Colette will lead Wexford youth group at Papal Mass

Colette O’Doherty, the Safeguarding Children Co-ordinator for the Diocese of Ferns will be one of 27 Wexford people distributing Communion during the Papal Mass in the Phoenix Park this coming weekend while Diocesan Press Officer Fr John Carroll has been invited to act as a commentator for the international media corps during the historic visit by Pope Francis.

Hundreds of people are due to travel from the Diocese to attend the World Meeting of Families taking place in the RDS, Ballbridge, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday following an opening Mass which is due to be celebrated by Bishop Denis Brennan in St Aidan’s Cathedral tonight, Tuesday, at 7.30pm.

Ballindaggin parish priest Fr Jim Fegan is the diocesan liaison for the massive World Meeting of Families event, which will be attended by 30,000 people from Ireland and across the world. The majority of the County Wexford parishioners are people who are active in church life and parish organisations, according to Fr. Carroll who said the attendance will include 16,000 delegates from abroad.

An estimated 600 people from the Diocese of Ferns have signed up for organised trips to attend a papal event in Croke Park on Saturday evening after Pope Francis has visited the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, the Irish Government and the Capuchin Day Centre for homeless people in Dublin on his first day in Ireland. The concert will feature entertainment by around 2,000 performers, including a 1,000-strong choir along with Nathan Carter, Daniel O’Donnell, a Riverdance Troupe, Celine Byrne, Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains, Moya Brennan of Clannad and the Priests.

Many more people from County Wexford are expected to travel independently to Dublin for both the Croke Park concert and a Papal Mass in the Phoenix Park on Sunday afternoon, having applied directly for tickets. ‘There is a strong level of interest and from what we can gather it will be a full house. There is capacity for 500,000 people at the Phoenix Park on Sunday and it has been booked out since May’, said Fr. Carroll.

Bishop Brennan will meet Pope Francis at the National Meeting of Bishops in the Dominican Convent chapel on Cabra Road in Dublin on Sunday after the Papal Mass and before the Pontiff flies back to Rome. Ms O’Doherty, pictured above, who is based in the Bishop’s House, is one of four leaders and 13 members of the Spirit Youth Group in Wexford who will serve as Eucharistic Ministers during the Phoenix Park Mass. The youth group aimed at Transition Year Students was established at the end of 2015 and is led by clergy, religious and lay people. Colette will be accompanied by fellow Spirit leaders Martin