Parish urges Catholic singletons to say novena to help find Valentine's love

Louise Walsh

A Meath parish is encouraging single Catholics to say a nine-day novena ahead of St Valentine's Day, to find their true love.
St Mary's Parish in Navan posted the tongue-in-cheek link to a Catholic dating site which contains the prayer, to their Facebook page on Monday.
Laughing, local priest Fr Kevin Heery said that while it was a 'bit of fun,' he revealed that a number of local marriages had come from meetings at church trips and prayer groups.
He even joked that one Catholic chat up line was: 'What's a nice girl like you doing in a Confessional line like this!'
The novena, which is meant to be said nine-days before the feast of St Valentine's on February 14 reads: 'Loving Father, You know that the deepest desire of my heart is to meet someone that I can share my life with
'I trust in your loving plan for me and ask that I might meet son the person that you have prepared for me.
'Through the power of your Holy Spirit, open my heart and mind so that I can recognise my soulmate
'Remove any obstacles that may be in the way of this happy encounter
'So that I might find a new sense of wholeness, joy and peace.
'Give me the grace too, to know and accept, if you have another plan for my life.
'I surrender my past, present and future into the tender heart of your Son, Jesus,
'Confident that my prayer will be heard and answered
'Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you. St Valentine, pray for me.

Fr Heery (above) said: 'It was one of those random things I saw and put it up on the Parish Facebook page. I researched the prayer and it was written by Bishop Mark O'Toole in Plymouth in England.
'I just thought it would be nice for all our Catholic singletons out there to see. I don't think there's any real difference between a Catholic dating site and any other dating site, just that the participants share the same deep sense of faith.
'If you're living out your faith, sometimes it is nice to find someone to share it with.'
'Sometimes you come across fun things, like Catholic gags or memes and even Catholic chat-up lines. One of these would be 'what's a nice girl like you doing in a Confessional like this.'

On a more serious note though, Fr Heery said he has come across marriages which have started through meetings at prayer groups or trips abroad.
'I know a few teachers who have met their wives through going on the World Youth Day to Poland. It was love in the midst of three million people.'
When asked if he'd like to get any feedback from those doing the novena, he smiled: 'As long as I get asked to do the wedding!'

Anyone who would like to say the novena can find it at http://catholicbit.com/valentines-novena

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