Press Release 19th June 2011
Commissioning of Parish Pastoral Workers in Dublin Diocese
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin today (Sunday) commissioned nine new parish pastoral workers in a ceremony in St. Colmcille’s Parish in Knocklyon in Dublin.
In his homily (attached) Archbishop Martin said the new parish pastoral workers “join those already working in various parishes and services in the diocese who, over the past few years, have enriched the quality of our pastoral service. We are grateful to these men and women for the manner in which they have taken on the preparation for their task and for their commitment to the mission of the Church of God in this Archdiocese of Dublin. We express our thanks to the priests and parish communities who have welcomed them and who support them and work together with them in the mission of the Church.” Archbishop Marin repeated his belief that the coming years will be among the most critical in the history of the Archdiocese.
The nine pastoral workers consisting of 5 men and 5 women come from a variety of backgrounds, all of whom are theology graduates and have just completed a yearlong foundation course in the Mater Dei Institute. Parish pastoral workers work with priests and communities in developing an understanding of faith and support and develop parish initiatives around prayer and the sacraments.
This is the third group of parish pastoral workers commissioned in the Diocese since September 2009, bringing the total number to 32. ENDS
