Pastoral Care

The Pastoral Care Groups of the Parish include:

 

Parish Pilgrimages

Pilgrimages from the Parish are organised by Assumpta Dooley & Vincent Ryan.  The Diocesan Pilgrimage to Knock takes place on the first Sunday in May each year.

 

Parish Liturgy Group

The group

  • Organises the main liturgies of the Liturgical Year.
  • Organises retreats, inservice and recollection for the various liturgical ministries.
  • Oversees the organisation of the various liturgical ministries.
  • Welcomes new members, contact can be made with Margaret through the Parish Office.

 

 Altar Society

1. Contact person: Mary Quinn

2. The group consists of two people per month taking responsibity for decorating the Church

3. Initially the group was responsibile for decorating the altar. Recently the main focus is on the liturgical calender and links closely with the liturgy group.

Lady's Well Committee

Our ladys well is a historic and significant place of pilgrimage in our parish.  Thousands of people visit the well every year.  The lady’s well committee is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of our lady’s well. The group look after the well and work with the priests to co-ordinate the annual mass at the well.

Parish Pastoral Co-Ordinator

Mike Dunne is the parish Pastoral Co-Ordinator.  He also offers a counselling service through the Parish and is involved in various administrative and youth co-ordination activities.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

The Society meets in the sacristy on Monday nights and works to assist those in the Parish who are in need.  The Society works in a discreet way to make life easier for people whose financial circumstances are difficult.  The Society co-ordinated the flooding relief in late 2009 and is involved in the ongoing support of families affected by the current economic crisis.  Contact: Margaret Lane.

Athenry-Simanjiro Partnership:

Ms. Nuala King (chairperson)

Athenry parish received a request to for a partnership with a parish in Africa in november 2005.  This development has been welcomed with a very positive and encouraging response and a dedicated committee has been established.  Simanjiro parish has a village centre at Emboreet, which is 104 kms south of Arusha in Tanzania.  The people are from the Maasai tribe who are pastoral and nomadic.

Presently the Divine Word Missionaries run the parish.  There are 3 chapels and 17 mission out-stations.  Masses are celebrated in schools or under trees.  The area is very remote; there is no electricity, roads are dirt-tracks, with a radio service for the flying medical services for emergency transport to hospital (it also allows a medical service to be supplied to an area the size of Connaught which is inaccessible by land.  The people are subsistence farmers and living in mud huts, drawing water for miles and eking out a frugal living for their children is a daily challenge.  People in this bush-country depend on “mission” and its continuation for basic education and health services or they would have no access to them at all.

The challenge for the group is to reach out in support to the heroic work being carried out on the ground daily.  There are two-way benefits – cultural benefits for us and developmental benefits for the parish of Simanjiro.  Also the opportunity to visit and experience first-hand what is happening on the ground.

 

CI Readings