CHRIST OUR LIGHT
‘As a sign of hope and of the light that Jesus brings into our lives and our world through his resurrection Bishop Fintan invited all churches throughout the diocese to turn on the Church lights from 9pm on Holy Saturday the moment the Paschal Candle will be lit in the Cathedral and leaving them lit throughout Holy Saturday night – reminding us that although our Church buildings might be closed, Christ our Light is still present and alive in so many ways as our light and hope’.
PASCHAL CANDLE
We participated in the live-streamed celebration of the Easter Triduum led by Bishop Fintan in the Cathedral over the past three days, joining in prayer as a diocesan family. As the Easter Vigil was not celebrated in Turner’s Cross, we begin our 12.00 noon Easter Sunday Mass, live-streamed from the Presbytery, with the following prayer of thanksgiving for the Paschal Candle, lit before Mass begins.
On this, your day of grace, O holy Father,
accept this candle,
a solemn offering,
a sacrifice of praise,
this gift from your most holy Church,
that it may persevere undimmed,
to overcome the darkness of this time.
May this flame be found still burning
by the one Morning Star who never sets,
Christ your Son,
who, coming back from death’s domain,
has shed his peaceful light on humanity,
and lives and reigns for ever and ever.
R/. Amen.
JESUS IS RISEN, JESUS IS LORD
At Easter when the Alleluia resounds again, we celebrate the Risen Christ, the centre and fulfilment of the universe and history. The one who was mocked and killed is King of Kings, is Lord. He is the first born from the dead, risen as he said, the source of our hope as we journey through this valley of tears. We pray for grace to accept the mercy offered to us in this Year of Mercy and enter into his Easter joy.
Pope Francis says the Christian belief in the Resurrection of Christ and in our own resurrection at the end of time is more than just wishful thinking, but rather implies confidence in something certain. “This is the Christian hope. Christian hope is the expectation of something that has already been accomplished and that certainly will be realized for each of us.
We need to return to the root and foundation of our faith, so as to become aware of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus and what our death means.”
CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS AND LIVE-STREAMED MASSES
Please God, Frs. Kerry and Billy will be able to offer Mass in the church in a few weeks, and we look forward to churches opening when the danger has passed.
In the meantime, from Easter Sunday, Fr Billy’s Mass will be live-streamed from the Prayer Room in the Presbytery at 12.00 noon on Sundays and 10.00 am on weekdays (Monday to Saturday) until the church is opened again, and you can join him for morning prayer of the church (Office of Lauds) at 9.00 am each day, also starting on Easter Sunday.
CORK CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY RESPONSE FORUM
The diocese has asked us to publish the Cork City Council Covid-19 Community Help contact details. The Cork City Covid-19 Community Response Forum helpline is 1800-222-226 and is available from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. seven days a week. The Cork City Council Community Response details are available at the following internet address:
https://www.corkcity.ie/en/council-services/news-room/latest-news/cork-city-covid-19-community-response-forum.html
Fr. Michael O’Donovan
We remember the late Fr. Michael O’Donovan PE, retired parish priest of Caheragh. Fr. Michael died peacefully in Bushmount Nursing and Retirement Home, Clonakilty on Good Friday evening. He served as parish priest of Caheragh from 1986 until his retirement in 2009. Fr. Michael previously served in Skibbereen, Glounthaune, Carrigfada, St. Joseph’s Mayfield, Clonakilty and Ballingeary after he began his ministry in Nigeria following his ordination in 1956.