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Clonard Novena to welcome first female resident preacher

Anne Walsh, from Newfoundland, Canada, will be the first female resident preacher at the Clonard Novena
Anne Walsh, from Newfoundland, Canada, will be the first female resident preacher at the Clonard Novena Anne Walsh, from Newfoundland, Canada, will be the first female resident preacher at the Clonard Novena

VISITORS attending the annual Clonard Novena in west Belfast next month will see a woman take to the altar as a resident preacher for the first time.

Anne Walsh, from Newfoundland in Canada, is one of four resident preachers taking part in this year's nine-day festival of faith, which runs from June 14 to June 22.

The novena, which has the theme `Home isn't a place, it's you and me', is set to explore various aspects of family life and the idea of the church as a home.

Ms Walsh, who has more than 30 years' experience with the Redemptorist Lay Community and who has worked as a catechist and director of adult faith formation at parish, school board and diocesan levels, will make history at the event this year as the first ever female resident preacher.

After becoming acquainted with the Redemptorists while working in several of the order's youth and young adult programmes, she continues to be an active partner in many of its pastoral projects.

She is also a regular contributor to televised devotions in honour of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Canada, as well as being executive assistant to the Archbishop of St John’s, Newfoundland.

The other preachers next month include Fr Michael Kelleher, Fr Brendan Kelly and Fr Michael Brehl, the Superior General of the Redemptorists worldwide.

Fr Noel Kehoe, Rector of Clonard Monastery, said Ms Walsh had been invited to preach at the novena as, following a survey of visitors in 2015, "it became clear that we needed to explore ways to allow the voice of women to be represented more fully in this celebration of faith".

"In addition, as we prepare for the World Meeting of Families (to be held by the Catholic Church in Dublin in August 2018), it is essential that the important role of women in the Church be highlighted," he said.

"Anne is a long established Redemptorist lay missionary. She has worked extensively with the Redemptorists in Canada, Ireland and internationally, as well as with the Canadian Bishops' Conference".

Fr Kehoe said the Clonard community - including around 190 volunteers - is now in the fourth month of planning for the annual novena, which draws more than 100,000 visitors over the nine days.

"The Clonard Novena is a celebration," he said.

"It's about community. It's about faith. It about bringing all those things together and people feeling it is comfortable or it is okay to celebrate the faith. It can be difficult to do it in everyday life.

"It's a very uplifting experience for all who come. It's also a time when people have experienced healing in their lives. It's an opportunity that is a trigger to begin again and take brave decisions in their lives."

He added that a webcam service had been updated allowing a variety of angles to be streamed to viewers to help them "participate more fully in the Eucharist" and behind-the-scene footage, including interviews with visitors, would be broadcast between Masses.