Dear friends,
Today is The Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saint of the Week – St. Bernard of Clairvaux – Saturday, 20th August
Bernard was born near Dijon, France in 1090, the son of a Burgundian nobleman. He entered the new Abbey of Citeaux (from which we get the name ‘Cistercian’ monks) in 1113. Bernard must have been a charismatic character for he won over four of his brothers and twenty-seven other friends to join him in entering the monastery. Two years later, he was sent to establish a new monastery at Clairvaux in Champagne. This monastery prospered and was responsible for the founding of other monasteries, including Mellifont Abbey in Co. Louth.
In 1145, a former Clairvaux monk,Eugenius III, was elected Pope. Bernard wrote to Eugenius castigating theabuses of the Vatican. Eugenius had great confidence in Bernard and asked himto preach against heresies then in France and to stir up enthusiasm for theSecond Crusade in France and Germany – the latter was an unfortunate episode inthe Church’s history.
With all his activities, and in spite of distressing ill-health, Bernard was a prolific writer. He wrote a Life of St. Malachy of Armagh who was a personal friend of his. Bernard’s writings are now available in English, chief among them On the Love of God and his sermons On the Song of Songs, a favourite biblical text of the Christian mystics. He wanted to “reach people’s hearts’ through his writings. Bernard was given the title of Doctor mellifluous, ‘the Honey-sweet. Teacher’. Pope Pius VIII included him among the doctors of the church in 1830. Bernard’s emblem is the beehive.
Proposed Course in the Autumn
I propose offering an introductory course on the Early Years of Christian Theology and Spirituality (33 AD – 1,000AD ) in the autumn. You do not have to have any prior knowledge of this subject. I would hope to make the talks as accessible as possible. These talks will take place on Saturday mornings from 10.00 am. to 12 noon in the John Sullivan Room. You might give it some thought over the summer. Further details later.
Volunteers to read at Mass and forthe Choir
Margaret (our soloist) and Seamus(our organist) always welcome new members to join the choir. Rehearsals are on a Sunday morningat 10.30am in the John Sullivan Room, before the 11.00am Mass.
CHURCH COLLECTIONS
For Church: € 844. Share: € 149
Card reader: € 333
All contributions are gratefully accepted, and the donors are remembered in ourprayers.
AUTUMN COURSE
Interested in the Early Years of Christian Theology and Spirituality course? Please let us know online (gardinerstchurch.ie/upcoming events), by email (sfx@jesuit.ie) or by phone (8363411).
STMARY’S CATHEDRAL WILL CLOSE TEMPORARILY from August 17 to allow essential conservation, accessibility and renewal works as part of the next phase in its development as the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Dublin.
Duringthe closure period, major diocesan liturgies will take place in St Andrew’sChurch, Westland Row.
Full details on the diocesan website
MANRESA
Manresa Jesuit Centre ofSpirituality (426 Clontarf Road, Dollymount) – September 2026 Retreat Offerings
Individually Directed Retreat, Mon-Fri, 7-11 Sep (4-day) /Tue-Thu, 15-24 Sep (8-day). A directed retreat offers time for personal prayer,silence, and reflection, with daily guidance from a spiritual director – achance to deepen your relationship with God and discover His personal call toyou.
The Reign of God (Residential Retreat). Sun,27 Sep-Wed, 30 Sep. Facilitator: Fr Bernard McGuckian SJ. The concept of kingdom features frequently in both the Old and New Testaments. Come and find out its importance and how its meaning changed over the course of salvation history.
For more information, check ourwebsite at www.manresa.ie or contact us at reception@manresa.ie / 01 5529 448.
PILGRIMAGE-LOURDES & SAN SEBASTIAN
2ndOctober 2026 – 6 nights
Spiritual Director- Fr. Pat Corkery SJ
For information, please contact Maura Ward 0876550633
SUMMER FRONT OFFICE HOURS
On Monday 17th August, the front office will open 11 am–1pm.
POPE LEO XIV’s PRAYER INTENTION FOR AUGUST
For evangelization in the city
Let us pray that in large cities often marked by anonymity and loneliness we find new ways to proclaim the Gospel, discovering creative paths to build community.