PRESS RELEASE

21st January 2008

Theme for Education in Faith Sunday: “Living Faith Fully”

The celebration of Catholic education in 2008 will have a national focus this year as the annual ‘Education in Faith Sunday’ on Sunday next, 27 January, which applies throughout Ireland, will be immediately followed by ‘Catholic Education Week’ in Northern Ireland. The theme for Education in Faith Sunday 2008 is “Living Faith Fully”.

The Bishops’ Conference National Catechetical Office, in partnership with the Bishops’ Consultative Group for Catholic Education (CGCE) in Northern Ireland, have worked together on this initiative and developed the following online resources:
• A poster has been produced by the National Catechetical Office for display in parishes throughout Ireland and it has also been sent to Catholic primary and secondary schools in Northern Ireland. In addition, the office has produced liturgical resource materials which are available from www.catechetics.ie. These resource materials include Homily Notes and Prayers of the Faithful which can be used for both ‘Education in Faith Sunday’ and for ‘Temperance Sunday’ on the following week.

• The CGCE has produced resource materials for schools and these are available online from its website www.catholiceducation-ni.com.

Welcoming the joint celebration of Education in Faith Sunday and Catholic Education Week, Cardinal Seán Brady, the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, said; “I thank all those who dedicate so much of their energy and love to providing a high quality education for all young people, whatever their talents and needs.”

According to Mr Brendan O’Reilly, National Director for Catechetics: “both Education in Faith Sunday and Catholic Education Week challenge us to recognise that as members of the Catholic Church, we are all teachers under the guidance of the Spirit and share in the responsibility of furthering the Reign of God. This is true not only in education but in all aspects of our lives.”

“Catholic Education Week finishes on Sunday 3 February which is the Church’s designated day of prayer for Temperance. As the Sunday before the beginning of Lent, it is timely to remind ourselves of a message from last year’s Bishops’ Conference pastoral letter, Alcohol: The Challenge of Moderation, which states: ‘what a great legacy and gift it would be for our children in this new emerging country of ours if we would be the generation brave enough to promote and work for an attitude and culture of moderation rather than excess in our use of alcohol’. This surely is an example of ‘Living Faith Fully,’” Mr O’Reilly said.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

• Education in Faith Sunday has been celebrated during the month of February since 2003. However, this year because Lent is early, it is being celebrated on Sunday 27th January and the chosen theme is: “Living Faith Fully”.
• Catholic Education Week has been celebrated in the Northern Ireland since 2007.

Further information:
Martin Long Director of Communications (086 172 7678)
Brenda Drumm Communications Officer (087 233 7797)