Mission News

After a winter that was not too severe, we now savour the joys of Spring and await the new life of Easter. God brings creation alive at this time of the year. God, also, brings new life and hope to us at Easter. As each new day begins, we remember that God has raised Jesus from the dead and He gives life, hope, and help to all who believe in him. We place all that happens to us in God’s hands. From Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday we will remember, especially, the intentions of

Dóchas linn Naomh Pádraig, Aspal mór na hÉireann, This is the first line of a traditional hymn to St Patrick originally written in the eighth century. It calls St Patrick the great apostle of Ireland and the first virtue it applies to him is “dóchas”, hope. For the last 1,500 years how many people have prayed to Patrick for hope! Hope in so many different situations. Ninety years ago, with great faith and no little hope Fr PJ Whitney realised his dream of setting up a Mission

Celebrating 90 years of St Patrick’s Missionary Society March 1932 to March 2022 Dear Benefactors, Family, Parishioners and Friends of St Patrick's Missionary Society, kindly join us online for a short prayer and celebration of the 90th anniversary of our founding. Date: 16th March,2022 Eve of St Patrick's Day (Patseve) Ireland/UK time 4pm South Africa 6pm Nigeria 5pm Kenya 7pm USA (Chicago) 10am This link will be live on Wednesday, March 16th. Link: Celebrating 90 Years

We invite you to join in our preparation for St Patrick's Day, as we follow St Patrick's Novena for the next nine days, March 9th to 17th. With a reflection for each day, it is a prayerful way to celebrate our patron Saint and to reaffirm our faith in Christ. This year we pray especially for peace and for all those who have been forced from their homes due to conflict and violence. We pray that St Patrick will protect them and keep them safe. To follow our novena go to:...

Pope Francis: “I renew my invitation for everyone to take part on 2 March, Ash Wednesday, in a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace in Ukraine, in order to be near to the suffering Ukrainian people, to be aware that we are all brothers and sisters, and to implore God for an end to the war.” Today we pray for peace and an end conflict in our world. Prayer of St. Francis Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace; Where there is hated, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pard

In our March 2022 issue of Africa Magazine, which subscribers have received over the past few days, we feature an article by Fr Joe Archibong about Sean Cullen Park in Ijebu Imusin in Ogun State, Nigeria. The sports ground was named after Fr Sean Cullen, from Co Wexford, Ireland. Fr Sean worked in Nigeria for over 50 years and his work involved the building of the Society’s Formation House there which included the sports ground. It is over twenty years since the building was

One of the greatest obstacles to the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the division between Christians. History has left us with various Christian communities, very often burdened with issues that belong to another time. For over a hundred years the historical Christian denominations and churches have set aside a week every year, called a “Week of Prayer For Christian Unity” to help resolve this discord. In the northern hemisphere, this week runs from January 18th to 25

Wishing our supporters, families and friends and all our Society members, at home and abroad, a happy and peaceful Christmas. Grant us, Lord, as we honour with joyful devotion the Nativity of your Son, that we may come to know with fullness of faith the hidden depths of this mystery and to love them ever more and more. Through Christ our Lord. From the Mass at Dawn.

Each week, during the season of Advent 2021, AMRI (Association of Leaders of Missionaries & Religious of Ireland) have provided a snapshot of the ways that member congregations of AMRI are living out Pope Francis 2015 Encyclical, Laudato Si. Episode 1 featured a 15 minute short film narrated by Fr Brendan McManus SJ. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrhMrBu1LZA&ab_channel=AMRI Episode 2: St Patrick’s Missionary Society: “Walking the path of the Willow: the road to renewa

And so, we come to the final Sunday before Christmas – the 4th Sunday of Advent. Final preparations for the birth of Jesus. Today’s short gospel, relating Mary’s 130km journey to visit Elizabeth (same name as different versions of Isobel), invites us to reflect a bit deeper on life. On the human level we have two women who are expecting babies having a perfectly natural meeting – but then the presence of the Holy Spirit points out to us that God is there too. Not just two wom