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Coat of ArmsIn the Coat of Arms, the keys represent St. Peter and the sword represents St. Paul.
The Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Athlone in the Diocese of Elphin is a great Christian proclamation on the banks of the Shannon river and a true gem of architecture and stained glass.
It is Bishop Ray’s home parish where he received Baptism and all the sacraments.
The keys and the sword symbolise the great challenge of tending to the needs of keeping parish life vibrant, the life of the People of God.
The Universal Church celebrates this year as a Year of Faith. The Book of the Gospels shows the Alpha and the Omega symbolising Christ who is the source of our faith.
The outline of Sceilig Mhichíl, superimposed with a circular Celtic Cross, speaks to us of the faith of past generations.
The communities of monks, who for five hundred years and more inhabited the Sceilig, lived their whole lives in worship and praise of God the Father. For them God was worth their all.
May we, the people of the parishes of the Diocese of Kerry, be worthy to be counted among their successors.
Love one another (Jn 15:12)
Bishop Ray’s motto, ‘Love one another’ occurs three times in Chapters 13 to 15 in St John’s Gospel. Twice in these chapters ‘love one another’ is accompanied by ‘as I have loved you’ (Jn 15:12). What we have generously received, we are asked to generously give. The depth of Jesus’ generosity is revealed to us, ‘as the Father has loved me so I have loved you’ (Jn 15:9). We are loved with Divine love. The more we realise how loved we are, the more we will respond by living lives of love.
Love is the world’s greatest need. It is ever a challenge to all Christians, personally and at local, national and international level. Today we are mindful of and thank God for the wonderful loving lives so many among us live. In all we do and say, let us be gentle, kind, caring and sensitive, as together we follow Jesus.