Christian Meditation Group, Tullamore Parish

What to Expect

Tullamore Parish runs a Christian meditation group every Monday evening at the Marian Hostel on High Street, from 7pm to 8pm. It is one of the parish’s standing prayer groups, listed alongside the Divine Mercy devotion, Mothers Prayers, the Legion of Mary and the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The setting is a plain meeting room in the town centre rather than a church, which suits the format.

Christian meditation of this kind is silent and contemplative rather than conversational. A session generally opens with a short reading, settles into a set period of silence held with a single repeated word or phrase as a focus, and closes with a brief prayer. There is no teaching component, no discussion circle and nothing asked of newcomers beyond turning up and sitting. People come for the discipline of a fixed hour in the week and for the fact that it is easier to keep silence in company than alone. The group is open to anyone in the parish or passing through, and there is no charge or registration.

Good to Know

• Every Monday, 7pm to 8pm, at the Marian Hostel, High Street, Tullamore.
• Free. No booking, no ticket, and no need to phone ahead.
• Newcomers can simply join a session. No previous experience of meditation or prayer practice is needed.
• The group runs through the parish year and may pause over holiday periods. Ring the Parish Centre on 057 932 1587 before travelling if you are coming any distance.
• The parish also runs Mothers Prayers on the second Friday of the month and a Divine Mercy devotion each morning after 10am Mass, both in the Day Chapel.

Getting There

The Marian Hostel is on High Street in Tullamore town centre, a short walk from the Church of the Assumption and from the main shopping streets, so this is a town gathering rather than one at the parish church. On-street parking on High Street and the town’s public car parks are all within a few minutes’ walk, and by 7pm on a Monday spaces are easy to find. Tullamore railway station on the Dublin Heuston to Galway line and the town’s bus stops are both close by.