Festival of Peoples celebration in Pro Cathedral, Dublin

22 May 2010

PRESS RELEASE
22 May 2010

Festival of Peoples celebration in Pro Cathedral, Dublin

Cancelled in the snow and re-scheduled in a heat wave, tonight’s 5th Annual Festival of Peoples in St. Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin saw hundreds of national and international worshipers come together to celebrate a special Mass by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.

The Festival of Peoples Mass is normally held on the feast of the Epiphany every year to celebrate the thousands of people from around the world who have come to Dublin to live in recent years. It was cancelled on the 6th January last due to heavy snowfalls in the city that evening and rescheduled to coincide with the Feast of Pentecost.

In his Homily Archbishop Martin said “The Feast of Pentecost celebrates the beginning of the Church when the Holy Spirit was made known to people of many origins gathered in Jerusalem and the today on which the Spirit created from the many languages of humankind one voice to proclaim one faith in the true God”.

A choir with representatives from the Filipino, Chinese, Romanian and Indian communities in Dublin joined in the liturgical celebration with members of the Dublin Diocesan Music group.

A number of former catechumens, people who have undergone a process of formation in Christian faith through the Rite of Christian initiation of adults, received  confirmation during the ceremony.

The Mass was attended by several ambassadors and other members of the Diplomatic corps.

ENDS

Photos of the ceremony available from John Mc Elroy Photos at 087 2416985

Full homily available on www.dublindiocese.ie

Further information
Communications Office 01 8360723; email [email protected]; web www.dublindiocese.ie