Bishop of Derry, Most Rev Dr Donal McKeown. Photo: Stephen Latimer
The Bishop of Derry has praised the work carried out by ACCORD, the Catholic Marriage Care Service.
Speaking during Mass in the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Steelstown to mark 40 years of the service in the diocese of Derry, Most Rev Dr Donal McKeown, said the work carried out by ACCORD was “more needed now than ever.”
Dr McKeown said: “Ss you celebrate 40 years of ACCORD’s work in the diocese, I encourage you, not to see this as some diehard Catholic way of resisting the inevitable wave of progress.
“You are dealing with issues that affect the welfare of society and the future of our communities.
“Broken relationships break hearts. Broken homes break children’s spirits.
“You are part of the ministry of Jesus who wants people to be healed. God has a dream for who and what we can become.
“You are telling people about that dream. You do it with compassion – pointing to the ideal but knowing that none of us is ideal.
“You accept the reality of people’s lives, but you do not tell them to stay there. You tell them that, with work, prayer and grace the mess of the past can become a solid foundation for the future.
“Jesus does not walk away from our human messes. He comes and takes part in it and walks with us through our Cavalries so that we can believe in Resurrection and not just in a sad tomb for our dreams.
“Tonight we bring all that has been achieved in 40 years, the couples and families that have been enriched by the work of you and your colleagues, living and dead.
“We bring the challenges of the present and our hopes for the future. You are not just one more counselling organisation. You are part of the Church that wants to speak of love, to point to a solid rock on which people can build and the faithfulness of God to his covenant with the world.
“That covenant wants to bring healing and hope. Keep prayer as part of your ministry. Make space for grace in your ministry. Do not be afraid if you meet with opposition. That is often a sign that you are speaking too much truth!
“If you do so, you will continue to be a great blessing on the world and great servants of the common good. Never see yourselves as merely a counselling and training organisation that had Catholic roots away back in the past. Going that way would mean that you are merely offering a service rather than exercising a ministry.
“The salt would quickly lose its taste. You are offering more because you speak of a God who loves and believes in people.”
Dr McKeown concluded: “Thank you for your work. It is more needed now than ever. I look forward to being here for your 50th anniversary.”
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