THE annual Novena of Hope, at the Graan, the start date of which has been put back, gets under way on Saturday, 27th April and continues until Monday, 6th May.
Among the eight speakers are Mark Harte whose sister, Michaela McAreavey née Harte (31 was murdered in her hotel room on 10th January 2011 while on her honeymoon in Mauritius, a former priest from the Clogher diocese, and a lady who has been running a home for the homeless in Dublin city centre for the past 40 years.
The Rector at the Graan, Fr Brian D’Arcy, CP, now in rehab following a hip operation six weeks ago, found himself putting the programme together from his sick bed.
All eight speakers will relate what their definition of hope is and, Fr Brian is confident each will come up to the mark.
“They are all people with a story to tell, and through their recall, I know they will fill us with hope.”
He went on: “This time, I decided to do things differently. I decided not to go to the rich and famous, rather to select people who would have something to offer us by way of hope.
“In fact, my decision to postpone the Novena, for obvious reasons, coincides nicely with the election of a new Pope that I’m expecting big things from and, had it happened at the normal time, the road would have been closed due to G8 roadworks.
“So, while I didn’t know it, the Holy Spirit was looking after me.”
Where he can, Fr Brian will attend some of the services, hopefully, the opening day Masses on Saturday and Sunday, 27th and 28th April.
Mark Harte will then be the first speaker off the mark on Monday, 29th April (8pm), followed on successive days by, Fr Bryan Shortall, Cap., Dublin; Fr Kevin Hegarty, Michael Hand (formerly Curate in St Michael’s, Enniskillen), Rev Diane Clutterbuck, a Methodist minister; Alice Leahy, Dame May Blood, Belfast, and European MEP, Brian Crowley.
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