Day’s away from the World Meeting of Families. We are now in the final days of preparation before the Diocesan Opening of the World Meeting of Families in the Cathedral in Carlow on Tuesday next at 7.30pm. Refreshments available in St. Leo’s College from 6pm on Tuesday.  In the coming days we will host pilgrims from Belarus, Brazil, Poland, Romania and Russia. We will welcome Cardinal Peter Turkson, our special guest on Tuesday evening. He will arrive in the Diocese on Monday at lunchtime and leave from here for the RDS on Wednesday.  Wednesday is our Diocesan Day at the RDS, I look forward to meeting many of you there. We have a Diocesan Stand in the RDS exhibition hall, make sure to drop in and say hello.  Great patience has been evident as we await the pre-booked tickets coming from the World Meeting. Now that the parish allocations for Croke Park Festival of Families have just arrived, if having received yours, you need more, let us know at Bishop’s House in case spare tickets are returned. Equally if you are not using your allocation, make sure a neighbouring parish uses them.  The relics of St. Therese and her parents, we might call them ‘the relics of a saintly family’ arrive to the Cathedral on Monday after the 10am Mass, they will leave at 7pm Monday evening for the Carmelite Church in Kildare. The Diocese through the parishes has prepared hugely for this World Meeting. It would be great to encourage the flying of papal flags and bunting in parishes during these special days. I am very grateful for all you have done. May we all receive great blessings from the coming days as Pope Francis walks amongst us.

Bishop Denis