Are the Irish Bishops really suspending Public Masses in this island for the first time since the coming of St Padraig? I can't believe it. But I got this email. Someone tell me this isn't so? Dear Eucharistic Ministers The Rector, Fr Peter Burns C.Ss.R. has asked that you read the following announcement from Clonard :- "At the direction of the Irish Bishops, the following decisions have been made until further notice: There will be no Masses open to attendance by the public However, Mass will be available via the webcam The times of Masses will be published in the Bulletin and on our website. Clonard church will be open daily: 10.30am to 5.30pm Monday – Saturday 12noon to 6.00pm on Sunday. Clonard Monastery Reception will open at the usual times. There will be a Priest on Duty each day [Monday – Saturday] 10.00am to 1.00pm; and from 3.00pm to 6.00pm The Bishops have said in their Statement: “In the current emergency situation, all are dispensed from the obligation to physically attend Sunday Mass…. The motivation for these new restrictive measures is a sense of care for the common good and especially for those most vulnerable. Each Christian community should be acutely aware of the responsibility to care for those who are most at risk. In these difficult and uncertain times, people find strength, consolation and hope in prayer.”
Someone tell me this isn't so? Totally unbelievable. St Padraig must not be so much turning as twirling in his grave. What an exhibition of collective Episcopal cowardice. What a total disgrace and National Humiliation. For shame. 'We will be true to thee till death'. Apparently not
Instead of closing every Church in Ireland and stopping all Masses how about opening every Church for 24 hours a day with mass Eucharistic Adoration; having vastly more masses. Having Eucharistic Processions of Reparation. Having a season of fasting and repentance. Calling out the Government and people for introducing the mass murder of the unborn and supporting sexual perversion and worldliness. Episcopal condemnation and reparation for Vatican Pachamama Worship. How about that?
Yes Pádraig I'm heartbroken. The government are allowing restaurants and bars to open bet keep clients a metre apart but no Mass. As you know I live in a rural parish and our local church would have only about 70 so why is it closed.
Noticed bishop statement that he will be offering 1 mass in his diocese next Sunday but at same time, no other masses in his diocese except himself.
In my parish the priest is offering Mass privately. I think this will be the case everywhere. I am a Eucharistic Minister and I take Holy Communion to the nursing home residents on assigned months so my family are collecting in my house on Sunday morning and on St Patrick's Day. The priest will give me the consecrated hosts to give to my family. We will say the prayers that are used in the nursing home and afterwards we will say the rosary. It's far from ideal but we are in unprecedented times. I'm trusting in God's mercy
This is unbelievable, varadker is truly the Irish Antichrist. With the light of the holy sacrifice we will descend into an awful awful darkness. All the times over the years on this forum when we thought it was near whatever it was, well its truly here now. God help us all. But we know we need to go through these things, we know we are getting closer to meeting Christ.
It is easy to close Churches. They may not find it quite so easyto open them again. Scared rabbits. No Real Faith = No real risks.
There were at most 80 people at evening Mass in our parish church on Thursday. Ours is a very big church. I sat near the back of the church and there were six or seven pews between where I sat and the next occupied pew in that row. Now all Masses in our parish are cancelled until further notice. The church will be open after morning Mass (celebrated behind closed doors) unti evening. It's clear from the statement on the website of the Archdiocese that our Archbishop has not declared a blanket ban on Masses. Rather, it appears that the priest can decide whether to preclude the faithful from Mass depending on the size of the church and the number of parishioners expected to attend. Our church and no doubt many others in the diocese could easily accommodate 100 people. I have sympathy with any priest who fears contracting the virus, especially older priests but I'm not convinced that fear for their own wellbeing would be the reason for cancelling Masses (at least not in every case). I think it more likely that they are conscious of being forced into self-isolation due to someone who had attended Mass testing positive for the virus. That would leave the parish with no priest for two or three weeks and perhaps longer. I would hate to think that any priest would use this crisis as an opportunity to familiarise parishioners with lay-led prayer or Communion services. Here's the Archbishop's statement: Archdiocese of Dublin: https://www.dublindiocese.ie/update-on-pastoral-arrangements-concerning-coronavirus/ Update on Pastoral Arrangements concerning Coronavirus Notice to Priests & Parishes from Archbishop Diarmuid Martin Friday March 13th What is the situation concerning Masses? Where you feel that it would not be possible for you to limit attendance at Mass to 100 people, then Masses should be suspended. This applies especially to Saint Patrick’s Day. The following or similar notice should be placed on Church doors and disseminated through local sources. —————————— CORONAVIRUS MEASURES DUE TO MEASURES INTRODUCED BY HEALTHCARE AUTHORITIES LIMITING ATTENDANCE AT PUBLIC INDOOR GATHERINGS TO 100 PEOPLE, MASS IN THIS CHURCH IS SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THE CHURCH WILL BE OPEN FOR PRIVATE PRAYER EACH DAY FROM…………………………… MASS IS TRANSMITTED EACH DAY VIA WEB-CAM ON ……………… ——————————————————- Where it is clearly possible to celebrate Mass with less than 100 people present, there is no reason not to celebrate public Mass, especially on Weekdays. When making funeral arrangements it is essential to communicate to families in advance that only 100 people may be present in Church. In some cases, others could be accommodated by video link in parish centres. Where Mass is celebrated, it is vital that people keep the distance of one metre from each other. Churches should be open for a reasonable time each day to allow people to enter for private prayer. Advice by healthcare authorities is subject to change on a daily basis.
I had the strangest thought. Probably crazy--but--doesnt the Book of Daniel say that from the time the Abomination of Desolation is set up in the holy place the Holy Sacrifice will cease. He speaks of weeks but everyone interprets it as years. What if this is a kind of preapocalypse and it is only weeks. 31/2 weeks takes us to Easter doesnt it? Just a thought. Seems strangely coincidental. But then again maybe I'm "cray cray" Wouldnt be the first time.
No, I don't think you are cray-cray. Maybe just a tad woo-woo. No, seriously, don't dismiss any thoughts you might have! Are you considering the Abomination of Desolation the Pachamama offering in the Holy Place? Or what? I think that you might be on to something.
Yes the Pachamama. That was a pagan idol brought into the heart of Christendom and rituals were performed. One bishop--cant remember who--said an exorcism must be performed. The evil spirits must be driven out. I'm sure the exorcists who called for prayer and fasting for Dec 6 recently had this in mind. Thanks for saying I'm only woo woo. Great relief.
We never saw it coming quite this way although we certainly saw it coming. This has been a surprise I confess.