Rev. Ken Newell & Fr. Gerry Reynolds
Clonard Reconciliation Mission is an expression of the fullness of Redemption announced by Jesus Christ in the Gospel and demonstrated in his unifying death on the Cross on Good Friday, his triumphant resurrection on Easter Sunday and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost for the gathering in of all God’s people from every language, race and colour. “In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God” (Ephesians 2.21-22).
Our passion is to draw into this mission all our Redemptorist confreres, our co-workers and associates, all who worship in Clonard Church, visitors and guests of the monastery, and those we connect with through the website, Facebook and Twitter.
We want this mission to grip the heart of each one as it gripped the heart of Jesus Christ our great Redeemer and Reconciler. Reconciliation is the outworking of Christ’s Redemption, challenging sectarianism in the Church and in Society.
We want to awaken the Church and the World to the Call of God to bring Peace to the Earth, respecting the dignity of each person, enabling them to contribute to the common good and enhancing in our society the longed for culture of encounter, bonding and partnership.
The Holy Spirit generates the energy for this in us:
(1) through liturgies and events in Clonard;
(2) through partnership initiatives from Clonard. We thus seek to transform attitudes and relationships and prepare the way of the Lord.
(a) To offer at our Liturgies an unconditional welcome to all who come in good faith
(b) To make available to Protestant visitors, particularly at the Saturday evening vigil Mass, aids to understanding and participating in our Liturgies
(c) To introduce occasionally an “In Joyful Hope” dimension to the vigil Mass, and to have some follow-up afterwards for the visitors from other Churches.
(d) To have an annual Catholic Bible Sunday on the last Sunday of September
(e) To have Guest Preachers and Readers from other Christian traditions at appropriate times of the year.
(f) To explain the Clonard Reconciliation Mission, its history and current expression, to visiting groups
(g) To arrange conversations for members of Clonard monastery and the wider Clonard community with people from different Christian traditions and various sections of society
(h) To enhance our partnership with:
(i) Clonard Youth Ministry and the Clonard Monastery Youth Centre in cross-community initiatives;
(ii) The Parish Mission Team in cultivating the inter-church dimension of parish missions;
(iii) St Gerard’s Parish sharing with them, as a Redemptorist parish, in our reconciliation mission.
(iv) To host in Clonard church music concerts and other cultural events.
Reconciliation is a network of many relationships. Our initiatives from Clonard will be in partnership with:
We will continue to come together for “Lectio Divina” from across the Churches, because “The Bible led to our separation, and it is by means of the Bible that we must once again become one.” Thus says Cardinal Walter Kasper (Sacrament of Unity page 69). .
We will continue to work with the community of the Adoration Convent to encourage and cultivate prolonged silent prayer in their chapel in the spirit of Fr Paul Couturier’s prayer for unity. We will foster and develop links with:
(i) The 24/7 prayer movement
(ii) The Well.Com Centre for Mental and Spiritual Well-being
(i) Our Unity Pilgrims will go week by week to share in the Sunday Worship of a protestant congregation, acknowledging our common Baptism and heightening awareness of the grace that unites us in the service of the Gospel.
(ii) Clonard/Fitzroy Fellowship will meet regularly to celebrate the grace of our common Baptism and to share our gifts in works of service to the whole community.
(iii) Falls/Shankill Communion will journey towards a shared understanding of our common Baptism and organises various reconciliation initiatives.
(iv) Through “In Joyful Hope” celebrations, we will surrender ourselves together to the Lord’s will: “Do this in memory of me”. We will anticipate in so far as we can the yearned for common Eucharist/Holy Communion, and we will be edified and encouraged by one another’s faith in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
Catholic Parishes We will co-operate with “Living Church” and Catholic Parishes in creating “opportunities for inter-church and interfaith dialogue”(Diocesan Pastoral Plan).
We will introduce the Tres Dias Community to our confreres, co- workers and associates, and to the people who worship at Clonard.
We will take part in the N.I.I.F.F. which brings together people of faith to seek mutual understanding, promote friendship and work together for the common good.
Rev. Harold Goode & Fr. Alec Reid
