World meeting of families 2018

August 21st to 26th will see the much heralded world meeting of families take place in Dublin. Given the primacy of the family in human life the church holds this international meeting at a different venue each time to celebrate the importance of the family for society and for the church. The first three days of the world meeting will take place on 22 to 24 August 2018 - World Meeting of the Families Pastoral Congress Keynote speakers, workshops and discussions; exhibitions, art and cultural activities, daily celebration of the Eucharist, liturgical and prayerful activities. Each day will reflect on the theme “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World” chosen by the Holy Father. The venue has been confirmed as the RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

Evening of 25 August - Festival of Families
A festive time, where we gather to celebrate the gift of family from the perspective of the specific theme of the World Meeting. This will be a cultural celebration of music, dance, song, within a prayerful and joyful setting, and with the aid of stories given by families from different parts of the world.

26 August 2018 - Solemn Eucharistic Celebration celebrated by Pope Francis.
The World Meeting of the Families 2018 will conclude with a Solemn Mass in thanksgiving to God, the Holy Trinity, for the gift of family and for its sanctification. This will take place in the Phoenix Park.

Admission to the Mass is free but tickets are required. These can be booked on the official website www.wmof2018.com Reservations can also be made on the site for the three day pastoral Congress.

There are lots of ways to get involved. You can volunteer as a helper, or if you have a spare room you could host a family from abroad. Full details are on the website.

St. Mary’s Family Fun Day
In celebration of the Family, St. Mary’s will be holding a Gala Family Fun Day on Sunday June 24th. Lots of activities are in the planning, things like bouncy castles, face painting, Magic show, puppet show, musical entertainment, score-a-goal competition, as well as a tea rooms, Marquee tent etc. It promises to be a great occasion. So pencil in the date for your diary. Helpers will be required so watch this space!

Knock Pilgrimage
Our Parish Pilgrimage to Knock as part of the Diocesan Pilgrimage was a most enjoyable occasion on Saturday last. A full coach departed Lucan at 8.00am and after a great day – including a fine meal in the Longford Arms Hotel – we got back at about 9.30pm. The highlight of the day was Mass with Archbishop Diarmuid in the Basilica. A good time was had by all. The organisers of the Diocesan Pilgrimage have invited our own Lucan Chorale to lead the music at next year’s pilgrimage on Saturday 27th April 2019.

Fr. Philip Curran