Message from the Bishop of Limerick about the launch of the Limerick Diocesan Heritage Project Website.

The Jubilee Year of 2000 was a celebration of the twenty centuries that have passed since the Son of God was born in Bethlehem.

Among the various ways in which we celebrated the Jubilee was a project to collect and present in an attractive form an outline of the history of each parish in the diocese. This records the Churches, the graveyards, the shrines, some significant people and events, a list of the priests who served in the parish and so on.

It is very important in times when things are difficult and challenging for the Church, that we are aware of the struggles and the pain that were faced by the generations that went before us. Every parish in the diocese, even the newest ones, have a local history to be proud of.

The work was undertaken by Lisa O’Connor and Matt Tobin, students in Mary Immaculate College. Dave Fenwick was involved in the first months of the project. Having visited all the parishes, sought out the information and taken photographs, Lisa and Matt have now completed the presentation in a very attractive website and also in a CD ROM, which we hope to make available to the schools and parishes as well as offering it for sale at a price of €15 (available from the Diocesan Office, 66, O'Connell Street, Limerick). Any profits will go to the Cathedral Restoration Fund.

I congratulate Lisa and Matt very warmly on an excellent achievement, which involved a huge amount of work. The way in which the site is presented is very attractive and user friendly. That is also work done and supervised by them. In the final stages of this work, Charlie Healy played a very important part. A great deal of encouragement and help was given to the project by Father Mick Wall and Father Tony Mullins and by the staff of the Diocesan Office.

I am delighted to see the project completed. It is something in which the diocese can take great pride. Limerick people, and perhaps especially those who are living abroad will find the site of great interest, full of information and local lore.

It will be an invaluable resource for schools and parishes in providing a foundation for creating an interest in the faith history of the area.

As is the way with local history, new things are always coming to light. If this website and CD produce some more interesting facts about the parishes that is all to the good. I would be a great pity if any new material that comes to light should get lost. The beauty of a website is that it can be updated. Lisa and Charlie will continue to do that work where necessary.