C ommissioning Ceremony "Rooted and built up, firm in the Faith" (Col. 2:7) JustFaith is designed very much to be rooted in your own local Parish. The following are some simple ideas and prayers for you for a Commissioning Ceremony. The word ‘commissioning’ means “to send out with a mission”. It is usually a public act; something that takes place in a community or public setting. However, it doesn’t have to be public! Select what works for you and modify according to your own situation! Also, if you have a Parish Liturgy Group, don’t be afraid to consult with them to ensure you get the most from the experience and that you include the right groups in your planning. And it’s nice to make those connections anyway!
Option 1 Maybe a full commissioning ceremony is not something you would be comfortable with. Instead, why not ask your Parish Liturgy Group and/or Parish Priest or Curate to include the names of those participating in a Prayer of the Faithful for each of the Sunday Masses for the coming weekend. The Prayer might read something like:
The note might read something like: (Names of participants) are a group of young adults from our Parish talking part in a Trócaire Diocesan project called JustFaith.
Lord, we pray for our Parish’s JustFaith group. We pray for (put names of participants here). We pray that this faith programme will allow them to get to know you better and in getting to know you, be ever more inspired to build a world of justice and of peace. Lord hear us.
They are being led by and This programme will take place over the next six weeks and will see the group explore with one another and indeed the wider Parish community the connection between faith and justice. We ask that you pray for them as they undertake this programme. We also ask that you support them in whatever way you can in their work.
In addition, you might ask your Parish Priest and/or the person in charge of the Parish Newsletter (and website if you have one) to include a list of the participants and invite people to pray for the group as they undertake the programme.
For further information contact And watch this space for further news and updates from the group!
Archdi
cese of Dublin
O F F I C E F O R E VA N G E L I S AT I O N & E C U M E N I S M
C ommissioning Ceremony "Rooted and built up, firm in the Faith" (Col. 2:7)
Option 2 In addition to the above, why not have an actual commissioning ceremony during one of the Parish’s Sunday Masses. Pick the one you think you would all be most comfortable with; it might be good, for example, to have the ceremony during a Mass that involves the Parish Folk Group if you have one in your parish. This very short ceremony can take place after the Gospel or after Communion. The celebrant will invite your group to come forward, explaining in his own words what the JustFaith programme is, perhaps linking it in whatever way he can to the Gospel and readings of the day. He will then say a blessing over the group. This can be done by a simple raising of hands by the celebrant on behalf of the community. The community can be invited to raise their hands too in blessing. Here is a suggested text for the ceremony. Celebrant: We call now on the participants of the JustFaith programme to come forward. These young adults from our parish, led by and are taking part in a faith formation programme called JustFaith. The programme has been developed by Trócaire in conjuction with our Diocesan Office for Evangelisation and Ecumenism for the Year of Faith. It is a challenging programme that will invite these young adults to consider the ways in which their faith is connected to the work we must all do to create a more just world. They will be participating in the programme for the next number of weeks and today present themselves for your prayers, blessing and support. In the weeks to come, you will hear from them and they will invite you to journey with them in their efforts to build God’s kingdom of love, peace and justice.
(Group come forward) Celebrant: The response is Amen. Lord, send down your blessings on (names of participants). Teach them your love, root their work in their faith in you and in one another. All: Amen Celebrant: Lord, inspire them in their learning to work with energy and dedication in the building up of your Kingdom. All: Amen Celebrant: (Turning to the community) Lord, may we, as a community, be a source of inspiration to them in their work together. All: Amen Celebrant: Our God of love calls us to love others as he loves us. We pray that love will be the motivation for all that this group undertakes to do. We pray a blessing on their work. And we make all our prayers in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. All: Amen (Group returns to their seats) The celebrant concludes with some final words of encouragement, calling on the gathered community to support the young adults in their work in the weeks ahead, reminding them that further information is available on the parish website/notice board/bulletin.
Archdi
cese of Dublin
O F F I C E F O R E VA N G E L I S AT I O N & E C U M E N I S M