Bishop Martin Drennan will officially launch the Good Shepherd Parish, the first in the Galway Diocese since 1995, on Sunday, 29th April.The mass will be celebrated at the Castlegar Sports Complex at 3.30pm, and will be followed by refreshments and multi-cultural entertainment.
The new parish covers the areas of Doughiska, Roscam and Ardaun, in the east side of the city, which is home to over 30 different nationalities in up to 30 new estates, with a current population of 7,000 and growing.
In the Doughiska area alone, twelve new estates have been constructed since 2000 with two more nearly complete.
Parish priest Rev Martin Glynn was appointed by the late Bishop James McLoughlin to the area in 2004 with responsibility for pastoral development.
Although attached to St. Bridget's Parish, Ballybane and the Diocesan Pastoral Centre, Árus de Brúin, Newtownsmith, Fr Martin had two immediate priorities for the Doughiska area: the spiritual and pastoral development of the area, and to support the community in responding to needs that they had identified.
The decision to draw up the boundary of the new parish was timely and welcome, he says.
“Many of the families moving into the area have no idea to which parish they belong. The new boundary will assist the parishioners when they come to avail of the sacraments, especially baptism and marriage.”
The parish’s mission statement describes it as “an inclusive Christian community”, while the vision for the parish says it will foster values such as being welcoming and hospitable and supporting those in need in the community.
The formation of lay ministers will also be a priority, along with catechesis for children, and an “outward looking” parish website open to all.
The church is currently located in a temporary chapel attached to the Castlegar Sports Complex, Merlin Park, but sites are in the process of being secured for a new church and schools.
Masses in the church are celebrated on Sundays at 11.00am, daily Monday to Thursday at 9.30am, and the first Friday of each month at 9.30am.
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