Parish Lenten Mission

Fr. Bernard Cotter from County Cork, Ireland will be hosting and leading a Lenten Parish Mission from March 18-22! All are invite to grow in your faith and strengthen our community. Fr. Cotter will speak at all the Masses that weekend, March 18-19, and will host our Parish Mission from Monday, March 20 - Wednesday, March 22, beginning at 7:00 p.m. He will also provided sessions after 8:30 a.m. morning Masses on Monday-Wednesday, for those that prefer an earlier time.

Sessions:

Monday, March 20
7:00 p.m. at Queen of Martyrs Church
This session will include an opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Tuesday, March 21
7:00 p.m. at St. Bernadette
This session will include a healing service with the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

Wednesday, March 22
7:00 p.m. at Queen of Martyrs Church
The 7:00 p.m. session will conclude with Mass

Fr. Cotter will also preach at 8:30 a.m. morning Mass on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

About Fr. Cotter

Fr Bernie Cotter spent a very happy year in Evergreen Park over 20 years ago. His bishop in Ireland had asked him to study Liturgy at Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park and he felt blessed to find a home at St Bernadette rectory, where he enjoyed meeting so many immigrants from Ireland; they made him feel right at home, and were really kind to his parents when they visited him in Evergreen Park.

Before coming to St Bernadette, Fr Bernie had worked in just two Irish parishes, one in Cork city, Ireland’s second largest city, and then in another parish nearby — as well as editing the diocesan publication and promoting parish renewal. Since returning to Ireland, he has served in five more parishes consecutively, and taken on many other jobs and roles, including a six-year stint the Irish bishops’ publication for people in ministry, Intercom.  So he brings much pastoral experience to his homilies and to his ministry.

Until last September, Fr. Bernie was pastor of a small rural parish in West Cork, with about 3,000 Catholics, two churches, one school and a very strong Gaelic football club. He spent a lot of time and energy getting to know everyone in the parish, visiting their homes, praying with the sick and dying — and encouraging the sporting population to also come to Mass occasionally!

Then in September, he moved parish. He became co-pastor of five parishes, along with two others, helped by a younger associate. With the other priests, he now serves five parishes on the very south coast of Ireland, servicing ten churches, including two located on islands out in the Atlantic (one of which is Irish-speaking) — and also a cathedral! He has never had more variety in his pastoral ministry and he is relishing the challenge.

Like the US, Ireland finds itself desperately short of priests: in Fr Bernie’s home diocese, just two men are training for priesthood and may be ordained in seven years or so. Fr Bernie also coordinates the permanent diaconate in his diocese of Cork & Ross; the diocese has three deacons and one more in training.

When he stayed at St Bernadette, Fr Bernie often wrote in the parish newsletter; since returning to Ireland, he has written a number of books, the most recent having the intriguing title of “How to Survive Working in a Catholic Parish”, co-written with the late Diana Klein, a New Yorker. He also writes in the national Catholic publication, “The Irish Catholic” — and edits a newsletter for the “family of parishes” in which he now ministers. He looks forward to telling you more (and answering your questions) at the Parish Mission from 20-22 March. In his home diocese, his ministry involves calling people into new structures and drawing those in different parishes into unity; he hopes he can do he same in Queen of Martyrs and St Bernadette Parish in Evergreen Park. Please pray with him that we can succeed in this.