Cashel and Emly Family Fun Day

Cashel & Emly Family Fun Day.

We write with news of a Family Fun Day being promoted by Cashel & Emly Archdiocese which will take place at Tipperary Racecourse on Sunday, 29^th April from 1.00pm until 4.30pm.  In accord with the theme ‘We are family – festival of fun’, this event is being organised for families and young people from parishes throughout the diocese in preparation for the World Meeting of Families (WMOF) which will take place in Dublin next August.  Entry is free on the day with donations welcome.

Family Fun Day Programme.

The full details of what is planned for the Family Fun Day by the WMOF and Youth Think Tank Committees are contained in a brochure and a Letter to Parents / Guardians already delivered to all primary schools throughout the diocese.  Our day, on Sunday, 29^th April next consists of;

• Fun Activities for all the family including Water Zorbing, Tag Archery and an Obstacle Course provided by GetWest Activities while Ger’s Mobile Farm will enable interaction with a variety of farm animals and we will have the inevitable Bouncy Castle,
• An Exhibition of the fruits of the Family Art Project being promoted through the primary schools and to include all that is happening in our diocese, with particular emphasises upon new initiatives, in particular, John Paul 11 Awards, Eco-Spirituality Groups, Cell Groups, Listening Process, Youth Think Tank, Seinn, Godly Play as well as those groups active in the lives of our parishes and diocese like Vincent de Paul, Trocaire, ACCORD, Legion of Mary, St. Joseph’s Young Priests Society, Eucharistic Adoration and the PTAA. Each group will be given the space, a table and some chairs to enable those attending to appreciate the ways in which their group contributes to the faith story of our diocese,
• A Youth Walk for the +16 year olds to Tipperary Famine Graveyard beginning at 12.45pm sharp and back for
• A Liturgy @ 2.30pm until 3.00pm led by Youth Choirs from around the diocese. Each parish in the diocese has received timber slots which can be carried by the young people from their parish on the walk and will be used in the Liturgy to show how we are connected together as parish communities throughout our diocese.  The timber slots will be decorated by the young people taking part using the theme SOS (Stroll on Sunday).  Please note: each slot has a consent sticker which must be signed by the all u18 participants and their parents/guardians.  The Activities and Exhibition resume to the accompaniment of ‘The County Tipperary Ryan Youth Orchestra’ and our Youth Choirs after the Liturgy at 3.00pm and continue until 4.30pm.

The day promises something for adults, young people and children –  a real family day out!  You are welcome to browse through our colourful brochure on our Diocesan website www.cashel-emly.ie at Pastoral Resources and WMOF2018 for full details of what is being planned for our Family Fun Day.  Also, caterers will be available with meals to purchase from their lunch menu as well as a variety of snacks.

Family Art Project.

In conjunction with the preparations for this day for families of our diocese, each family with children in primary school have been invited to participate with their child in a creative artwork family project around the themes of love in the family and care for the Earth.  Each primary school in the diocese has been contacted and invited to participate in this Family Art Project inspired by the Grow in Love Religious Education programme as follows;  ‘We appreciate each other’, ‘We care for the earth’, “Love is patient and kind”, ‘Every family is special – my family is special too’, and ‘We are all part of God’s family’.  Artwork submitted for this project will be on display at the Family Fun Day at Tipperary Racecourse on April 29^th. 

We are grateful to the Principals and Teachers of our primary schools for encouraging their students to participate in the Family Art Project and to the priests of the parishes for ensuring that the project has been launched successfully.   Arrangements are being made to collect the artwork at seven different locations throughout the diocese so as to ensure that they will be displayed at the Family Fun Day and returned to each individual ‘artist’.

World Meeting of Families, Dublin, August 2018

In addition, we plan to exhibit some of the artwork produced in the Cashel & Emly Exhibition Space at the World Meeting of Families 3-day Pastoral Congress which takes place in the R.D.S., Dublin beginning on August 22^nd 2018.  We now have confirmation that Pope Francis will be attending the WMOF on Saturday evening, August 25^th for the Festival of Families in Croke Park and for Mass in Phoenix Park on Sunday, 26^th August 2018.

At the moment the tickets for the Festival of Families in Croke Park and the Closing Mass in Phoenix Park are not directly available on general release until the consultations with the relevant statutory agencies on capacity, transport, security, safety and other issues are completed. When these tickets become available they will be free.  Further information upon the WMOF August event in Dublin will be available courtesy of the WMOF volunteers at the Family Fun Day in Tipperary Racecourse on Sunday, 29^th April 2018 from 1.00pm until 4.30pm.