Mullingar Parish to use webcam in busy Lenten schedule
A busy online programme has been put together by Mullingar parish for Lent, including a series of lectures, guided meditations, catechesis and Stations of the Cross.
Lent began yesterday, Ash Wednesday, but due to the restrictions in place on public worship, the imposition of ashes did not take place during the celebration of Mass as in previous years.
Ashes were available for collection from the Cathedral after each daily Mass and throughout the day until 7pm. The church said that parishioners were invited to take the ashes home and unite together in prayer at the beginning of their Lenten commitment.
Lectures
From Tuesday of next week, February 23, there will be a lecture broadcast weekly on the Cathedral livestream at 8pm. The first will feature Rob O’Hara on the subject of ‘A Prayer-Filled Pandemic’; March 2 will feature Bishop Denis Nulty on ‘Living the Body of Christ – the importance of gathering post-pandemic’.
On March 9, Catherine Kenny, director of Nursing at Regional Hospital, Mullingar, will discuss ‘Life lessons during pandemic – a frontline medical experience’, while a week later, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Most Rev Jude Thaddaeus Okolo will speak on ‘The Isolation of St Patrick – a message of hope in times of pandemic’.
Most Rev Tom Deenihan, Bishop of Meath, will be the speaker on March 23 on ‘A Lenten Programme of Penance and Healing’ and March 30 is planned to be a day of confessions.
Other activities
Each Wednesday at 7.15pm, guided meditation will introduce the faithful to the ancient practice of ‘Lectio Divina’ helping us read, meditate on and live the Word of God based on the readings for the following Sunday’s Masses.
On Thursdays at 7.15pm, the priests of the parish will lead a series of short Lenten Catechesis on the disciplines of Lent: fasting, prayer and almsgiving.
Stations
Each Friday evening, the Stations of the Cross will be broadcast live from Walshestown, Brotenstown, Gainstown, St Paul’s and the Cathedral via livestream and the parish Facebook page. The parish is currently preparing a series of reflections from the town of Mullingar on the Stations of the Cross as a resource on the parish website for personal prayer during Lent.
Daily schedule
Each day, Mass is broadcast at 7.45am, 10am and (Monday to Friday) 8pm. The Rosary is recited at 9.30am and at 8.30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, there is Compline (Night Prayer).
The parish leaflet explains that in Night Prayer, we gather after sunset to offer our lives to God and pray that the Lord will give us another day to sing his praises.
Night prayer is a chanted prayer that typically takes 10-15 minutes.
If you would like to join in, you can find the prayer text online at universalis.com/compline or by downloading their app from the app store. A copy of the text for Night Prayer will be available on the parish website.
Trócaire
Trócaire boxes are now available for collection from the churches this weekend. The Trócaire box is a practical way of fulfilling the Lenten discipline of almsgiving in terms of care of the poor and less well off.
Eucharistic Adoration
A National Adoration Initiative for Lent continues until Good Friday. Participants are invited to commit to one hour of Adoration each day for 45 days. This can be done day or night in your local church or via eucharisticadoration.ie/adoration.
If interested, please text your name with the hour or hours you and your family intend committing to Fidelma at 086 2603421.