Dublin, Ireland, has been chosen by Pope Francis to host the next World Meeting of Families from 21-26 August 2018, guided by the theme “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World”. Held every three years, this major international event brings together families, parish groups and individuals from across the world to celebrate, pray and reflect upon the central importance of marriage and the family as the cornerstone of our lives, of society and of the Church. The event has the following parts:
NATIONAL OPENING: Tue 21st August 2018, the National Opening will take place simultaneously in all the different dioceses of Ireland.
THREE-DAY PASTORAL CONGRESS: 22nd to the 24th August (Wed, Thurs, Fri). The Pastoral Congress will take place in the Royal Dublin Society (RDS). Each day will reflect on the theme “The Gospel of the Family: Joy for the World” chosen by the Holy Father and will include an enriching programme for adults of keynote speakers, workshops, talks, testimonies and discussions; an engaging and exciting programme for young people as well as fun activities for children. The Congress will also include daily celebration of the Eucharist, prayerful activities, exhibitions, cultural events and musical performances. Individuals and groups from the Diocese of Cloyne are asked to attend on Fri 24th Aug – although this is not a hard rule. The Congress is ticketed. Single Day price: from €38. To book for the Pastoral Congress, see booking procedure below.
FESTIVAL OF FAMILIES: Sat 25th Aug evening in Croke Park – a reflective concert style event within a prayerful and joyful atmosphere, in which personal stories of faith will be shared by families from all continents. The Festival of Families is ticketed but tickets are free. See booking procedure below.
CLOSING MASS: Sun 26th Aug. The World Meeting of Families will close with a solemn Eucharistic Celebration that will gather thousands of people from Ireland and all over the world. The Final Mass is ticketed but tickets are free. A Congress ticket includes a Closing Mass ticket automatically. See booking procedure below.
BOOKING PROCEDURE: To book tickets for the three day Congress and/or the Festival of Families and/or Final Mass please log onto www.worldmeeting2018.ie. Midleton parish will be able to provide Closing Mass tickets. However, Congress and Festival of Family tickets will need to be obtained via the above website.
BUS FROM MIDLETON TO CLOSING MASS: Holy Rosary Parish, Midleton, hopes to organise a bus to travel to the Closing Mass on Sun 26th Aug. If you are interested in travelling to this celebration please contact the parish office. Closing Mass tickets will be provided by the parish to those who travel on the bus.