Cathedral News

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception, normally celebrated on 8 December, is this year celebrated on Monday 9 December; this is because the Sunday celebration takes precedence. Mass in the Cathedral for the feast wil be celebrated on Monday 9 December at 09:00, 11:00 and 18:00.

The Year of Faith comes to an end on Sunday 24 November 2013, the feast of Christ the King and the last Sunday of the liturgical year. The occasion will be marked by a celebratory Mass in Galway Cathedral that day at 3:00pm, to which all are invited. The Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Martin Drennan, with music led by combined choirs from all around the diocese.

The relics of St Anthony of Padua willl visit the Cathedral on Tuesday 22 October. The relics, which are usually kept at the Basilica in Padua, will be accompanied by the editor of the Messenger of Saint Anthony, Father Mario Conte, together with Greyfriars from Britain and Ireland. Though he died in 1231, St Anthony's popularity has rarely waned over the centuries. He is widely revered as the saint who helps people find lost things or people.

The Oirbsen Ensemble will give a concert in the Cathedral on Sunday 8 September at 16:00, playing music by Dvorak, Debussy, Pleyel and Telemann. The Oirbsen Ensemble is a wind ensemble made up mostly of players from the Galway area. Admission to the concert is free, and all are welcome.

Galway Cathedral is delighted to announce its 2013 series of summer concerts, running from 4 July until 8 August on Thursdays at 20:00. This is the 20th annual series of concerts to take place in the Cathedral; the first series was presented in 1994. Since then, the concerts have grown to become one of the country's premier summer concert series.

The week between Passion Sunday and Easter Sunday is the most sacred of the church year, and will be celebrated in solemn fashion in Galway Cathedral.

In this Year of Faith, the annual Lenten house masses have been replaced by evening masses held in the Cathedral for a particular area of the Cathedral parish.

Friday 1 February is the feast of St Brigid, patron of Ireland, and a prayer service to mark the feast take place in the Cathedral at 19:30 that evening. The service includes include readings, music and a short talk by Una Allen on the topic of Jesus and the role of women, then and now. All are welcome.

The annual Solemn Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help begins on Monday 4 February 2013, and runs until Tuesday 12 February. The theme of this year's novena is The Gospel Virtues for Today. There are six sessions each day, as follows: Monday-Saturday: 07:45, 11:00, 13:10, 15:30, 19:30, 21:30 Sunday: 09:00, 10:30, 12:30, 16:30, 18:30, 20:15 The preachers at the novena this year are Brian Nolan CSsR, Brendan O'Rourke CSsR and Patrick O'Keeffe CSsR.

From Sunday 6 January 2013, Sunday Mass in Galway Cathedral will be celebrated as follows: Saturday 18:00 Sunday 09:00, 11:00, 12:30, 18:00