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Book Launch

BOOK LAUNCH

Photos by Michael McCormack

Editor of this publication, Fr Eugene Duffy, offers an overview of the issue at the centre of this collection of essays – the restructuring of Irish Dioceses.


Featured in Irish Times Monday September 26th, 2022

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The Second Vatican Council expressly requested that “a prudent revision of diocesan boundaries be undertaken as soon as possible”. It went on to say: “This can be done by dividing, distributing or uniting dioceses, changing their boundaries or appointing a more suitable place for the episcopal See, or finally, and especially in those dioceses which comprise large cities, by establishing a new internal organisation.”

Such reorganisation of dioceses has happened in other parts of the world where, for example, many smaller dioceses have been merged, large dioceses have been divided or new dioceses have been established. The question of diocesan mergers is only beginning to surface in Ireland.

Last February, Pope Francis announced that he was appointing the Bishop of Clonfert to be also the bishop of the neighbouring diocese of Galway, on the retirement of the incumbent. The new arrangement has been described as “the union of the two dioceses in the person of the bishop.”

This, then, is the first time that the mandate of Vatican II has been applied in Ireland. There is a general expectation that this is just the beginning of a process of rationalisation of the Irish diocesan landscape, despite the fact that there has been no public discussion initiated by church leadership regarding how this might best be done.

It is opportune that the Irish bishops who have committed the Church in Ireland to a synodal pathway would include this issue of diocesan restructuring as an important item on the agenda. Following the Council, Pope St Paul VI recommended that a wide consultative process be used in determining the reorganisation of dioceses.

A diocese with its bishop is a non-negotiable aspect of ecclesial organisation. It has a primarily pastoral mission. Therefore, it should be of such size that the bishop can know his ministers and his people; have the capacity to give expression to the nature of the church; have the resources of personnel and finances to carry out its mission; and be capable of generating a sense of identity and belonging for its members.

There may be a temptation to look at diocesan reorganisation in terms of managerial efficiencies, which might suggest bigger dioceses with streamlined organisational structures and offices. This could compromise the pastoral nature of the episcopal ministry and any sense of the diocese being a people who share a common life.

Although a diocese does not always have to be defined by a geographical territory, this remains normally the case. Two issues then come into play, population and geographical space. The Irish situation is challenging in both these respects.

There are huge imbalances among the 26 Irish dioceses, territorially and demographically. The population of the Dublin diocese exceeds the combined populations of the 13 smallest dioceses. Several Irish dioceses are very small by international standards, some with populations of fewer than 40,000 people.

The current diocesan boundaries were set down in the 12th century and have remained largely unchanged. Even then, the fixing of boundaries was challenging pastorally, politically and economically.

Now the attachment to these boundaries is more on the part of the clergy than on the part of the lay faithful, but even these clerical loyalties are waning. Furthermore, the Irish diocesan boundaries no longer coincide with any other civil administrative or political units on the island, whereas the 12th century boundaries were also of political significance.

Dioceses should normally generate, or at least be based on, a sense of place and a sense of identity. Thus, they often rely on existing spaces that yield the possibility of forming a sense of belonging. In the current Irish context, the existing county boundaries may offer such a possibility since these are already units for local government and are used by several social and sporting organisations to foster senses of identity, loyalty and belonging.

The Catholic Church in Ireland can learn much from the experiences of the Church of Ireland, which has merged most of the dioceses on the western seaboard, from other dioceses abroad and from many religious orders who have extensive experience of merging their provinces.

The Second Vatican Council showed that merging or dividing dioceses are not the only ways to address restructuring. It allows for other possibilities, for example, the deployment of episcopal vicars to oversee specific regions of a large diocese; and the better use of the metropolitan/provincial structure, whereby various responsibilities might be centred in the provincial offices and then smaller dioceses could attend to their more immediate pastoral demands.

Indeed, a genuine collegial approach by bishops, willing to share resources and facilities across diocesan boundaries, could also address some of the difficulties faced by smaller or less populous dioceses.

Merging neighbouring dioceses as individual bishops retire is not the best solution in the long term. Ultimately, the solution demands inclusion for consideration in the synodal processes currently under way. Indeed, it is unthinkable that an Irish synodal process would not engage with the question of restructuring dioceses when there is such an urgent need to do so.

_____________________________________________

Rev Dr Eugene Duffy is vicar for pastoral renewal and development in Achonry diocese. His book The Restructuring of Irish Dioceses was launched in St Nathy’s College, Ballaghaderreen, on Friday September 30th

THE RESTRUCTURING OF IRISIH DIOCESES

Published by Dominican Publications

Book Launch

BOOK LAUNCH

Photos by Michael McCormack

The Second Vatican Council expressly requested that “a prudent revision of diocesan boundaries be undertaken as soon as possible”. It went on to say: “This can be done by dividing, distributing or uniting dioceses, changing their boundaries or appointing a more suitable place for the episcopal See, or finally, and especially in those dioceses which comprise large cities, by establishing a new internal organisation.”

Such reorganisation of dioceses has happened in other parts of the world where, for example, many smaller dioceses have been merged, large dioceses have been divided or new dioceses have been established. The question of diocesan mergers is only beginning to surface in Ireland.

Last February, Pope Francis announced that he was appointing the Bishop of Clonfert to be also the bishop of the neighbouring diocese of Galway, on the retirement of the incumbent. The new arrangement has been described as “the union of the two dioceses in the person of the bishop.”

This, then, is the first time that the mandate of Vatican II has been applied in Ireland. There is a general expectation that this is just the beginning of a process of rationalisation of the Irish diocesan landscape, despite the fact that there has been no public discussion initiated by church leadership regarding how this might best be done.

It is opportune that the Irish bishops who have committed the Church in Ireland to a synodal pathway would include this issue of diocesan restructuring as an important item on the agenda. Following the Council, Pope St Paul VI recommended that a wide consultative process be used in determining the reorganisation of dioceses.

A diocese with its bishop is a non-negotiable aspect of ecclesial organisation. It has a primarily pastoral mission. Therefore, it should be of such size that the bishop can know his ministers and his people; have the capacity to give expression to the nature of the church; have the resources of personnel and finances to carry out its mission; and be capable of generating a sense of identity and belonging for its members.

There may be a temptation to look at diocesan reorganisation in terms of managerial efficiencies, which might suggest bigger dioceses with streamlined organisational structures and offices. This could compromise the pastoral nature of the episcopal ministry and any sense of the diocese being a people who share a common life.

Although a diocese does not always have to be defined by a geographical territory, this remains normally the case. Two issues then come into play, population and geographical space. The Irish situation is challenging in both these respects.

There are huge imbalances among the 26 Irish dioceses, territorially and demographically. The population of the Dublin diocese exceeds the combined populations of the 13 smallest dioceses. Several Irish dioceses are very small by international standards, some with populations of fewer than 40,000 people.

The current diocesan boundaries were set down in the 12th century and have remained largely unchanged. Even then, the fixing of boundaries was challenging pastorally, politically and economically.

Now the attachment to these boundaries is more on the part of the clergy than on the part of the lay faithful, but even these clerical loyalties are waning. Furthermore, the Irish diocesan boundaries no longer coincide with any other civil administrative or political units on the island, whereas the 12th century boundaries were also of political significance.

Dioceses should normally generate, or at least be based on, a sense of place and a sense of identity. Thus, they often rely on existing spaces that yield the possibility of forming a sense of belonging. In the current Irish context, the existing county boundaries may offer such a possibility since these are already units for local government and are used by several social and sporting organisations to foster senses of identity, loyalty and belonging.

The Catholic Church in Ireland can learn much from the experiences of the Church of Ireland, which has merged most of the dioceses on the western seaboard, from other dioceses abroad and from many religious orders who have extensive experience of merging their provinces.

The Second Vatican Council showed that merging or dividing dioceses are not the only ways to address restructuring. It allows for other possibilities, for example, the deployment of episcopal vicars to oversee specific regions of a large diocese; and the better use of the metropolitan/provincial structure, whereby various responsibilities might be centred in the provincial offices and then smaller dioceses could attend to their more immediate pastoral demands.

Indeed, a genuine collegial approach by bishops, willing to share resources and facilities across diocesan boundaries, could also address some of the difficulties faced by smaller or less populous dioceses.

Merging neighbouring dioceses as individual bishops retire is not the best solution in the long term. Ultimately, the solution demands inclusion for consideration in the synodal processes currently under way. Indeed, it is unthinkable that an Irish synodal process would not engage with the question of restructuring dioceses when there is such an urgent need to do so.

_____________________________________________

Rev Dr Eugene Duffy is vicar for pastoral renewal and development in Achonry diocese. His book The Restructuring of Irish Dioceses was launched in St Nathy’s College, Ballaghaderreen, on Friday September 30th

THE RESTRUCTURING OF IRISIH DIOCESES

Published by Dominican Publications

Listening

LISTENING

Dear friends,

As part of our engagement with the Synodal Pathway, initiated by Pope Francis, I am holding a number of facilitated listening events in four venues across the diocese over the next few weeks. These meetings will be an opportunity for all of us together to reflect on our Church, to look at what is helping us to grow as communities of faith and to see where we can better support one another in our faith journey. Many parishioners have already returned their responses to the questionnaire I sent out last month, and I am grateful for those, which have surfaced many issues on which we will all need to reflect. The forthcoming meetings provide a further opportunity for us to hear one another in an even more open way. The meetings are open to all who wish to share their views on the Church, and I would welcome especially those who may feel alienated or who have felt let down by the Church in the past. It is by listening to one another and being in conversation that we can best discover where God is leading us at this time. Feel free to come to the venue which is most convenient for you.

The arrangements for our meetings:

Fr Peyton Cluster:  Tuesday, April 26th Attymass – the Father Peyton Centre at 8.00 pm

St Attracta’s Cluster: Wednesday, April 27th, Tubbercurry – An Chroi South Sligo Enterprise Centre (adjacent to Basta premises) at 8.00

St Joseph’s  Cluster:  Tuesday, May 3rd, Swinford, the Gateway Hotel, at 8.00 pm

Tubbercurry Cluster: Wednesday, May 4th, Ballisodare, the Parish Hall at 8.00 pm

With kind regards,

+Paul.

 

Knights of The Holy Sepulchre

KNIGHTS OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE

Homily by Bishop Paul Dempsey

Knock Shrine 28th January 2022

Two men looked out through prison bars, one saw mud, the other saw stars.”  That little verse was shared with me by an old man many, many years ago.  It is deceptive in its simplicity, because it holds a very important truth.  We can all find ourselves in difficult and challenging situations, but what really matters is how we look at that situation.  Are we positive in our outlook or negative?  “Two men looked out through prison bars, one saw mud the other saw stars…”  As we reflect upon the many challenges our Church faces at this time, perhaps that little verse has something to say to us.  Are we positive in our outlook, knowing that the Lord walks with us and will guide us with his grace or are we burdened by a pessimistic attitude that says we are struggling and do not know the way forward?  Pope Francis is very strong in holding to the fact that the Lord journeys with us in the struggles and by his grace he will give us the light to respond.  One way of engaging with and responding to the current challenges we are experiencing is Synodality.  It is a process that is very close to Pope Francis’ heart. 

It is not a commonly used word or concept and therefore we might ask what it is?  Synodality is a Greek word coming from Syn-hodus.  “Syn” meaning “together” and “Hodus” meaning “the way.”  Therefore, it literally means “journeying together along the way.”  It is the coming together of the followers of Jesus to discern the way forward.  Pope Francis is inviting the whole Church, as a community of disciples, to discern and reflect upon the life and mission of the Church today.  Some people have expressed fear around this process, they see it as new territory.  But it is far from new!  Evidence of the first “Synod” can be found in Acts 15 where the Council of Jerusalem took place.  The infant Church was discussing whether Gentiles should become Jews before becoming Christians.  The Church gathered, argued, discerned, and listened to the Spirit!  That same Spirit showed them the way to go.   Of course the real essence of synod goes back much further and is at the very heart of the God we believe in.  If we look to our Trinitarian God, we have three persons, Father, Son, Spirit, journeying together as one, united in love.  The Church is invited to mirror this image of Trinity in its life and mission!

Some have fears about the process and how it might play out.  Pope Francis is very clear that the chief protagonist in synodality is the Holy Spirit.  If there is no Spirit than there is no synodality!  It is an ecclesial journey not a parliament.  Decisions are not made by the loudest voices or majority vote but by discernment, prayer, and listening.  In a very real sense, it is not an event as such, it is a way of being Church.  So we might ask where is the Spirit inviting us as a People of God in this moment?  What are our attitudes?  How are our structures set up?  Are we truly open to the call of the Gospel?  Are we living the mission Jesus has entrusted to us?  In order to do this, Pope Francis says we must listen to all the people of God so that we can make pastoral decisions in tune with God’s will for the Church today and for the future.

There are three areas he has asked us to focus on:

The first is Communion.  This reminds us that the model of Holy Trinity informs the Church.  We are called into unity.  We are united in the sacraments, most especially the Eucharist.  We share in one faith, one baptism.  Synodality reflects this unity and it very much reflects the vision of the Second Vatican Council, the People of God model.

The second area of focus is Participation.  It is very important to involve all members of the Church.  We are all qualified through the gifts we received from the Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation.   We are all called to listen, reflect, discern, and dialogue together.

The third area of focus is Mission.  The very nature of the Church is missionary.  We are sent out to be the presence of Christ in the world and to establish the reign of God in the world.  Again this reflects the vision of the Second Vatican Council.  Some saw it as a modernisation of the Church however, it was truly a mission-oriented Council, responding to how the mission of the Church could happen in a changing world.

These themes also bring out how Pope Francis views synodality as a response to the call of the Second Vatican Council.  From a practical point of view, Synodality is happening at the level of the Universal Church which will culminate in the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023.  In parallel we have our own synodal journey happening in the Irish Church which will draw on the fruits of the Synod in Rome and we will take the further step to discern how we can enrich the life of the Church here in Ireland.  Our immediate challenge is to reach out to as many as possible to listen to what they want to say to the Church.  Many processes are underway or are beginning in our Dioceses and parishes.  I invite you to participate in these processes.  Many of us have members of our families who may have drifted away from the Church for various reasons.  Perhaps we now have a chance to reach out to them and ask if they would like to say something to the Church.  This is Pope Francis’ invitation to us all.    

In my preparation for this evening, I asked myself how this whole process of Synodality touches the reality and experience of the Irish Lieutenancy?  In my reflection I realised that you are very much living the model of Synodality in your lives as Knights and Dames.  At the very heart of your calling is to walk with and support Christians in the Holy Land.  That model of ministry and service is at the very heart of what Synodality is all about; “walking with” and supporting.  It is an outward looking ministry that supports our fellow Christians in prayerful solidarity and material support.  Through your ministry you have engaged with the challenges our brothers and sisters face in the reality of their lives.  You have supported various projects in education, seminary and humanitarian causes.  This is Synodality in action, this is the life of the Church in action!  As we embark upon the Synodal journey in the Universal Church and in our local Irish Church may we be inspired by your Christian witness.  

The Synodal journey is a challenging one.  It will not be easy.  We need to trust in the Spirit who is at the heart of the journey.  If we can do this then it offers us an exciting opportunity to listen, discern and respond to where the Spirit is calling us in the challenges the Church faces today.

Two men looked out through prison bars, one saw mud and the other saw stars…” 

Safeguarding Sunday

Safeguarding Sunday

Bishop Paul Dempsey has issued the following letter for Safeguarding Sunday. Copies will be avaialable in parishes throughout the diocese.

Safeguarding Sunday – Diocese of Achonry 7th Nov 2021

Dear friends in Christ,

It is just over a year since I became Bishop of Achonry.  It has been a time for me to learn a lot about the Diocese and the people and priests who are its lifeblood.  As I continue this new mission, I have been reflecting upon the priorities that need to be addressed.  One of these priorities continues to be in the area of Safeguarding.  I am deeply grateful to Fr. Joseph Gavigan and Teresa Curley who showed great leadership in this area for many years as the Designated Liaison Person and Deputy Designated Liaison Person.  My appreciation also goes to Fr. Martin Jennings and the Diocesan Safeguarding Committee who have given much time and energy to this important ministry.  In my visits to parishes, I have seen how priests, deacons, sacristans, parish safeguarding representatives and many others give their attention to this essential area of parish life.  I thank them all for their generosity and diligence. 

The past year has offered an opportunity to renew our commitment as a diocesan family to the whole area of Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults.  Since becoming bishop I appointed Mary Nicholson as our new Director of Safeguarding.  Unfortunately, due to illness, Mary has had to take a break from her role.  I wish her a speedy recovery.  Helen Diskin has kindly stepped in as Director of Safeguarding until Mary returns.  Helen has been in touch with all the parishes offering support and guidance to priests and Safeguarding Representatives.  Training has been carried out via Zoom in the area of Vulnerable Adults.  More training sessions will take place in the coming months for all those who have various responsibilities around Safeguarding in their parishes.

Anne Leonard accepted the role of Designated Liaison Person and Sr. Pat Casey has taken on the role of Deputy Designated Liaison Person.  Our Safeguarding Committee has also been renewed.  I express my thanks to all of them for their generosity in taking on these responsible positions.  There are regular meetings held with Safeguarding staff and the Committee where the various Safeguarding measures are reflected upon so that the highest standards can be achieved.  We have also had a meeting with a member of TUSLA to ensure our standards are in tune with statutory requirements. 

This year we are producing new printed material for all our churches.  This new material reminds us of our renewed commitment to the area of Safeguarding.

As I write these words, I am conscious of those who have been hurt by the experience of abuse.  If there is anything I can do please do not hesitate to get in contact with me or the Designated Liaison Person or the Director of Safeguarding.  The Church offers supports that may help in the healing process.  In my role I will try my utmost, with the help of so many others to ensure we do not become complacent in this area but will continue to remain vigilant so that the conditions are in place to ensure our children and those who are vulnerable are as safe as possible in the Church environment. 

I wish you every blessing and assurance of my prayerful good wishes.

+Paul Dempsey

________________________________

Bishop Paul Dempsey,

Bishop of Achonry.

Syondal Pathway Launch

Syondal Pathway Launch

The following is the text of homily preached by Dr Eugene Duffy at Mass to launch the Synodal Pathway. Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of The Annunciation and St Nathy on Saturday October 16th. The Principal Celebrant was Bishop Paul Dempsey.

When Pope Francis was elected, in March 2013, his simplicity and charismatic character somehow caught the imagination of the world. There were images of him paying his hotel bill, ringing up his corner shop in Buenos Aires to cancel his newspaper, moving from the grand papal apartments to simpler accommodation near his offices and taking his meals in the canteen with rest of the staff. All of these simple gestures were another way of saying he wanted a different kind of Church, one that was less formal, closer to ordinary people and more sensitive to their daily concerns.

In fact, he was chosen as Pope because the Cardinals recognised that there was serious dysfunction in the Vatican and that somehow the leadership of the Church was losing contact with its members. Apart from internal problems in the Vatican, the Church faced other major issues, such as the fallout from the sexual abuse scandals, a growing secularisation in Europe, the advance of the Pentecostal churches in Latin America and a general fatigue in Church leadership. Thus the stage was set for a Pope who would recall the Church to a renewed vision of its mission and one who could effect an internal renewal of its structures.

In practically every letter he has written, and every address he has delivered, since his election, Pope Francis has been reminding bishops, priests and every member of the Church of the need for reform and renewal. It is in the context of this renewal effort that he has summoned a Synod of Bishops in Rome in 2023 to look at how the Church itself can be more synodal. By that he means: how can every member of the Church play an active part in making the Church a more credible sign of God’s action in the world? How can all of us work together in creating genuine communities of faith and service? How can we hear the message of the Gospel more clearly and begin to live its implications.

Last Saturday afternoon, Pope Francis launched the preparatory process for this Synod to be held in 2023. He has asked the bishops of the world to launch a similar preparatory process in each diocese around the world this weekend. That is what we are doing today. We are in a small and low-key way launching that preparatory process for the diocese of Achonry.

The Pope wants us to engage in what he calls a process of discernment. It’s a little like going to the doctor. You might present with a rash on your skin. The doctor will look at it and examine it. He might then take your blood pressure, listen to your heart and lungs and eventually and discover that the problem is more than skin deep.  Only then will he prescribe a treatment.

We know that the Church is not in as good a shape as it might be right now. We can see so many of the symptoms, but like the doctor, we need to listen to what is going on below the surface. What listening do we need to do? Essentially, like the doctor, we have to listen without actually seeing what we are listening to. We are listening for God’s word or we are listening to what God’s Spirit is saying to us at this time.

How do we hear God’s voice today? We hear it, first of all, in the scriptures. We have just heard three readings, each of them is the word of God spoken to us today. The first reading told us the story of the Holy Spirit coming on the disciples at Pentecost. That same Spirit is poured out on every member of the Church ever since. We could listen to that message over and over again, so that our awareness of God’s Spirit becomes more acute and our sensitivities sharpened to pick up on how the Spirit is working on us.

We get further help in the second reading. There St Paul reminds us that each of us is gifted differently. Our list might differ from St Paul’s, but in reality when we look around us we notice people gifted in all kinds of ways – there are leaders and managers, there are teachers, nurses, doctors, engineers, fitters, carpenters, butchers, tailors, IT specialists and the list goes on. We rely on so many people for our lives to run smoothly. Every one who contributes to our survival and wellbeing is a gift to us. We are an interdependent people, none of us could survive on our own. We depend on others and others depend on us. That gives us reason to be grateful.

This sense of interdependence is something to be valued and supported. It is part of what it is to be both human and Christian. Therefore, when you contribute in any way to the wellbeing of others you are acting under the influence of the Holy Spirit. It is not as if being a good citizen of the world has nothing to do with being a good Christian. A good Christian is also a good citizen and in being so, one is responding to God’s call on one’s life.

The second way of hearing God’s word is by noticing what is going on around you. Where do you notice people in difficulty, struggling to survive, worn down by the pressures of life? Do you hear an inner voice inviting you to do something in response? One small example of this is the Irish response to the UNICEF Covax campaign – Irish people who received the Covid vaccine have contributed over €5m to this campaign, to share the benefits of the vaccine with poorer countries around the world. You could call that advertisement by UNICEF a prompting of God’s Spirit. I’m sure that each of you could give examples nearer home – someone reaching out to a neighbour in need, is responding to the promptings of God’s Spirit.

In this synod process, we are now being invited to listen to the needs of the world, to hear where we are being called to bring God’s love to bear on challenging situations. We are being asked to look at our local parishes and communities to see how they can be more genuine, more authentic in living lives fashioned on the gospel. We can also look at the level of the diocese and see how we are living gospel lives and then at the global level. But we have to begin locally and sincerely.

The Irish bishops have also been planning on a synodal process for some time. Therefore, the Pope’s initiative coincides with something that the Irish bishops had also been planning. At a local level, Bishop Paul Dempsey has established a Pastoral Leadership Team, which had its first full in person meeting last night in the College. So, at the level of our own diocese, there is also a renewal process about to get underway. All of these initiatives will involve a listening process, where we hear the needs of the people and hear their perspectives on the life of the Church at every level.

Two members of the Pastoral Leadership Team, Maeve Leheny and Bill Carty, will work with me in planning how that process will be rolled out over the coming months. Each diocese is expected to have undertaken a listening process by February next, the results of those processes will be collated for the country and then forwarded to a European centre and eventually all of those from around the world will be sent to Rome to be analysed and used to prepare for the Synod of 2023. The data gathered in our own diocese will help to form the basis of our own pastoral planning for the coming years.

Life today is complex and challenging. There is an enormous amount of good in our world, in our local communities and in our Church. We have to acknowledge and celebrate that goodness. Equally, there are big problems facing us: we have great threats to the environment and displacement of peoples on a global level; health care and housing are major issues in our country; then we face problems of secularisation and unbelief, a decline in prayer and practice in our Churches, an ageing and declining priesthood, the lack of leadership roles for women in the Church and lack in knowledge of the basics of the faith.

The agenda is extensive. However, we are not alone in facing all of these issues. First of all, the Spirit of God is at work among us, but we have to listen to that voice. Secondly, we have one another, each of us uniquely gifted, so we have great resources upon which we can draw. That calls for both humility and generosity – the humility to acknowledge the gifts that others can bring and the generosity to offer our own gifts for the benefit of others. Our hope is that this process on which we are embarking this evening will generate those gifts of generosity and humility to build up our world and our Church. As the weeks go on, you will hear more about the process and I hope that you will support it in whatever way is possible for you.  

 I will end with the same prayer that Pope Francis used last week in his own address, when launching the Synod:

Come, Holy Spirit!  You inspire new tongues and place words of life on our lips: keep us from becoming a “museum Church”, beautiful but mute, with much past and little future.  Come among us, so that in this synodal experience we will not lose our enthusiasm, dilute the power of prophecy, or descend into useless and unproductive discussions.  Come, Spirit of love, open our hearts to hear your voice!  Come, Holy Spirit of holiness, renew the holy and faithful People of God!  Come, Creator Spirit, renew the face of the earth!  Amen.

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