Photo was taken yesterday in the North Cathedral Cork by Photographer Brian Lougheeed
Yesterday was a special day for the Diocese of Cork and Ross with the ordination of Bishop Fintan Gavin. He is originally from Dublin so when he held up the Cork flag yesterday it got a great laugh and a big round of applause!
Thought on Monday – July – 01/07/2019
Over a thousand people were present at the North Cathedral yesterday for the ordination of Bishop Fintan Gavin. The event was streamed live to Skibereen Cathedral and was streamed online as well. It was a beautiful ceremony, that was life giving, meaningful, colourful and a wonderful celebration of so many gifts and talents. The ceremony lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes but for those present it didn’t feel as long at all. So many people wished Bishop Fintan well and there was a large crowd outside in lovely sunshine to greet him afterwards
During his closing speech the new Bishop said the Church must reach out to those on the margins and those who have lost their faith if it is to be an authentic Christian community. The newly ordained Bishop said; “Pope Francis reminds us of the mission of the Church, is to go beyond itself, to be open and welcoming, reaching out to those on the margins and the peripheries, going towards the last, the lost, and least among us.”
“He names among those on the margins as the hungry, the unemployed, those in prison, those who have lost their faith. As a Christian community if we are to be authentic, we need to be in solidarity and reach out in concrete action.”
“To those who have lost their faith or are struggling to hang in there because of the awful things individuals or institutions have done in the name of the Church, we need to stretch out a hand of dialogue and listening so their voices are heard.”
There are few certainties in life as we know but one certainty for sure is that the new Bishop will be given a very warm welcome in Cork. He might be from Dublin but nobody in Cork will hold that against him even if the Dublin footballers win the 5 in a row this year! We wish him the very best in his ministry ahead as Bishop of Cork and Ross.
