Representatives from the Catholic and Church of Ireland Archdioceses of Dublin are offering prayer, Religious Art and bell ringing, to farmers and visitors making their way to the National Ploughing championships this week.The unique event is the latest in a series of collaborations between the Churches as part of the Year of Evangelisation.
Over 1,000 commercial stands will be vying for the attention of the expected 180,000 visitors to this huge event – but few will offer peace, prayer and meditation.
A special prayer wall will be made available to allow visitors to the stand to leave their prayer intentions.
There will also be workshops on art and prayer. Visitors will have the opportunity to see how Religious Icons are made; a number of artists will be painting religious inspired Art.
There will be Gospel based puppets shows for younger visitors and volunteer bell-ringers (campanologists) from Christ Church Cathedral will lead workshops on bell ringing.
There were be a prayer service every hour and a bell, which will be used in pastoral preparations for the Eucharistic Congress in Dublin in June 2012, will be rung on the hour.
This ecumenical collaboration has developed throughout this year. Earlier in the year, both Churches worked together distributing 250,000 copies of a specially commissioned Gospel of St. Luke.
Other projects include the distributions of DVD‘s for family and children’s prayer and joint pilgrimages to Glendalough and Taizé, the spiritual retreat centre in France.
The Ploughing Championships begin in Cardenton, Athy, County Kildare on Tuesday 21st.
Visitors to the Ploughing Championships can find the Church space at Stand 231 Row L.
SIC: ICBC/IE