Tag Archives: religion

WHILE the technology to do it fairly easily has been available for several years now, it is only since the onset of Covid-19 that broadcasting of masses online has become commonplace and the reaction from the Clare faithful has been quite positive. For many years now the numbers attending religious ceremonies has been falling, and the enthusiasm for watching them at home may give some encouragement to the Church. Shannon parish priest Father Arnold Rosney said that since the restrictions have been in place many people have viewed the masses he has put online. “We’re doing it every morning at 10am, using the facilities of the webcam, the parish radio and I put it on Facebook live as well, which is a huge attraction for a lot of people. We find that all three are getting big numbers, particularly on a Sunday morning. “To give you an example there were over 3,000 on Monday morning. The average could be 1,500 …

ALL masses in the Diocese of Killaloe have been suspended. In a pastoral message, Bishop Fintan Monahan said, “In View of the Government Statement and the need to avoid indoor public gatherings of more than 100 people, and the difficulty of guaranteeing this in practice, following consultation I have decided as follows: All public Masses in this diocese, Sundays and weekdays are suspended until March 29 or until further notice. “The obligation to be physically present at Mass on Sundays and Holy Days (including St Patrick’s Day) is therefore suspended for everybody until further notice.” “Priests will continue to remember the needs of parishioners at Mass celebrated privately. “The faithful are encouraged to join spiritually in the celebration of Mass, either on parish radio or on web-cam. Parishes that have web-cams include: Kilrush, Roscrea, Ennis, Quin, Nenagh and Shannon. “Parishioners are also encouraged to pray at home, including especially prayers for the sick, for those who are caring for the …

MORE than 15% of Clare’s population are now foreign-born, census statistics show, while more than a quarter of households in the Banner County consist of a single person. Figures show the county had a population of 118,817 on census day and a usually resident population of 116,460. Of the second figure, 98,420 were born in Ireland and 18,040 abroad. This equates to 84.5% born here and 15.5% outside of the country. Apart from those born in Ireland, the next biggest group are people born in the UK, of which there are 7,616 in Clare. There is also a large Polish population (2,684), with 333 people from Lithuania. Another 2,424 come from other EU countries and a further 4,983 people are from non-EU countries. The vast majority of Clare’s population are white, with 99,244 people identified as white Irish, 905 as white Irish Traveller and another 9,432 as other white. A total of 1,653 were identified as Asian or Asian-Irish and …

THERE is a widespread spiritual longing in Irish life, Michael Harding believes, and he feels that may account for the popularity of his own search for meaning. That is the theme that brought him fame, through his book, Staring at Lakes, and his Irish Times columns, while his latest book and show, Hanging With The Elephant, takes another good look at life and death. Harding said the decline of Irish Catholicism has led to a void around the topics he goes after. “The whole religious thing collapsed suddenly and people are still trying to figure that out. What do they do with their own isolation? What do they do with their own anxiety? As an individual, as you get older, you start thinking about what is the meaning of life, is there another life – all those deep questions. Irish people have powerful faith and I don’t think it’s gone away. I think it’s just in a process of transformation. …

SHANNON’S Ss John & Paul Church was attacked by vandals late on Saturday night or in the early hours of Sunday. A large rock was thrown through a window and this morning Gardai began an examination of the scene, while an area of the church has been sealed off. Seating has been restricted for masses today, but they are still going ahead at 10am and 12.15pm. Gardai are appealing for any information on the incident and can be contacted at 061 365900.

THE Parish Mission in Doora-Barefield  opens on this  Sunday and runs until Fridaynext. The mission will incorporate the three churches of Doora, Barefield and The Church of our Lady, Roslevan. The mission begins in Doora Church on Sunday with an opening ceremony at 7pm, to which everyone is invited. From Monday through to Friday each morning, mass will be celebrated in the Church of Our Lady, Roslevan at 7am and again at 9.30am. Each evening, from Monday to Thursday, mission ceremonies focusing on a theme, will take place in Doora at 7pm and Barefield at 8.30pm. The mission closing ceremony will take place in Barefield Church on the Friday at 7pm. On Wednesday, a special mass of Anointing of the Sick will be celebrateed  in the Church of Our Lady, Roslevan at 12 noon. According to Fr Jerry Carey, “The parish mission takes place just a week into the season of Lent. We hope it will be an opportunity for …

RTÉ Radio mass will be broadcast from Cloughleigh Church, Ennis on Sunday. The mass will feature music and singing from the Scoil Chríost Rí, Cloughleigh School Band. You can listen to the mass on Longwave 252 or the RTÉ Radion Extra App.