THURLES PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL EASTER GREETING:
As we celebrate the passion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, Thurles Parish Pastoral Council wish to take this time to send you all our heartfelt Easter Greetings and pray every blessing on you and your loved ones. We are indeed living through extraordinary times and are keenly aware of the changed reality as our usual celebration of the Easter mysteries cannot take place this year. The saying that “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone” has never rang so true. Our current reality has thrown light on just how much our communal celebration of our faith enriches our lives and nourishes us as people. We look forward with hope to when we can once again return to our churches and celebrate our faith together as one family in Christ.
In this difficult time we are delighted that it has been possible to stream a daily mass and the holy week ceremonies on www.thurlesparish.ie It has been such a joy each day to be able to feel part of the mass and the wider community of believers in our parish and beyond. Although we may be in isolation watching in our homes, the sense of connection with the familiar faces and voices has been uplifting each morning. We thank you all for your work in this.
Easter is a time of hope! After going through the dark and difficult days of Holy Week and Good Friday, when Jesus was left alone and isolated, the breaking open of the tomb and the joy of the resurrection changes everything. Fear and despair are replaced with joy and hope for the future. The disciples thought that all was lost and hid away in fear. All that changed when Jesus came back from the dead and gave them new hope. In that spirit of faith let us look forward to brighter days ahead, when we too will leave the darkness of these difficult times behind us and embrace each other in love once more.
We wish to extend a heartfelt gratitude to everybody working relentlessly on the frontline – our healthcare teams, ambulance and first responders, priests and all involved in pastoral care, the gardai, army and many more who are dealing first-hand with the crisis. Thank you to all our Parish and community volunteers who are reaching out and helping the most vulnerable in our society. The qualities of generosity, compassion and innovation are really to the fore.
We are very mindful of the bereaved in our community, and the palpable loss of familiar community and church support for funerals and services, which is unique to this time. Our heartfelt condolences and support are extended to you, and our gratitude to local undertakers who are compassionately supporting families.
We, the Thurles Parish Pastoral Council take this opportunity to wish you all a peaceful and hope filled Easter. May all of you and your families remain safe and well.
‘The great gift of Easter is hope – Christian hope which makes us have that confidence in God, in his ultimate triumph, and in his goodness and love, which nothing can shake.’ (Cardinal Basil Hume)
