As the date approaches for the ordination of Mgr. Ger Nash as our new bishop, it is an opportunity to pray and reflect on the importance of the ministry of bishop for the local Church and universal Church. The Following is a quote from 'Pastores Gregis' - by St John Paul II on the ministry of the bishop as a man of communion and unity within his diocesan family. With these words in mind, we continue to pray for Mgr. Ger that he might be a Good Shepherd among us with the heart of Christ himself.
God, eternal shepherd, with a spirit of knowledge and love,
you tend your Church in many ways and rule us with love. By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care,
You have chosen your servant Ger to be shepherd of your flock in the Diocese of Ferns. May he build your Church as a sign of salvation for the world. Give him a spirit of courage and right judgment. We ask this prayer, through Christ, our Lord. Amen
'The duty of Bishops at the beginning of a new millennium is thus clearly marked out. It is the same duty as ever: to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, the salvation of the world. But it is a duty which has a new urgency and which calls for cooperation and commitment on the part of the whole People of God. The Bishop needs to be able to count on the members of his diocesan presbyterate and on his deacons, the ministers of the Blood of Christ and of charity; he needs to be able to count on his consecrated sisters and brothers, called to be for the Church and the world eloquent witnesses of the primacy of God in the Christian life and the power of his love amid the frailty of the human condition; and he needs to be able to count on the lay faithful, whose greater scope for the apostolate represents for their pastors a source of particular support and a reason for special comfort'.
St John Paul II