Diocesan News
This week Bishop Fintan Gavin celebrated two Masses for the beginning of the new school year for the primary schools in the Diocese of Cork and Ross; on Monday 13th October at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Clonakilty and on Tuesday 14th October at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne, Cork.
Those involved in supporting our primary schools throughout the diocese gathered together to call on God’s blessings for their school communities. To mark the Jubilee Year of Hope, the theme was Our Catholic Schools: Communities of Hope.
Bishop Fintan paid tribute to the enormous voluntary contribution of Boards of Management which are part of the Irish primary education system since 1975 and thanked members, past and present, for their service.
Mass for the beginning of the New Primary School Year celebrated in the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne
Connect 7 is taking place on Saturday 18th October in the Cathedral of St Mary at St Anne’s
Young people aged 18-35 are warmly invited to CONNECT 7
Connect 7 is taking place on Saturday 18th October in the Cathedral of St Mary at St Anne’s, Cork City from 2-7pm.
The theme of this Connect is ‘Finding purpose – God’s plan for my life’, which will centre around what God is inviting us to do with our lives, whether married, a priest, a religious or single.
Our keynote speakers are Fr. Conor McGrath, Vocations Director in the Diocese of Down and Connor, and Lorraine Buckley, Faith Development Coordinator in the Diocese of Cork and Ross.
The day will include a presentation by the two guest speakers, Mass, Adoration, time for a panel discussion and an opportunity for Confession.
There is a registration fee of €10, which includes pizza.
Sacrament of Confirmation in Parishes 2026
Bishop Fintan has announced arrangements for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation in parishes for 2026. These arrangements have been made available to parishes and schools involved.
In announcing these arrangements, Bishop Fintan added that he hopes to visit a significant number of parishes himself for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation next year as well as delegating some retired bishops, the Vicars General and a number of other priests when more than one parish is celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation on the same day
Sealed with the gift of the Holy SpiritHere is the Confirmation Schedule for 2026 throughout the Diocese
Record numbers gathered as the sun shone for Gougane Barra Sunday (Connie Cronin Photography)
Record numbers gathered in Gougane as the sun shone for Gougane Barra Sunday.
Large numbers of pilgrims representing all ages, from parishes, new Irish faith communities and movements, gathered yesterday around St Finbarr’s oratory to celebrate Gougane Sunday in this Jubilee Year of Hope.
In his homily, Bishop Fintan reflected on the feedback from the year of prayer, listening and discernment, and invited those gathered to take home three invitations, where the Holy Spirit is encouraging us to go forward in our parishes:
1. Baptism as a Path, not an Event – Walking with families from birth through the early years, ensuring a genuine welcome at Sunday Mass, and creating spaces where families and children are truly welcome.
The West Cork orientation session for recently appointed teachers in primary schools under the patronage of the Bishop of Cork and Ross was held on Thursday 25th September at the Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery.
The teachers met with Bishop Fintan Gavin, Regina O’Sullivan (Diocesan Education Secretariat) and Mary Anne Collins (Coordinator for Faith Formation in Primary Schools).
Bishop Fintan thanked the teachers for their important work in schools and emphasised his wish to connect with teachers and support them in their work. The unique challenges and opportunities of multi-grade teaching were acknowledged and the availability of the Grow in Love Teaching Schemes for Multi-Class Situations was welcomed by teachers. The teachers also had the chance to review the differentiated resources for the 2nd class Grow in Love programme which will help teachers to prepare pupils for the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.
Regina O’Sullivan (Diocesan Education Secretariat), Stephanie Cannon (Bandon Primary School), Jenny Byrne (Dreeny NS), Mary Anne Collins (Coordinator for Faith Formation in Primary Schools), Rachel Crowley, Kate-Anne Fenton (Bunscoil Fachtna), Bishop Fintan Gavin, Jess Henry (Bandon Primary School), Micheál Ó Duinnín (Scoil Mhuire agus Bharra), Erin Leahy (Clogagh NS), Bríd Hartnett (Knockavilla NS), Oran Mullally (Knockavilla NS)
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