By Sarah Mac Donald - 15 December, 2019
As the faithful in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin make preparations for Christmas and do their Christmas shopping, Bishop Denis Nulty has appealed to them to ‘Share with the hungry’.
In a message for this weekend’s annual Reach Out in parishes across the diocese, Bishop Nulty said he was hoping that the message ‘Share with the hungry’ would “encourage people to continue to support those who work with the hungry in our communities”.
“People are very generous, and I want to encourage that generosity even more in the coming days. In particular, I want to highlight the work of St Vincent de Paul and ask people, as they do their Christmas shopping, to remember and support the St Vincent de Paul annual appeal,” Dr Nulty said.
For the past 15 years, on the third Sunday of Advent, parishioners have been invited to take home from church, for themselves and for someone not at Mass, a Christmas card with a greeting from the bishop and a gift from the parish.
The gift this year is a trolley coin keyring with the message ‘Share with the hungry’.
Commenting on the gift Bishop Nulty said, “While in other years we have shared a Christian image for the home, for example the very popular gift of the icon of the Holy Family, this year’s Reach Out gift shares a very important Christian message.”
“Of course, as people use their trolley coin keyring throughout the year, I’m hoping the message ‘Share with the hungry’ will encourage people to continue to support those who work with the hungry in our communities.”
He said he was thinking the St Vincent de Paul as well as groups in the diocese like St Clare’s Hospitality in Graiguecullen, Share Food Appeal in Newbridge and Portlaoise Action Towards the Homeless, who he said do “tremendous work week in and week out, meeting people with compassion, care and respect.”
Bishop Nulty sent Christmas greetings to all across the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, especially to those who may be feeling lonely at this time.
He said he hoped that everyone would experience the peace, hope, joy, warmth and love that is at the heart of Christmas.
Separately, Pope Francis has told a group of French pilgrims dedicated to the Devotion of Divine Mercy that there is no human poverty that God does not want to reach, touch and help.
He reminded them never to look at a brother or sister with condescension, but with understanding, appreciation, respect and love, because “one can only be authentic apostles of mercy if one is profoundly aware that one has been the object of mercy on the part of the Father”.
