Luisne workshops on meaningful faith

WHILE the sale of the convent and grounds has meant a change of venue, activities continue this autumn at the Luisne Centre for Spirituality in Kilcoole.

Luisne is in operation now for 13 years and will begin a new series of workshops across the road at Kilcoole Community Centre this Saturday.

Diarmuid O Murchu will lead this interesting and provocative series on Searching for a Meaningful Faith in Today’s World. The series comprises five approximately monthly workshops, with the first taking place this Saturday, September 16 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The workshops cost €20 each or €80 for all five if paid in advance.

Anyone interested is asked to book as soon as possible at office@luisne.ie or phone 086 0517575. Visit www.luisne.ie to stay up to date with activities at the cetre.

This year marks the 120th anniversary of the arrival of the Holy Faith Sisters in Kilcoole. The country and county have greatly changed in the course of those 120 years.

In 1897 there was great poverty in Ireland; today, in spite of the housing crisis, there is relative wealth. The advance in society can be attributed to ease of access to education for all and the Holy Faith Sisters, traditionally a teaching order, contributed to that.

When the Sisters first came to Kilcoole they established three schools within the same building: one for boarding boys, one for local girls and one for local boys. The fees from the boarders helped to fund the school project as there was no department of education in those days.

Over the years, the work of the Sisters both, generally and in Kilcoole, expanded to include parish work, home visitation and the running of spirituality centres, including Luisne.

Although the remaining Sisters are moving to another venue in the surrounding area their work in Kilcoole continues.