Castletown centre blessed to welcome many groups

January 2025, in this jubilee year of hope, has been bookended by some stormy weather but in between the team at Castletown Retreat Centre has been blessed to have been able to welcome several groups to us.

As is now our tradition, we relocate to the Main House for the first few weeks of January as the Pastoral Centre is in use by Anois, the youth leadership programme organised and delivered by Limerick Diocese.

The Castletown community of Brothers open their doors to us and we are therefore able to continue to facilitate our school retreats. We are grateful to the Brothers and staff for their usual warm welcome and accommodation of us.

As mention earlier, January began with a snowstorm and low temperatures and this led to school closures and dangerous driving conditions. Thankfully, the weather improved and we were able to welcome our first groups of 2025. So far, we have had 5YR, TY and Confirmation groups and they have engaged fully and enthusiastically with us and our programmes.

As we prepare to move back to the Pastoral Centre for the last week in January we had a visit from Storm Eowyn. Schools were been advised to close and so this month is ending as it began, with disruption.

Hopefully, at the end of the storm there will be a golden sky and we will walk on with hope in our hearts.

• Castletown Pastoral Team