Mass celebrating 50 years of ACCORD broadcast by RTÉ1 television
ACCORD, the Catholic marriage care service, marks its golden jubilee during 2012. Today in the RTÉ studios in Montrose in Dublin, Father Peter Murphy, national chaplain of ACCORD, celebrated a special Mass which was broadcast to honour the pastoral service provided by lay counsellors, facilitators, priests and religious attached to ACCORD today and over the last 50 years.
During the Mass two couples renewed their sacramental marriage vows:
Mary and Pat Timmins from County Westmeath, who celebrate 25 years of marriage; and, Ann and PJ Breen from Limerick city, who celebrate 30 years of marriage.
On 3 and 4 March next a major conference will be hosted by ACCORD in Belfast to mark its 50th year. Cardinal Seán Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, will celebrate Mass for participants and conference speakers will include Bishop Christopher Jones, Bishop of Elphin and President of ACCORD; Bishop Noel Treanor, Bishop of Down and Connor; Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Ms Frances Fitzgerald TD; the Ombudsman for Ireland, Ms Emily O’Reilly will be the keynote speaker; Mr Mickey Harte, Tyrone GAA senior football manager; and, Mr Gerard O’Neill, director of market research firm Amarch Consulting.
ENDS
- An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people view the monthly broadcast of the Mass on RTÉ television.
- ACCORD, the Catholic marriage care service, aims to promote a deeper understanding of Christian marriage. In 2012 ACCORD celebrates 50 years of service to couples seeking to nourish marriage and family relationships. We are Ireland’s leading nationwide agency supporting marriage and relationships through our 60 locations, North and South.
- Our aim is to help couples prepare for, achieve and sustain their marriage and family relationships, to offer ongoing relationship support and assist them in times of difficulty or crisis. Our core services are Marriage and Relationship Counselling and Marriage Preparation Programmes.
- ACCORD Marriage Care (formerly CMAC) was established in Ireland in the early 1960s and expanded to become a nationwide service. Our personnel are selected for their unique qualities of warmth and care, and also for their experience in the day-to-day living of their own couple relationships. Our counsellors and facilitators are trained to the highest professional standard and offer this service on a largely voluntary basis. ACCORD has acquired particular expertise in couple counselling and maintains a programme of assessment and continuous improvement to ensure that a first class service is always offered to our clients.
- ACCORD services are available to all who need them, regardless of denomination, race, creed or ability to pay. Clients are requested to make a contribution towards our services where they can afford to do so.
