Fernbank Community have a range of activities including schools - kindergarten, primary and secondary, mission office, speech and drama groups, and parish ministry.
Most of these reach the wider community.
Here we give a short account of two of these:
Neighbourhood Retreats
On Jan 18th a neighbourhood retrear commenced in Fernbank in preparation for Lent. The retreatants are all parents of children who are either making their First Communion or Confirmation in 2010. A 'lending library' is also available which contains attractive booklets on the stories and parables of Jesus to enable parents to share these with their children for the duration of the retreat.
Retreatants meet each Monday evening for 1½ hours followed by a cuppa. The final session is on March 8th and will finish with the celebration of Mass.
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For neighbourhood Retreat information in: Fernbank and Holy Rosary Parish contact: Sr. Margo 061 455322 margo@gofree.indigo.ie
Caherdavin area: Sr. Anne: 061 415322
Westbury, Corbally area: Sr. Kathleen: 061 348510 3oaktonroad@eircom.net |
Senior Citizens Ballynanty Club
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This club meets every Monday from 2.00 to 4.00p.m. at St. Lelia's Community Centre in Ballynanty. The members are collected for the club and transported by the Fernbank Community Bus. A dinner is provided and sometimes they go to a local restaurant for a meal.
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One of the main activities this year is: Movement to Music. Here the whole body is being used to improve movement, circulation and mobility. All love this and find it physically and emotionally beneficial.
Many of this group meet again on Tuesday mornings to take part in Art and Crafts and learn new skills and have a chat.
Needless to mention they all look forward to short and long outings, which are organised throughout the year.
Sr. Rita, herself actively retired, also visits people in hospital and living alone and makes sure their homes are warm and cosy.
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Sr. Sarah O'Rourke
Sr. Sarah O'Rourke is a member of the University of Limerick Chaplaincy Team and is based in Teach Fáilte, in the student square. Teach Fáilte (House of Welcome) is located within the hub of student life and as its name suggests, is a centre of welcome and hospitality. Students are welcome to call in as individuals or groups for a friendly chat and a 'cuppa' or just to 'chill out'. Others are accompanied in times of difficulty such as bereavement, loneliness, illness, financial concerns assignment or exam stress, or just having a 'bad' day. Some are facilitated and encouraged to access other professional services on campus.
The chaplaincy supports several societies such as CONNECT (Peer Mentoring), UL Outreach,Folk Group, Environmental Group. The team also facilitates social outreach in the wider community around the university, as well as students volunteering for developing world projects. This past year Teach Fáilte has been used for fund-raising coffee mornings by students volunteering to work in India, Zambia and Ghana. The "Ghana Group" also used the venue to entertain Cardinal Turkson from Ghana when he visited Limerick. Teach Fáilte is an ideal space for providing refreshments after services in the Contemplative Centre. The Contemplative Centre is central to the chaplaincy's work, and apart from using the space for religious services, talks and workshops, it is actively promoted as a haven of peace and tranquillity for individuals and groups.
As a first for the U.L chaplaincy, a student, Charlotte Derenne received her First Communion in the Contemplative Centre last March. She was later confirmed by Bishop Donal Murray in the Salesian Parish Church. Sarah prepared her for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation.