Events to mark the close of the Year of Vocation

01 May 2009

PRESS RELEASE
1 May 2009

Events to mark the close of the Year of Vocation

You, or a representative, are invited to attend the following events over this weekend marking the close of the Year of Vocation.  Starting this evening the Year of Vocation Concert with Fr Liam Lawton and guests; tomorrow ‘Celebrate Your Call’ – Vocation Prayer Vigils at monastic sites around the country; celebration of the Year of Vocation Closing Mass by Cardinal Seán Brady in Armagh and launch of new Vocations DVD You Will Be My Witnesses.

Details as follows:

Friday 1 May 2009 | Year of Vocation Concert with Fr Liam Lawton and Guests
Venue: St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin
Time: 7.30pm Photocall. Concert 8.00pm.

The concert is a celebration of the Year of Vocation and will comprise performances by Fr Liam Lawton and Guests, including the St John of God Choir, who recorded the official Year of Vocation Song You Will Be My Witnesses, and Sr Ailish O’Brien a Sister of Mercy who will perform on violin. The Guest Presenter on the night will be Mary Kennedy from RTÉ.

Saturday 2 May 2009 | ‘Celebrate Your Call’ Vocation Vigils at Monastic Sites

Venues and Times:
– Clonmacnoise, Co Offaly: 5.00pm to 6.30pm
– Dromantine, Newry, Co Down: 6.30pm to 8.00pm
– Glendalough, Co Wicklow 6.30pm to 8.00pm
– St Brigid’s Well, Kildare Town 5.00pm to 6.30pm

These prayer vigils will be facilitated by local religious orders and will be attended by priests and members of religious orders and representatives from parishes around the country. In addition Bishop Colm O’Reilly, Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise will attend the prayer vigil at Clonmacnoise and Bishop Donal McKeown, Auxiliary Bishop of Down and Connor will attend the vigil at Dromantine.

Sunday 3 May 2009 | Year of Vocation Closing Mass and launch of new Vocations DVD

Venue: St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh
Time: 5.30pm

Cardinal Seán Brady will preside and will preach the homily at Mass to mark the close of the Year of Vocation. Present at the Mass will be Fr Patrick Rushe, National Co-ordinator of Diocesan Vocations, Ms Frances Dignan, Director of Vocations Ireland, Ms Marie Hogan, President of St Joseph’s Young Priests Society, Ms Brenda Drumm, Year of Vocation Project Manager, members of the Vocations Committee of the Archdiocese of Armagh and representatives from parishes and religious orders.

Launch of new Vocations DVD
Venue: Synod Hall, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh
Time: 6.45pm

Following the Year of Vocation Closing Mass, a new vocations resource DVD will be launched by Cardinal Brady. The DVD entitled ‘You Will Be My Witnesses’ has been developed by the Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors and the Vocations Directors of Religious Orders represented by Vocations Ireland.  The DVD comprises three short 10 minute films in which three diocesan priests, two religious sisters, a religious brother and a seminarian, speak about their vocation journey and their ministries. The DVD will be used as a resource to help develop an awareness of what vocation to religious life and to priesthood is like. The DVD will be available in dioceses.

Notes to Editors

  • The Year of Vocation is an initiative of the Catholic Church in Ireland and was launched by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, on Vocations Sunday 13 April 2008 and concludes this Sunday, Vocations Sunday.
  • The aim of the Year of Vocation was to raise awareness of the common vocation that we share through baptism as expressed through witness, love and service.
  • Each month the Year of Vocation focused on a different theme.  Themes have included marriage, pilgrimage, young people and priesthood, religious life and how our personal vocation in life can be fulfilled in order to best contribute to the common good.
  • Further information on the Year of Vocation is available on www.yourvocation.ie and see www.catholicbishops.ie for a special feature on the Year of Vocation including video interviews with Fr Patrick Rushe, National Co-ordinator for Diocesan Vocations and Brenda Drumm, Year of Vocation Project Manager.

Further information:
Martin Long, Director of Communications 086 172 7678
Brenda Drumm, Communications Officer 087 233 7797