- Focus will be on Thanksgiving and Prayer for Bishop Liam’s ministry and gifts as the parishes and communities of the Diocese of Clogher journey towards Christ the Light, awaiting a new Bishop.
- Everyone asked to bring candles to the Mass for short Ceremony of Light
- Mass to be live-streamed on Diocesan Website and Facebook
As previously announced, the priests and people from all parishes across the Diocese of Clogher will honour the episcopal ministry and gifts of Bishop Liam MacDaid, Bishop-Emeritus of Clogher, with a Mass of Thanksgiving in St Macartan’s Cathedral, Monaghan, on Sunday 20 November at 3pm, followed by a reception in the Hillgrove Hotel nearby. Everyone is welcome. All 37 parishes in the diocese will be represented through participation in the liturgy. The acceptance of Bishop MacDaid’s retirement by Pope Francis was announced on 1 October.
When a bishop is transferred or retires ‘it is proper that he gather his people at a liturgical service. In this way he can bid them farewell and with them give thanks for the blessings received from God during his episcopate’ (Ceremonial of Bishops, no. 1156).
Arrangements for the Mass:
The Mass takes place on the Sunday on which the entire Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Jesus Christ, Universal King. The Diocesan Administrator, Monsignor Joseph McGuinness, will be chief-celebrant and he will be joined by all the priests of the diocese and other visiting priests. The homily will be delivered by Monsignor Larry Duffy PP, Carrickmacross.
A notable feature of the liturgy, which is being prepared by the Diocesan Liturgy Commission and the Cathedral parish of Monaghan and Rackwallace, will be a short Ceremony of Light during the Concluding Rite, to give further prayerful expression to the tone and content of Bishop Liam’s Pastoral Letter on the occasion of his retirement and to symbolise the continuing journey of the diocese towards Christ the Light. Everyone is asked to bring along a candle (of any size) which will be lighted from the paschal candle at the conclusion of the Mass and these will be carried by all as they leave the Cathedral.
In addition, a suitably-sized candle will be lit for each church and oratory in the diocese, to be lighted as appropriate over the period of the vacant See – known officially as the Sede Vacante – during which the priests and people of the diocese await the appointment of a new bishop by Pope Francis. These candles will be brought from the Cathedral to each church and oratory in the diocese by people from each parish.
A booklet and special card to commemorate the event will also be available.
Live-Streaming on Diocesan Website & Facebook:
For the benefit of those who cannot attend, the Mass will be live-streamed on the diocesan website www.clogherdiocese.ie and via the diocesan Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/dioceseofclogher/ Further details on this will be available soon.
Bishop MacDaid:
Bishop MacDaid was Bishop of Clogher from July 2010 until his retirement on health grounds was accepted by Pope Francis on 1 October last. He is a native of Bundoran, Co Donegal and was previously the President of St Macartan’s College, Monaghan and Administrator of the Parish of Tyholland as well as serving in the roles of Diocesan Secretary and Chancellor of the diocese.
The event on 20 November will be an opportunity for all the priests and people of the diocese to express their thanks to God for Bishop Liam’s ministry, his many gifts and the generosity with which he shared them.
