“Come to me, all you who labour and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
Dear Friends,
In the days that followed our National Synodal Assembly, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican released a document entitled Venite ad Me (Come to Me), which responds to these times of epochal change. This document reflects on the transmission of faith in our time. What I appreciate most about the document is that it begins with a person: Jesus Christ. Its central conviction is that faith grows when people encounter the living Lord and discover in him hope, meaning, mercy and companionship for the journey of life.
The document recognises many of the realities we see around us: the challenge of handing on faith within families, the pace of cultural change and the search for belonging that marks so many lives today. Yet its tone is not one of anxiety. Instead, it invites us to trust that the Gospel still speaks to the deepest longings of the human heart. It reminds us that faith is passed on above all through witness, friendship, welcome, prayer, service and communities where people know they are loved and valued. Alongside these, it affirms the enduring value of popular piety and traditional expressions of the Catholic faith, recalling that such practices have made it possible to preserve and transmit Christianity. It also highlights the role of art, beauty and sacred music as means capable of drawing people closer to the Gospel.
As I read it, I found myself thinking of the conversations that have taken place across Ireland through our Synodal Pathway. Often, people have spoken about the importance of family faith, adult formation, young people, belonging, participation and shared responsibility. In many ways, Venite ad Me echoes these same themes and encourages us to continue the journey with confidence.
I believe its vision also speaks directly to what we are trying to do here in the South East. Through pastoral planning, the development of pastoral areas, and the formation opportunities available across the dioceses of Ferns and Ossory, we are seeking to become communities where priests and lay people work together in mission, where faith is nurtured and shared, and where people encounter Christ through the ordinary life of the parish. These initiatives are signs of that desire to listen, learn and walk together.
For priests, the document is an encouragement to keep Christ at the centre of preaching, teaching and pastoral care. For catechists and all involved in ministry, it is a reminder that faith formation is about accompaniment and encounter as much as instruction. For our pastoral areas and parish communities, it offers a hopeful vision of a Church that is missionary, welcoming and rooted in the Gospel.
Above all, Venite ad Me reminds us that the future of the Church will be secured by helping people hear once again the invitation of Jesus: “Come to me.” That invitation remains as powerful today as ever, and it is one we are called to share with joy, humility and hope.
+Ger Nash
Bishop of Ferns
Bishop of Ossory