BENEDICT HOPES TO VISIT IRELAND

Pope Benedict XVI has said he would like to visit Ireland, the Irish Independent newspaper reported on Tuesday.
He made the remark during a private audience with Ireland's new Cardinal Sean Brady in Rome late on Monday, when Cardinal Brady renewed an invitation he had first made in October last year.
'I took the opportunity of our brief meeting to renew the invitation on behalf of the Irish Episcopal Conference,' Dr Brady told the paper after his audience, adding the pope had replied 'I hope so.'
Although Vatican sources have said that the plans are not official yet, Irish media have taken the pope's response as the 'clearest indication to date of the Pope's desire to undertake an Irish visit.'
Such a visit would give Benedict the opportunity to fulfil plans of his predecessor John Paul II to pray in Armagh's Cathedral of St Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, in a symbolic act to promote the Northern Ireland peace process.
The pope has repeatedly said he believed the peace settlement in Northern Ireland provides a model for the resolution of other conflicts, for instance in the Middle East.

CARDINAL SEAN BRADY

The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has been elevated to Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in Rome. Archbishop of Armagh Sean Brady said he was humbled and honoured to have been bestowed with the traditional red hat. The 68-year-old Cavan man, who will now be able to help elect the next pope, said he was grateful for the thousands of good wishes he has received, in particular from members of the Loyal Orders. “Their sentiments have been a real encouragement to me,'' he said.“They are one of the many reasons why I have great hope for our future. It is a hope rooted in mutual respect and dignity. “All of this leads me to believe that we are indeed in a new place - in a new era - an era of great promise right now.'' Cardinal Brady said having members of the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly at the ceremony also gave him great hope for the future. “I take this opportunity to ask people to pray that the peace process in Northern Ireland will continue to be a source of pride and joy and inspiration to peace makers across the world,” he added. For the first time in history, there are now three Cardinals on the island of Ireland. President McAleese, who led the Irish delegation at the consistory, said Cardinal Brady was a tremendously pastoral man of great humility, underpinned by great scholarship, who deserved the honour. “Right around Ireland, it has been acknowledged as a very happy decision as it puts Ireland in the position, for the first time ever in our history, of having three cardinals,'' said Ms McAleese.“That has to be a remarkable testament to the kind of faith-filled people the Irish are, to the kind of leaders that they have had in the Church, that at this time in our history, a very wonderful and grace-filled space in our history, we have the privilege of having three cardinals.”

Cardinal Cahal Daly and Cardinal Desmond Connell joined Irish Archbishops and Bishops, and Cardinal Brady's family, friends and school friends for the moving ceremony in the Vatican. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Secretary of State Shaun Woodward, Minister Paul Goggins, and Tommy Gallagher MLA, attended the service and lunch at the Irish College. “He is a man of great integrity and spiritual strength and I know that his elevation to the College of Cardinals will be a matter of much rejoicing for the Catholic community throughout Ireland,” said Mr Woodward. Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern, Progressive Democrat Noel Grealish, and Green Party Senator Deirdre de Burca also gathered at the Vatican for the consistory event. Taoiseach Bertie Ahern paid tribute to the cardinal for his leadership role in Northern Ireland and his tireless work on behalf of peace and reconciliation.“As Primate of All Ireland, he has exercised his pastoral care in a thoughtful, modest but always compassionate manner,'' said Mr Ahern.“His role, especially in partnership with the leaders of the other Christian denominations, has played no small part in the message of hope which the Northern Ireland peace process represents.”

On his creation as a cardinal, Pope Benedict XVI, assigned to Cardinal Brady the titular Church of St Cyricus and Julitta, named after martyrs.

FIRST MEETING OF OUR GROUP

The first meeting of the Dundalk John Paul II Prayer Group was held yesterday (Sunday) in Dundalk. Among the items dicussed were:

1. The presentation of the Group to the Vicariate of Dundalk and to the Archdiocese of Armagh

2. The agreement of the Groups Mission Statement (See left column)

3. The Appointment of people within the Group

4. Prayer Ministry of the Group

The following appointments have been agreed:

Chairman/PRO: Stephen Clarke

Vice-Chair: Lily Barnacle

Treasurer: Larry Torris

Secretary: Emma McEnteggart

All of the above can be contacted at the Groups E-mail address: jp2dundalk@hotmail.com

It was also decided that once the Group has recieved recognition from the Archdiocese we will begin to implement out Prayer Ministry. We have decided that this will take the form of a monthly Mass & Divine Mercy.

Further bulletins will be posted in the coming weeks with developments from each stage of our preparation & presentations. Keep up the Prayers that we will be successful!

Stephen,

Chairman

CONSISTORY 2007

The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff officially announced the schedule for the consistory at which Pope Benedict XVI will create the 23 new cardinals.
The celebration will take place in St. Peter's Square at 10.30 a.m. on Saturday, November 24. Courtesy visits to the new cardinals will take place on the same day from 4.30 to 6.30 p.m.

The following day, November 25, Pope Benedict XVI will also preside at a Eucharistic concelebration with the new cardinals at 10:30 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square. During that Mass he will give them their ring of office.

HOMECOMING OF CARDINAL SEÁN BRADY

Thursday 29th November 2007

10.20am: Arrival at Dublin Airport where he will go to meet An Taoiseach

11.15am: Depart Dublin Airport
12.00 noon: Arrive Drogheda - lunch

12.30pm - 1.00pm: Saint Peter's Church, Drogheda

1.30pm - 1.45pm: Sienna Convent, Drogheda

2.00pm - 2.15pm: Collon Monastry

2.30pm - 3.00pm: Ardee

3.30pm: Cardinal Brady will arrive in Dundalk for a civic reception at Saint Patrick's Cathedral

5.00pm - 5.15pm: Newtownhamilton

5.30pm - 6.00pm: Keady

6.15pm - 6.30pm: Ballymacnab

7.00pm: Arrive outskirts of Armagh

8.00pm: Celebration of Mass, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh

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The Catholic Communications Office have a special feature on the Elevation Of Sean Brady to the College of Cardinals, to visit the site click on the link: http://www.catholiccommunications.ie/Archbishop_Sean_Brady_elevation/

TELEVISION & RADIO COVERAGE OF THE CONSISTORY

Saturday 24 November, RTE 1 at 9.25am Live coverage, from St Peter's Square, of the Consistory for the Creation of New Cardinals,with commentary from Fr Dermod McCarthy and Fr Tom McCarthy

Saturday 24 November, RTE Radio 1 medium wave at 9.20am Live coverage, from St Peter's Square, of the Consistory for the Creation of New Cardinals,with commentary from Rachel English

Sunday 25 November, RTE 1 at 9.25am Live coverage, from St Peter's Square, of the "Mass of the Rings," with commentary from Fr Dermod McCarthy and Fr Tom McCarthy

All are asked to remember Archbishop Brady in your prayers during this week as he prepares for his elevation to the College of Cardinals on Saturday 24th November.

PATRONS FOR WYD08 NAMED

World Youth Day organizers say that Servant of God Pope John Paul II was a natural choice as one of the event's 10 patrons, since the Polish Pontiff invented the gatherings. L'Osservatore Romano published the list of patrons chosen for WYD '08, to be held in Sydney in July. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a student and athlete who worked with Catholic Action of Italy, also made the list. Blessed Pier died at age 24 in 1925.The Polish woman religious who inspired the future John Paul II, Saint Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), was also chosen. Another patron is a native of WYD's host country. Blessed Mary McKillop, the first Australian woman to be canonized, was also the first to found a religious order Down Under, the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Cross. Also included are St. Peter Chanel and St. Therese of Lisieux. Another Oceanian is Blessed Peter To Rot, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea, the son of a tribal chief, who was martyred in a Japanese concentration camp at the end of World War II.
St. Maria Goretti and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta were also chosen. And finally, the Virgin Mary under the title of "Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Help of Christians," protector of Australia, is being counted as one of the event's patrons.The organizers are encouraging youth to consecrate themselves to the Virgin of the Southern Cross with the spirit of John Paul II's motto, "Totus Tuus."

Source: Zenit

GROUP MEETING

The Dundalk John Paul II Prayer Group will meet for the first time on Sunday 18th November to discuss the Official formation of the Group and seek approval from the Archdiocese of Armagh for same.

This is a big moment in the history of our Group and we would invite all those available to attend to be present.

The meeting will take place on Sunday 18th November 2007 at 3.00pm in the Imperial Hotel, Dundalk.

All Are Welcome!!!

Steve

CATHOLICS BEWARE!

Organisers of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing have published a list of “prohibited objects” in the Olympic village where athletes will stay. To the surprise of many, Bibles are among the objects that will not be allowed.

According to the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, organizers have cited “security reasons” and have prohibited athletes from bearing any kind of religious symbol at Olympic facilities.
Other objects on the list include video cameras and cups.

The Spanish daily La Razon said the rule was one of a number of “signs of censure and intolerance” towards religious objects, particularly those used by Christians in China.

Currently in China five bishops and fifteen priests are in prison for opposing the official Church.

Source: Catholic News Agency