Laois parishes participate in prayer service in Seir Kieran's

On the second Sunday in October, in lovely Autumn weather, members of the parish communities of four parishes of the Diocese of Ossory – Borris-in-Ossory, Camross and Castletown in Laois, and Seir Kieran in Offaly – gathered together in St. Kieran’s Church in Clareen.

This “Prayer Service for Walking in Faith and Hope” (held under Covid restrictions) was led by Most Revd. Denis Nulty, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin and Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Ossory.

The concelebrants were Fr. Jackie Robinson (Borris-In-Ossory), Fr. Brian Griffin (Camross and Castletown), and Fr. Michael Reddan (Seir Kieran).

The Prayer Service’s purpose was to mark the coming together of the four parish communities into a recently-established Pastoral Area, in line with the synodal pathway on which the Catholic Church has set out in Ireland and across the world.

To the singing of the Parish Choir, the entrance procession included both clergy and lay people from the four communities. Fr. Brian narrated, while Sr. Regina, Sean Dowling and Mary McCarthy brought to the altar the Cross, water from St. Kieran’s Well, the Lectionary, and a lighted candle “to light our way and so that we can recognise Christ’s presence among us”.

Fr. Reddan gave the opening remarks, and Anna Duffy extended a “céad míle fáilte” on behalf of the host community, to all in attendance especially those who had travelled a distance to take part.

Three pupils of the local school’s Confirmation class, Fionn Nolan, Odette Bayliss and Joseph Breslin, then narrated the key events of the early history of the parish and Diocese. In a clear, confident and engaging way, they told of St. Kieran’s origins on Cape Clear Island off the Cork coast, his journey to Italy and encounter with St. Patrick, the story of how Bell Hill in Clareen got its name, the early fame of the Monastic settlement, where kings of Ossory were buried; the Viking raids in the 9th and 10th centuries, the coming of the Augustinians in 1170, and the final destruction of the Monastery in 1548.

The children went on to cite some milestones of modern times, including the building of the present church at the turn of the last century, and said they and their parents and teachers would be delighted if Bishop Nulty could come back for their Confirmation on St. Kieran’s Day, 5th March 2022.

Fr. Jackie then gave a reading from St. John’s Gospel (John 8: 12-20) after which Bishop Nulty began his homily with sincere thanks to all those who had had a part in organising the Prayer Service. He commended the three children on the wonderful presentation they had just given, and joked that the black and amber jersey worn by one boy reminded him that it was Kilkenny that had adopted those colours from Seir Kieran, rather than the other way around.

On this the eve of the feast day of St. Canice, Bishop Nulty continued, it was fitting that the gathering was taking place here, where the Diocese began. He recalled that Seir Kieran has not only been geographically separate from the rest of Ossory, it has itself been divided  into the three separate parts of Osierbrook, Fancroft, and the townslands around Clareen crossroads.

He expressed special appreciation to the Diocese of Killaloe, to Bishop Fintan Monahan and his predecessors, for attending to Seir Kieran during the Penal times, and during other troubled periods through the years. All the same, the bond with Ossory had never frayed, and he loved how this was expressed by Bishop Abraham Brownrigg in the  pastoral letter he sent from Kilkenny in January 1900:

“This little parish has claims on us, which no other parish in the whole diocese can put forward. It was there the faith was first preached in Ossory. It was in the grateful soil of Seir Kieran that was first deposited the little seed of Gospel truth.”

Bishop Nulty then asked the four parish groups represented to stand up, each in turn. This very weekend, he said, Pope Francis was launching a universal Synod. The word “synod” means “coming together”.

He emphasised that this synodal pathway must especially seek to engage women and men who have become disengaged, whether because of abuses that have come to light; or because of feeling not welcomed or valued for who they are or see themselves as; or simply because of falling out of the habits of religious observance. The question for this faith community, here in the womb of the Diocese, is what is God saying to Ossory at this moment? What is St. Kieran saying? “May we take that first step this day”, the Bishop concluded. “May it be a gentle step, in faith and hope.”

The Service ended with a reading by Catherine O’Brien of Pope Francis’s own poem, “Hope” and a recessional hymn. Fr. Michael again thanked all who had been involved in organising the prayer service and in catering for the day. Everybody was cordially invited to the Assembly Room of the National School, where tea, refreshments and conversation with acquaintances old and new made for an enjoyable close to proceedings.