Eucharistic Congress Bell
The theme of the next International Eucharistic Congress is “The Eucharist: Communion with Christ and with one another.” This Congress will be held in Dublin from 10th June – 17th June 2012.
As part of the preparation for the International Eucharistic Congress, the Eucharistic Congress Bell is being brought on pilgrimage throughout all the dioceses of Ireland. Many of you may even have encountered the bell at the National Ploughing Championships in Athy recently.
The Eucharistic Congress Bell is a key symbol of this 50th International Eucharistic Congress. From its origins in the Dominican Convent of Portstewart, Co. Derry, the Bell was more recently used to ring in the Jubilee Year 2000, in Glendalough, in Co. Wicklow.
For centuries bells have been used by all religious denominations as a call to prayer, and as a call to gather. The tolling of the church bell alerted people to pray, to come together as a community with a common purpose in mind.
This bell is currently in the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly and will be arriving in Thurles this coming weekend. It will reflect the invitation to faith, to prayer, to reconciliation and to mission which has always been important in our Christian tradition and is no less so today.
The bell’s itinerary during its visit to Thurles is as follows:
Saturday 5th November:
6.30pm – Mass in Bóthar Na Naomh. 7.30pm – Mass in the Cathedral.
Sunday 6th November:
9.00am – Mass in Bóthar Na Naomh. 11.00am – Folk Mass in the Cathedral.
12.15pm – Mass in the Cathedral. 2.00pm – St Patrick’s Cemetery
3.00pm – St Mary’s Cemetery. 4.00pm – Killinan Cemetery.
5.00pm – Community Hospital of the Assumption.
7.00pm – Evening Prayer Bóthar Na Naomh Church.
Monday 7th November 2011: – The Bell visits all Secondary Schools in Thurles.
9.00am – Presentation Secondary School. 10.00am – Ursuline Secondary School. 11.00am – CBS Secondary School. 12.00 noon – Coláiste Mhuire Co Ed.
The Eucharistic Congress Bell will depart for the diocese of Limerick at 1.30pm on Monday 7th November.
For more information on the passage of this bell throughout Co. Tipperary why not visit the International Eucharistic Congress website
Our thanks to Fr. Tomás O’Connell and Fr. Martin Hayes who provided us with the above information.
