REMINDER: Easter Vigil invitation tonight
Those who want to participate can bring their own candles in suitable containers if they wish, and for those who don't have their own there will be tea-lights available at the Grotto.
Those lighting candles for their intentions are asked to maintain the physical distancing protocols, and not to wait around or congregate at the site.
The full text of the invitation from the Parish follows.
The Church in Ireland and not least our own priests here in Kilcullen have worked hard to offer us so many ways of connecting with Mass, and now in Holy Week, with Holy Week Ceremonies, that we can follow from home.
We know it's not the same but it helps us to stay united in prayer with our priests who are offering Mass on our behalf until we can be there again.
As well as all the great digital offerings we have to support us during this time, some parishioners in Kilcullen have come up with a safe way of connecting more concretely with the celebration of the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening, while still following all the Government and HSE guidelines.
As part of their daily exercise, parishioners who are not cocooning, and are within 2km of Kilcullen Parish Church are invited, as the time of the Vigil approaches on this Saturday evening 11th April (so from around 6pm onwards) to leave a tea-light candle in a jam jar or glass at the main door of Kilcullen Church (the door facing the road), pause for a few seconds of prayer, before continuing your walk.
If someone else is there when you come, just wait at a good distance until they move on: only members of the same household should be at the door at the same time, so that we can all stay safe.
In this way we can symbolically but tangibly unite ourselves to the Paschal fire, we can pray for our loved ones who are sick or confined to home and most of all keep vigil for the Lord, as the Missal explains so beautifully:
"By most ancient tradition, this is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Ex 12:42), in which, following the Gospel admonition (Lk 12:35-37), the faithful, carrying lighted lamps in their hands, should be like those looking for the Lord when he returns, so that at his coming he may find them awake and have them sit at his table."
Once you've returned home, you can follow the Vigil itself at 9pm on the Parish Webcam here.
(Glasses and jars left will be safely recycled later. A small number of extra jars and tea-lights will available at the grotto beside the Church, in case you forget to bring your own. Don't forget to bring something to light your candle.)
Beat the Virus: Stay At Home.
