Milestone in the history of St Joseph’s Church

THE years were rolled back in Ennis on Tuesday night when the times of  The Union Workhouse from the 1840s were recalled. The occasion was the celebration of a special mass to mark the 40th year of St Joseph’s Church, Ennis, which is situated on part of the site of the former workhouse and church, which were demolished in the late 1960s and early 1970s by Clare County Council to make way for the new church and hospital.
The special mass of thanksgiving on Tuesday, the Feast of St Joseph, was celebrated by Bishop Kieran O’Reilly, SMA and among the 16 concelebrants were Bishop Willie Walsh, Fr John McGovern, administrator St Joseph’s and past administrators and priests attached to St Joseph’s.
Among the past administrators  who concelebrated  the mass were Fr Seamus Mullen, Miltown Malbay; Fr John Bane, Broadford and Fr Jerry McInerney, Barefield. Remembered in prayers during mass were past administrators, Fr Sean Saunders, Fr Rory McInerney and Fr Hugh O’Dowd, all deceased as well as Fr Jackie Long and Fr John Corry who regularly celebrated mass in St Joseph’s.
A symbol of continuity was the restored chalice used in the celebration of the mass. It was also used to celebrate mass in the different chapels on the site of St Joseph’s Church.
Bishop O’Reilly congratulated all who looked after the church since it was first opened 40 years ago. He said it is a lovely church to pray in.
He told the large congregation he had visited many places and churches and said St Joseph’s Church is a special place. It is a beautiful building and he congratulated all involved in building it, including the architects.
Fr McGovern thanked all who attended, participated in and helped organise the mass of thanksgiving. He described the occasion as an important milestone in the history of St Joseph’s.
Contributing to the mass were the choirs from St Joseph’s Church and Ennis CBS and the Gaelscoil band.
Fr McGovern also thanked parishioners who loaned photographs of special occasions in the church over the past 40 years for display in the church as part of the celebrations.
He also thanked Louis Quinn, Lifford Road, for providing the history of St Joseph’s for the church celebtations booklet and Sr Pius O’Brien for material used from her book The Sisters of Mercy in Ennis.
Welcomed to the mass were Joe Boland and his wife, Catherine. Mr. Boland was Clare County Manager when Clare County Council, then responsible for running the health service in the county, made the decision to demolish the old workhouse and replace it with the new hospital and church.
St Josephs Church was blessed and dedicated by the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Michael Harty, on December 16, 1972. The builders were McCarthy Brothers and the architects were  PJ Sheahan and Partners.