Minutes of ACI Meeting Wed 16th Sept 2015

The cup of tea was put first as we assembled!

Update on news included:

-Press release of 4th Sept supporting Bishop Leo O’Reilly’s call for a discussion with fellow bishops on ordaining married men and appointing women deacons.

-Agreement by Archbishop Eamon Martin to meet ACI following the Synod.

-Conference 18th and 19th Sept. in Balally Parish on Laudato Si.

-Planning for ACI Conference on Family/ Homelessness/Ecology in November.

Agenda

We tried to follow a structure that Teresa prepared for the meeting to look at our place in the world today mindful of the October Synod on Family.

We started with the Sign of the Cross followed by a hymn verse which was spoken and then sung:

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us.

Melt us, mould us, fill us, use us. Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us.

Silence

Then people were invited to chose and express a phrase from the hymn.

Societal Challenges

We named the challenges we saw and said a few words about them. These included: drugs and other addictions; parental control; violence; depression and low self esteem; unplanned children in the context of temporary liaisons without consideration of their rearing; generational unemployment; lack of respect for people; lack of family outreach to relatives; vilification of migrants; ethnic labelling; suicide; inequality; poor getting poorer; economic stress; homeless

families; the stress of not being able to provide for children, overuse of social media and TV viewing to the detriment of direct family interaction.

Groups that are helping

We then named some groups that are trying to help in some of these challenges including:

Five Loaves Bray; Various Charity Shops; Alone: Alice Leahy’s Trust; Vincent de Paul; Package from Home; The Folk Groups (including Rathmines); First Responders; Sister Stanilaus and Focus; PeterMcVerry Trust; Simon; Merchants Quay Ireland; Capuchin Day Centre.

What can we do?

It was felt that there are many gaps in the links between the institutional church and the People of God. That our traditional acceptance of a clerical approach and our response to that needed to change.

It was suggested that we might study the readings ,particularly the Gospel, for the Sunday following our meeting and see how they might link to the challenges of life today.

It was also noted that we should keep in mind the aims of ACI following Christ and changing Church through reform and renewal and promoting dialogue at an equal level between the laity and the institutional church as a means to find creative solutions to the challenges.

It was also suggested that our gatherings should be an occasion of support of what we do as individuals and offer spiritual nurture.

Closing Prayer

Abba, Father. You are the potter; we are the clay, the work of your hands.

Mould us, mould us and fashion us

Into the image of Jesus, your Son, of Jesus, your Son

Next Meeting Wednesday 28th October 2015