First Church Conference to address the Pastoral needs of Travellers

18 Apr 2012

First Church Conference to address the Pastoral needs of Travellers

The Parish of the Travelling People are holding their first national conference, ‘Towards Enhanced Pastoral Practice’ tomorrow, (Thursday 19th April).

The aim of the conference is to bring together all those working with the Travelling Community with a view to enhancing and developing pastoral outreach to Travellers.

The Parish of the Travelling People was established in 1980 to respond to the pastoral needs of the Traveller Community in the Archdiocese of Dublin. It works to encourage Church leaders and parishes to actively include Travellers in participating as equal members of their local church.

This one day conference, which is being held in The Clarion Hotel Liffey Valley, Dublin will be addressed by Bishop Eamonn Walsh, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, who has  responsibility for the promotion of the guidelines of the Church’s Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Travellers and Migrant People.

There will be contributions from the Clondalkin Traveller Development Group who work to address the needs of Travellers in the areas of health care, accommodation and youth work, along with Dr Sean Ruth, Organisational Psychologist and Dr Seamus Lillis a community development consultant. Throughout the day a number of workshops will also be held.

Parish Priest for the Parish of the Travelling People, Fr Derek Farrell said, “This conference provides a great opportunity for those working in the pastoral field to come together and share ideas and experiences. It is only through conversation and evaluation of experience that we can begin to really look at ways of improving the standard of pastoral care given to those in the Travelling Community.”

Ends

The Conference begins at 10.00 tomorrow morning (Thursday 19th February) at The Clarion Hotel, Liffey Valley.

Further information:
Georgina Jameson, Parish Pastoral Worker, The Parish of the Travelling People, 0872827581
Carol Faulkner, Communications Office, Archdiocese of Dublin 01 -8360723/0876172947