On St. Patrick’s Day, we call to mind an unbroken tradition of faith in our diocese, our city and our country, said Bishop Fintan Gavin.
Mass for St. Patrick's Day was celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Mary and St. Anne, Cork by Bishop Fintan.

The congregation included the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Fergal Dennehy, the Lady Mayoress, Karen Brennan; the Chief Executive of Cork City Council, Valerie O'Sullivan; the Lord Mayor of the City of Coventry, Cllr Rachel Lancaster and members of Cork City Council.

In his homily at the Mass, Bishop Fintan said that St. Patrick didn’t only bring the Christian faith to Ireland.

“That faith has helped to shape the values that became part of Irish identity — a sense of community, care for the vulnerable, hospitality to the stranger and an awareness of God in everyday life.”

Bishop Fintan said that Cork has a particular reason to celebrate that living tradition of faith this year.

“We mark the one hundredth anniversary of the great Eucharistic Procession which first took place in our city in 1926.”

In challenges, the people of Cork turned to the Eucharist, gathering in prayer and bringing their faith onto the streets of the city, the bishop said.

“This year we will mark that centenary when we gather once again for the Eucharistic Procession through the city on Sunday 7th June, the Feast of Corpus Christi — renewing that public witness of faith and unity in Cork.”

Bishop Fintan also announced that ahead of the Corpus Christi Procession this year, the diocese will host a visit of the relics of St. Carlo Acutis – the young Italian who was declared the first millennial saint by Pope Leo last September.

Carlo often said that the Eucharist was “the highway to heaven”.

“Patrick in the fifth century and Saint Carlo Acutis in our own time both remind us of the same truth: that an encounter with Christ in the Eucharist has the power to transform lives.”

Vigil Masses Monday 16th March

Ss Peter & Paul’s 4:00pm

Blackpool 4:00pm

South Parish 5:00pm

Cathedral 5:00pm

St Patrick’s 6:00pm

Ballyvolane 6:00pm

Masses on St Patrick's Day

Cathedral 9:00am & 11:00am

The Glen 10:00am

Ss Peter & Paul’s 10:00am (Irish) & 12 noon (Latin)

Ballyvolane 11:00am

South Parish 11:00am

St Patrick’s 12 noon

Blackpool 12 noon

Bishop Fintan Gavin will celebrate St Patrick’s Day Mass at 11:00am at the Cathedral.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh go léir! 

Are you aged 18-30 and interested in serving others while deepening your faith? The Diocese of Cork and Ross invites young adults to consider travelling to Lourdes as a Young Adult Helper from 18th–23rd September.

Each year the Cork and Ross Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes includes a group of young adults aged 18–30 who travel as helpers. Their main role is to assist our assisted pilgrims (our VIPs), both in the hospital and by accompanying them to liturgies and other pilgrimage activities. They also contribute to the life of the pilgrimage by serving and helping to animate the liturgies.

For the young adults themselves, it can also be a very significant experience in their faith and life journey, and we provide opportunities for formation, prayer and reflection as part of the pilgrimage.

The assisted pilgrims greatly value the care, companionship and energy that the young adults bring, while the young adults themselves often find the experience deeply rewarding and enriching.

The cost of the pilgrimage for these young adult helpers is subsidised by the diocese, and, in some cases, parishes have also nominated and supported young people to travel. You may know someone in your parish or community who might benefit from this wonderful opportunity. If someone comes to mind, I would be very grateful if you might mention this opportunity to them.

An Information Evening will take place in Mardyke House, Cork (T12 W8RP) on Thursday, 19th March at 7.30pm. This meeting will provide details about the pilgrimage and the role of Young Adult Helpers, who assist pilgrims in need while sharing in the unique spirituality of Lourdes.

For more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For any other queries in relation to September's pilgrimage email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Bishop Fintan Gavin, of the Diocese of Cork & Ross, will celebrate Mass on Friday, March 6th at 11.00am at St Finbarr’s South Parish Church.

This Mass will be held in honour of Venerable Nano Nagle's founding of the Presentation Sisters, 250 years ago.

All parishioners are most welcome on the day.

Please note that will be no 10.00am Mass  in South Parish on March 6th.

Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular and important holy days in the liturgical calendar. Ash Wednesday opens Lent, a season of fasting and prayer. It comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting.

The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person's forehead, he speaks the words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Alternatively, the priest may speak the words, "Repent and believe in the Gospel." Ashes also symbolize grief, in this case, grief that we have sinned and caused division from God. Writings from the Second-century Church refer to the wearing of ashes as a sign of penance.

Priests administer ashes during Mass and all are invited to accept the ashes as a visible symbol of penance. The ashes are made from blessed palm branches, taken from the previous year's Palm Sunday Mass.

Ash Wednesday Mass Times in the Family of Parishes

Cathedral 10:00am

South Parish 10:00am

St Patricks 10:00am

Ss Peter and Paul's 12:30pm

Blackpool 9:15am

Ballyvolane 9:15am

The Glen 9:15am

Distribution of Ashes will take place at all Masses. 

More than 300 people from parishes of the Diocese of Cork and Ross gathered in the Cathedral of St. Mary and St Anne on St. Brigid’s Day afternoon for a Songs of Praise celebration organised by the Diocese of Cork and Ross.

Choir directors, musicians, cantors, singers and members of the wider faith community came together for an afternoon of prayer and song.

The celebration combined shared learning, communal singing, prayer and reflection, highlighting the role of music in deepening faith and supporting worship.

MC Susan Ormond spoke about music as a means of sharing faith, while Anna Smith reflected on how the Jubilee of Youth in Rome last summer deepened her faith and led to her involvement in music ministry in the Ss Peter and Paul’sYoung Adult Mass held on the second Sunday of each month.

Bishop Fintan described the event as a response to feedback from the Year of Prayer, Listening and Discernment, which expressed a desire for good liturgical music.

He thanked the organising committee, and offered a blessing for those present and thanked them for their ongoing generous commitment to music ministry.