This year the Parish of Mitchelstown celebrate their 25th anniversary of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. To mark the occasion, a special Mass will be celebrated by Bishop William Crean in the Parish Church on Monday June 16 at 7.30pm.

In 1988 Bishop Magee appointed his brother Cathal to help and encourage the laity to organise Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in our diocese. Vatican 11 had advocated lay involvement. Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration was introduced into the Parish of Mitchelstown on June 29, 1989 when people in Mitchelstown Parish united in taking hours of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament both during the day and during the night in the special chapel created at the back of the Church.

Throughout the past 25 years, people from the Parish of Mitchelstown and also from surrounding Parishes have committed themselves to spending an “Hour” before Jesus where they take time to rest, to listen, to pray, to reflect and to give their deepest worries to Our Lord. It is a time for allowing Jesus to heal, strengthen and guide us. The same hour is covered each week by the same person or persons and the hours are co-ordinated so that someone is present at all times.

The celebrations give us an opportunity to thank all the adorers past and present for their commitment. It is also an opportunity to again strengthen our commitment to the Blessed Sacred and consider giving one hour a week or to ‘fill in’ in times of need (Contact Catherine 087-7727496 or any of the co-ordinators). We invite all to visit the Adoration Chapel and to spend some time there. “Christian Prayer means relaxing into the reality of being loved by God, in order to rise each day, into the gritty realism of loving” (Faith Maps, Michael Paul Gallagher).

Pope Francis states in the “The Joy of the Gospel” how good it is to be before the Blessed Sacrament and simply to be in his Presence. How much good it does us when he once more touches our lives and impels us to share his new life” (264).

Adoration is not just for me; it is for the Church and for the world (Pobal De, 2009, Fr Winkle).

An open invitation is extended to all people to come and join in the celebration of this truly wonderful blessing for our Parish and surrounding areas and to join us in a cup of tea and a chat in the Convent Primary Hall after Mass.

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