Parish of Raheny (Roman Catholic) - The Parish Today

The Parish Today

Raheny today is an active parish, with around 10,000 members, one of the largest churches in the Diocese, two priests and a healthy financial situation. In addition to the parish church, it is supported by the order church at the Capuchin Friary on Station Road, and is home to groups from a number of religious orders (e.g. Poor Servants of the Mother of God, Daughters of the Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters).

The parish publishes a weekly newsletter on Saturday evening (since 1997), a children's newsletter, and supports the local Raheny News (the "Green Paper"), published each Sunday morning from around October to May for over thirty years.

In 2005, the current form of Parish Pastoral Council was launched, succeeding an older group which had launched many parish projects; it has the two clergy, 5 appointed members and 7 nominated from among parishioners. Associated groups work on liturgical matters, baptism, bereavement and visitation, and run the Parish Book and Newspaper Shops, and the Video Library. There is also a Parish Finance Committee. The operation of the church and services are supported by the Sacristan and Altar Servers, the Parish Choir, the Folk Group, the Flower-Arranging Group, Church Cleaning and Maintenance teams, and the Organist and Cantors.

There are many voluntary groups linked to the parish, from prayer groups to the local conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, local scouts and guides to the Legion of Mary, and there remain links to the local schools.

The Church has a cordial relationship with the neighbouring Church of Ireland parish, and the two have cooperated on such events as Parish Pilgrimages and Women's World Day of Prayer.