Bishop Denis Nulty has asked that church bells ring out in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin on Saint Patrick’s Day as a call to prayer and solidarity at this time of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bishop Nulty said, “I support the call by Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, for church bells to ring out on Saint Patrick’s Day. I am asking churches in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin to ring their bells for three minutes at 11.00am on Saint Patrick’s Day. The ringing of the bells on our National Feast Day will serve as a call to pray in solidarity and hope in these uncertain times.”
“Across our diocese there are no public Masses on Saint Patrick’s Day or next Sunday. Twenty-six of our parishes, offer a webcam facility. More will use a parish radio frequency. Every crisis also offers us a moment to explore new ways of expressing our faith. The Church is not a building; it’s a community, and on this day its very much a digital on-line community. Over the days we will endeavour to use digital media to its full capacity. The time will come, hopefully soon, when we can return to our churches and celebrate Mass but in the meantime let’s stay connected in prayerful solidarity with one another. The ringing of our church bells on Saint Patrick’s Day is one way of doing this.
“Let us very much remember in prayer those affected by the coronavirus and those at the frontline protecting us from its effects, the healthcare and medical teams. I also ask you to pray also for all our priests. Many of them make huge sacrifices, often at a personal cost looking after their parish. Look out for them, lower your expectation these critical days, so that they too may be protected fully from the virus and its impact. And most of all look after yourself and one another, particularly those most vulnerable, fragile and on the edges. While the coronavirus recognises no boundaries; as people of faith neither does our love and compassion for one another.”
ENDS
- Bishop Denis Nulty will celebrate Mass which will be broadcast live on KCLR 96 FM on Saint Patrick’s Day at 9.30am.
- For more on the webcam facilities in the diocese see kandle.ie.
For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: +3353 (0) 1 505 3017 and Brenda Drumm +353 (0) 87 310 4444.
