Image of Saint Patrick as depicted on a stained glass window of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, Ireland
Tomorrow, 17 March, as we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day, patron of Ireland, bishops encourage everyone to unite in prayer for peace in our world, especially in Gaza, Ukraine, Syria and Sudan. To complement our prayers, and given the importance of the national feast day which comemorates the suffering of Patrick as a migrant, and his spreading of the faith in Ireland, bishops ask parishes to reach out in a special way to people who have come to live within our communities, and to extend welcome, support and solidarity to them at this time.
Bishops said, “The message of Patrick is that there is a hope which is deeper and stronger than any crisis, any sense of alienation, any fear. It is stronger even than death. That is the hope Patrick preached, the hope that inspired generations of Irish people: ‘Jesus Christ … defeated death and was received into heaven by the Father… we look for his coming’ (Confessions, 4). In this Jubilee Year of Hope, the Bishops of Ireland are inviting people at home, and our diaspora, to pray fervently on Saint Patrick’s Day for world peace.
Translation in the Irish language:
Amárach, an 17ú lá de Mhárta, beidh muid ag ceiliúradh Lá le Pádraig, Naomh-Patrún na hÉireann.
I mbliana, tá Easpaig na hÉireann ag iarraidh orainn ar fad bheith aontaithe le chéile inár nguí don síocháin ar fud an domhain, go h-áirithe i nGaza, san Úcráin, sa tSiria agus sa tSúdáin. Bíodh muid ag cuimhniú freisin go mba imirceach a d’fhulaing in ár measc é an Phádraig seo a chraobhscaoil fadó an Creideamh Críostaí i measc ár sinnsir agus atá á cheiliúradh againn sa bFéile Mór Náisiúnta anois. Ag teacht len ár bpaidreacha, iarrann na hEaspaig orainn cúram speisialta a dhéanamh ag an am seo ’bheith ag síneadh lámh an fháilte agus na cabhrach do na daoine nua sin atá ag teacht chun cónaí in ár measc le blianta beaga anuas.
Dúirt na hEaspaig, “Sé an teachtaireacht atá ag Pádraig dúinn go bhfuil dóchas againn atá níos doimhne agus níos láidre ná géarchéim, faitíos nó fuaire ar bith a thagann orainn nó chugainn. Tá an dóchas níos láidre ná an bás féin fiú. Sin an dóchas a chraobhscaoil Padraig Naofa, an dóchas a thug misneach agus ionspioráid do ghlúnta dár muintir: ‘Bhuaigh Íosa Críost ar an mbás, glacadh ins na flaithis fairis an Athair é…agus tá muid ag súil lena theacht ath-uair’ (Faoistin Phádraig, 4). I mbliain Iúbhaile seo an Dóchais, tugann muid cuireadh d’ár muintir sa mbaile agus thar lear guí le dúthracht an Lá le Pádraig seo don síochain ar fud an Domhain”.
ENDS
