Bandon Parish

St Patrick’s church pipe organ.

 

The organ in St Patrick’s church is 205 years old. It is the oldest of its era in the land which is still in liturgical use. It is currently being restored to its original pristine glory and should be sound for at least another 100 years or more. The cost of the restoration is costing €100,000. There are a few fundraising ideas to raise the necessary funds to have our organ restored. One of them is to “Sponsor a pipe” of the 1083 pipes in the organ.

 

A pipe can be sponsored by you and dedicated to someone on your behalf. So far dedications have been sponsored for baptisms, weddings, anniversaries and families and in memory deceased loved ones.

Sponsors are now starting to come in for children receiving the sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion.

 

You can sponsor a pipe for the very reasonable price of €25. There will only ever be one pipe per dedication so if you are looking for a gift for someone why not consider sponsoring a pipe.

 

Receipt of sponsor can be issued for you on request if you need to show proof of same. The name(s) of the sponsored along with the name of the person sponsoring will be recorded in a leather bound book bought recently in Rome for this purpose and displayed and kept in the church. You can download the sponsorship form by clicking the link below.

 

Celebration 150 years “A Journey of Faith”

The laying of the foundation stone on 17/3/1856 and the subsequent blessing and opening of the magnificent Church of the Immaculate Conception and St Patrick on 9/6/1861 marked a new era of faith and hope for the people of Bandon in the aftermath of the Great Famine.

A dedicated committee of clergy and laity have designed and published a book to celebrate the recent 150th anniversary of the church.

 

Through the chapters they recall the deep sense of commitment and loyalty among the Christian community over the years. Deeply appreciative of the wonderful gift they inherited and recognising and praising the tremendous work of successive priests religious and laity they reflect on a story steeped in history, involvement and engagement of the many who were and are the lifeblood of the parish.

 

The journey begins just after the Great Irish famine when the then parish priest Canon Jeremiah O’Brien went about the building of a church. The vision and inspiration of Canon O’Brien is acknowledged as is the generosity of the parishioners and benefactors and the kindness of the Presentation Sisters in donating the land overlooking the beautiful town of Bandon.

A detailed description of the church interior is given including the stained glass windows donated by clergy and parishioners, the sanctuary, Old Mortuary, the adoration chapel once known as the Old Baptistery as well as information on the people who designed and donated them.

Parish groups and organisations make up the church as we know it today and on reading through the chapters one realises how busy and alive St Patrick’s parish is.

 

A 20 page photo gallery tells the story of the journey through the decades with pictures of many years gone by as well as the most recent ones of the 150 year celebrations.

 

This book is both informative and enjoyable, with stories of days gone by and present day happenings which include the generations from the very beginning moving ever forward in the journey of Faith being witnessed by all who care.

 

“Celebration 150 years, A Journey of Faith” can be purchased in the sacristy of the church for €20 or by sending a postal order to the value of:

€24.00 including the postal addresses anywhere in Ireland (Standard post)

€29.00 including the postal addresses anywhere in Europe (Standard post)

 

Please state clearly the name and address of the person in receipt of the book along with your postal order.

 More Photos: http://www.bandonparish.ie/index.php/photos/category/21-150book
 

Parish Bulletin

Parish Bulletin can be viewed by clicking here