On Saturday 28th September people from across the diocese started to arrive by car, bus and train for our Inaugural Diocesan Congress.  The morning was led in prayer by Bishop Donal McKeown, DCF led us in singing Be Thou My Vision and young people from across the diocese led the intercessory prayer for our diocese.

Together we reflected on the reading from Colossians 3:12 – 16

You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you , and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience,  Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love.  And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body.  Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home in you. 

The young people from Clonard Youth Ministry team led us in a drama.  They challenged us to think about our hands being the hands of Christ and that we had to make decisions were our hands used for actions to build or tear apart, to harm or to heal.  As a diocese it was very fitting as we reflected on how we could build up the church and bring healing.