On Saturday the 24th May, Co. Monaghan Community Network took a group of participants on a tour of a number of churches in the mid Monaghan area as part of the Religious Diversity awareness training delivered under the ‘Communities Engaging Project’. Participants came from different religious and cultural backgrounds on both sides of the border, and the purpose of the trip was to learn something about a different faith or way of life that exists within our region. The ‘Communities Engaging’ Project is part financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund through the EU’s PEACE III Programme for Peace and Reconciliation managed by the Special EU Programmes Body.
First stop on the tour was the new Elim Pentecostal church building outside Monaghan. Here the group was met by Elizabeth Allister and some of the members there. Elizabeth took the group into the main sanctuary and gave a brief history of the church and how the new building came about. She also talked about aspects of faith that were of great importance to church members such as prayer, fellowship and teaching God’s Word. Members of the church then took the group on a tour round this magnificent new building with its crèche and children’s facilities, youth rooms, catering and areas for general church use. The group was very impressed with this new church facility and the warm welcome extended for the visit.
Next stop on this trip was St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church in Ballybay. Here Monsignor McSorley welcomed the group and gave a history of the church, the wider parish, and various aspects of church life. He talked about his own upbringing on a farm in Co. Tyrone, how he felt called into the priesthood and the influence of his father on his decision. Having recently celebrated sixty years as an ordained priested the monsignor was still very active in his retirement and felt much fulfilled in his calling and his life’s work in the church. There was an opportunity for questions and discussion on issues such as music and the future for the church in the area.
Last venue for the day was Christ Church, Church of Ireland in Ballybay where Walter Pringle welcomed the group. While not an ordained minister of the Church of Ireland, Walter is currently in charge of the spiritual wellbeing of the congregation as a registered diocesan lay-reader. Walter outlined some of the history of the church and how it developed along with the town of Ballybay. He talked about the leadership structure of the church at both a local and national level and some of the issues facing the church into the future. Walter also talked about the importance of a personal faith regardless of what church a person attends, and how that very much impacted on his life and ministry. This group of churches which includes Clontibret and Castleblayney is soon to welcome a new rector and Walter will be moving on to a new ministry elsewhere.
The day finished with a welcome lunch and a de-briefing session in Ballybay where participants had the opportunity to reflect on the day’s proceedings. The events of the day had given participants the opportunity to learn something more about the religious diversity that exists in the county and to network with others from different faith backgrounds. There were many questions and opportunity for discussion at each of the churches visited, and the opportunity to see round places of worship with a mixture of the old and the new. Events of this nature are part of a wider programme of training and networking events under the Network’s current PEACE III Projects. These events provide the opportunity for dialogue and shared learning between participants from a cross community and cross border mix, who may previously have been polarized as a legacy of our troubled past. For further information on Network events and activities, contact the Network office on 047 30912.
The Network would like to express its appreciation to Elizabeth Allister, Monsignor McSorley and Walter Pringle for their input on the day, without which the event would not have been possible.
