The Diocese of Limerick will host this year’s live broadcast by RTÉ of the Good Friday and Holy Saturday services on Friday 18 April and Saturday 19 April from Saint John’s Cathedral in Limerick on RTÉ television and radio.
Looking ahead to the Easter celebrations, Bishop Brendan Leahy, Bishop of Limerick said: “We are delighted to have RTÉ here to broadcast our celebrations. It’s a privilege for any community and all the more so because of Limerick’s status as the City of Culture 2014. Each liturgy is, in a sense, a cultural event. The televising from Limerick of the Easter celebrations is great opportunity to highlight the role of Christ and the Church in Limerick culture. We are issuing an open invitation to people to attend from across the diocese to come and join us for these services.”
The broadcasts will begin with the Good Friday Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at 2.55pm. This service will include the presentation of the ‘Garment of Suffering’ – a patchwork quilt made up of squares of cloth from parishes across the diocese, carrying a symbol of suffering from each of them. It will be presented during the Good Friday service and draped around the Cross to symbolise how local suffering is united to the suffering of Christ. The Church of Ireland Bishop of the United Dioceses of Limerick and Killaloe, Bishop Trevor Williams, will participate in the Good Friday commemoration. Music will be from the Diocesan Youth Choir under the direction of Lorna Byrne. This will be simulcast on RTÉ One Television and RTÉ Radio 1 LW 252/ 1xtra/Digital Platforms. The broadcast will conclude at 4pm.
On Holy Saturday RTÉ will broadcast the Solemn celebration of the Easter Vigil Mass beginning at 11pm. The Mass will be representatives from parishes across the diocese coming together with celebrant Bishop Brendan Leahy. This Mass will be the first occasion when a new Mass setting composed especially for the Diocese to mark Limerick’s designation as the National City of Culture by Glenstal monk Father Columba McCann, OSB, will be performed. Music is from the Saint John’s Cathedral Choir under the direction of Bernadette Kiely. The Mass will be simulcast on RTÉ One Television and RTÉ Radio One LW 252/ Digital Platforms. The broadcast will conclude at 12.30am.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- The Diocese of Limerick includes the greater part of County Limerick, part of County Clare and one townland in County Kerry.
- For more information on the Diocese of Limerick please see www.limerickdiocese.org or find their new Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dioceseoflimerick
For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678 and Brenda Drumm 00353 (0) 87 310 4444
