We’re here! “But wait,” you’re thinking, “haven’t you been there for a while now?” You’re right: we’ve been living and working and becoming part of the Clonard Parish community for about 7 weeks. We’ve been sent off in liturgical style from the University of Notre Dame, and welcomed with endless hospitality on this side of the pond. We’ve prepared for and started many of our year-long ministries: the You Shall Be My Witnesses program, all our church choirs, and working in the schools. This week we’ll even lead our first parish-based mini-workshop for Monamolin’s parish choir. It may seem odd to some, then, that our official commissioning at Clonard Parish only happened this past Saturday. To me, it doesn’t seem odd at all. We stood with the new Extraordinary Ministers in front of our parish community and Bishop Brennan of the Diocese of Ferns to pledge our year to the service of Christ in our new home, and we received their blessing to do so. We have been welcomed in so many ways; for me, though, this commissioning means we are really, officially, here and accepted by Clonard and Ferns for the year. We celebrated with dinner at Fr. Denis’ house after Mass!

Bishop Denis Brennan commissions the fourth House of Brigid community

We also began our radio ministry with Christian Media Trust this weekend, but not on our own program! Last weekend, we happened to run into the host of another CMT show, Youth Scene. Their format includes more interviews and Christian Rock than our The Sunday Word usually does. Upon hearing that we were starting a youth choir and faith-based youth group in Clonard, they invited us for an interview! You can hear the Teach Bhríde girls in a 10-minute interview during this week’s Youth Scene on South East Radio, this Tuesday (tonight!) at 3:30pm EST. While you’re listening, check out the new House of Brigid (Season IV) photo albums.