Letter to be read out at all Masses at the Weekend 17-18 December

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Warmest greetings as we approach Christmas, the season of hope. Pope Francis tells us every now and then, “do not allow yourself be robbed of hope!” We all need to keep hope alive, especially when there are difficulties. Let’s pray for one another as the holy season approaches that we’ll be able to bring hope wherever there is sadness or discouragement.

This Christmas I am delighted that the Diocese of Limerick has a new Diocesan Plan. It is a reason for hope for all of us as a Diocese. Its title is “Moving Forward Together in Hope: The Diocesan Plan 2016-2026”. The Plan is the fruit of the Diocesan Synod held in April 2016, the first Synod in eighty years. Over 400 delegates from all over the Diocese spent three days together reflecting on the future direction of the Diocese, bearing in mind what they had heard during the wide consultation that had gone on right across the Diocese over the past two years. I want to say a big “thanks” again to everyone who contributed in any way to that process.

Now we have a Diocesan Plan based on the Synod. Over the next ten years, all of us will be involved in implementing it. I invite you, therefore, to read carefully our Diocesan plan. Copies of it are available both in the church today and it’s also on the Synod website. The Diocese has also produced a Newspaper-style summary of the Plan which is available in all churches. I encourage you to take a copy of this home with you.

We have many proposals and many actions named in the Plan. The intention is that local communities approach many of these as they would a menu and choose those that are appropriate to their circumstances. Obviously, we can’t do everything all at once. Each local community needs to discern together what elements of the “menu” they want to proceed with in the coming months, next year etc.

I hope you enjoy reading the plan. I hope you get a chance to read it also together with others. May it be an opportunity for you to renew hope, just as the Synod event was an experience of hope for those who attended it.

Once again, I wish you well for Christmas and the New Year. Let’s pray for one another.

With every blessing,

+Brendan Leahy

Bishop of Limerick