Continuing the celebrations commemorating the 1979 visit of Pope John Paul II to Ireland, the Irish Bishops’ Conference has designated “Mission Alive” Sunday on October 3rd next, to be the second national event to celebrate this historic visit.
– “Mission Alive” will start with the celebration of Mass by Archbishop of Bulawayo Pius Ncube from the Republic of Zimbabwe, on Sunday October 3″. Mass will be televised on RTÉ 1 and takes place in the Holy Spirit Church, Dennehy’s Cross, in Cork city at 11 :05 am. In keeping with the missionary theme, this event emphasises that, over the last 25 years, the Pope has been the missionary par excellence. The theme of this Mass is “Proclaim the Message”;
– “Mission Alive” in 2004 is supporting the bishops’ ‘Day for Life’, which will also be held on October 3rd This year’s ‘Day for Life’ involves the publication of a pastoral letter on suicide issued by the Irish Bishops’ Conference. The Day for Life theme provides the opportunity to highlight the Holy Father’s teachings on the sacredness of human life.
Triduum of Events – 29th, 30th September and 1st October 2004
Corresponding to the actual dates of the Pope’s 1979 visit to Ireland, the Irish Bishops’
Conference has organised the following triduum (three days) of events:
> September 29th 2004
Masses to be celebrated by bishops in diocesan cathedrals around Ireland;
> September 30th 2004
An Evening Prayer of the Church will take place in the College Chapel in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth at 7:30pm on Thursday September 30th 2004 This celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours/Evening Prayer of the Church will be sung by the College Choir and presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio His Excellency Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto. It will be attended by seminarians, priests, vocations directors, leaders of sisters, brothers and religious communities in Ireland and lay students from the university. Part of the event will be broadcast on RTÉ television.
> October lst 2004
Parish Masses, with themes addressing the sanctity of human life, the sick and the missions.
Audio versions of 1979 papal homilies www.catholiccommunications.ie
The following homilies and speech by Pope John Paul II soon be available on the Catholic cmmunications Office website www.catholicommunications.ie
as audio download files:
> Homily by the Holy Father at Mass in the Phoenix Park on September 29″, 1979;
> Homily by the Holy Father at the Mass in Drogheda on September 29″, 1979;
> Homily of Holy Father at Mass for Youth in Galway on September 30″, 1979;
> Homily of Holy Father in Knock on September 30’4 1979;
> Speech by Holy Father to seminarians in Maynooth on October 1st979;
> Homily by Holy Father in Limerick on October lst 979.
In order to listen to these audio files using your computer, your computer must have certain minimum specifications so as to successfully install the relevant software, called RealOne Player. The free version of the RealOne Player can be downloaded from www.real.com. When the player is downloaded, click on the file that sets up the software on your computer.
Further information:
Martin Long Director of Communications (086 172 7678)
NOTES TO EDITORS
MISSION ALIVE
“Mission Alive” festival will be held in the GAA Sports Centre in Bishopstown Co Cork from Sunday October 3″ to the 6″ October.
“Mission Alive” has been in existence since Jubilee 2000, and is at a different venue each
year. For this year’s event, thousands of people are expected to gather for the “Mission
Alive” festival of mission in Cork. More then 50 primary and post-primary schools from
Cork and the neighbouring counties have indicated that they are attending. “Mission Alive” consists of four days of music, song, art and craft – and. listening to the story of missionaries. Along with Irish traditional music, there will be musical groups from Latin America, Asia and Africa. Some of these groups are based in Europe and others are corning especially for the event. Brad, Peru, Colombia, All of them want to add their voices to celebrating mission and our commitment to defend life in all its forms.
The symbol of “Mission Alive” is the currach and a special blessing and launch took place on the river Lee to mark the beginning of this years celebration on Cork.
Archbishop Pius Ncube, the Archbishop of Bulawayo, will be making his address during a concelebrated Mass in Holy Spirit Church, Cork city. Archbishop Ncube has been an
outspoken voice against the actions of President Mugabe and has confronted the President on several issues. He has condemned the torture and murder of thousands of people who have opposed the regime. His own faith and commitment to the Gospel is an inspiration to all and offers a challenge to many young people today in their search in becoming a committed Christian.
POPE JOHN PAUL I1
Pope John Paul II visited Ireland on 29th 30th September and 1st October, 1979. Ireland
was the third visit of his Pontificate. The Holy Father’s first visit was to the Dominican
Republic, Mexico and the Bahamas, his second visit was to Poland and his third visit was to Ireland and the United States.
Karol Josef Wojtyla was elected Pope John Paul I1 on 16th October 1978. He is the 263rd successor of St Peter. To date the Holy Father has undertaken 145 trips in Italy, the latest
being Loreto in September 2004, and has undertaken 104 trips outside Italy, the latest being Lourdes which took place during August 2004.
Karol Josef Wojtyla was born in Wadowice (Krakow), Poland, 18th May, 1920. He was
ordained a priest in 1946, appointed Auxiliary Bishop to Archbishop Mons. Eugeniusz Baziak of Krakow in1958. Designated Metropolitan Bishop of Krakow 1963, Papal Bull for the appointment of Archbishop of Krakow 1964, consecrated Cardinal 1967, was elected successor to Pope John Paul I, on 16th October, 1978 taking the name John Paul II.
Pope John Paul 11 is the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.
ENDS
