On Saturday 16th November 2024, members of the Lieutenancy of Ireland met for their annual spiritual retreat in Dublin.

Preparations were made by our Ecclesiastical Master of Ceremonies, Very Reverend Derek Darby, KCHS who ensured members received structured spiritual formation, as directed by the recent Formation Document published by the Grand Master H.E. Fernando Cardinal Filoni and Governor General H.E. Leonardo Visconti di Modrone.

Guest speaker was Fr Michael O’Sullivan, M.Afr (Societas Missionum ad Afros – SMA White Fathers) who told us how his vocation came about and where he had been on mission: initially in Algeria at the beginning of the civil war before further studies led him to Rome. He has held roles in countries such as Sudan, Lebanon, Jerusalem, UAE, and was the local coordinator of the Holy Father’s historic visit to Abu Dhabi in 2019.

Fr Michael then gave us the background to the 2nd Vatican Council and divided the attendance into five groups to each study a chapter of the Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions ‘Nostra Aetate‘ proclaimed by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on 28th October 1965.

There are five chapters in the document. In the 25 minutes allotted, each group was asked to identify key words; to give the importance of that chapter in the present day, and to say whether, in the present day (Nostra Aetate) something should be added to it.

Each group then reported in plenary, giving us all a better understanding of the whole document.

Holy Mass was then concelebrated by ecclesiastical members Frs Derek Darby, KCHS; Bill O’Shaughnessy, KHS; Pádraig Shelley, KHS and Michael O’Sullivan, SMA assisted by Deacon Derek Leonard, KHS.