The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has called for a “Family Rosary Crusade Against Covid-19” for the month of October.
Archbishop Eamon Martin made his call in his homily at the episcopal ordination of Bishop Martin Hayes of Kilmore diocese in the Cathedral of St Patrick and St Felim, Cavan, on Sunday.
He told the restricted congregation and those viewing the ceremony online that the past six months had highlighted the importance of the domestic Church – “the Church of the sitting room and kitchen” – and had underlined the vocation of parents as the primary teachers of faith and prayer in the home.
He appealed to people to pray the Rosary every day throughout October for themselves, their loved ones and those whose health or livelihood is being seriously impacted by the coronavirus.
The Primate of All Ireland paid tribute to Bishop Hayes’ pastoral experience and understanding of the vocation and mission of the lay faithful in the Church. “Your pastoral insights on this matter will also be of great value to the Irish Bishops’ Conference because we are committed to a ground-up synodal process for new evangelisation and for revitalising the Church in Ireland,” he said.
He regretted that some use social media to create what Pope Francis has referred to as “closed circuits” that generate prejudice and fear, pulling and pushing others to extremes.
He said Bishop Hayes must discern wisely and build bridges, both online and offline. “Be a reconciler, a healer and a peacemaker,” he said.
In his address, the new Bishop of Kilmore described the current crisis as a “time of transition”.
He said: “Our old order has not just been disturbed, we have been thrown into chaos. There is no going back to the old order.”
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