The national seminar for the Parish Cells movement takes place the second weekend in October (10th to 12th October) in Leixlip, and already representatives from forty parishes have signed up to take part in the event. Last year 120 people attended the annual event, but organiser, Fr Michael Hurley, thinks there will be many more this year.
Key note speaker at this year’s seminar on the theme: Let your light shine: cells, a programme for parish evangelisation, is Italian priest, Fr Pi Gi Perini.
Don Perini, parish priest of St Eustorgio’s in Milan, has about one hundred active cells in his parish. Each cell has about ten people, who meet weekly to read and study scripture, share their lives, and learn to become evangelisers of the people around them.
Leixlip parish, of which Fr Hurley, is parish priest, has nine cells, involving about 80 people. “And we will be announcing the birth of a tenth cell at our national seminar,” he told ciNews. The new cell will be made up people in the “young married” age group.
Fr Hurley said that a number of travellers from the area had also expressed an interest in becoming part of a small faith development group.
Responding to a question about how the cells change a parish, Fr Michael replied that it was difficult to assess.
“On the one hand they exist as another group in the parish. But on the other hand they are central, because their focus is on prayer and evangelisation. That is their gift, their place in the parish.”
Many of the cell members, are also involved in other parish groups.
A’ cell’ is a group of four or more people who meet fortnightly in the leader’s home in the belief that “Where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them” (Mt. 18: 20) These small home-faith groups provide an opportunity to experience Christian community and companionship and help people develop spiritually in a secure and supportive environment. Sharing the Good News is the central element of the cell groups.
Auxiliary bishop of Dublin, Bishop Raymond Field, will celebrate the opening Mass, and the papal nuncio, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, will be chief celebrant at the concluding one.
The National Seminar begins Friday 10th October at 6.00pm at Leixlip parish centre and continues for the weekend. It is open to everyone.
The cost is €80.
Accomodation is being provided, cost free, in people’s homes nearby.
For further information, contact Breffni May, Seminar Co-ordinator at 01 6242450 or mail breffnimay@eircom.net.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce
(Source: CIN)