‘There is a great sense of neighbourliness and community’

FR Kieran O’Brien of Killarney Parish said the sight of empty churches, school closures, cancellation of funerals, Confirmations and dealing with people’s fears and worries, have been the stand out emotions of recent weeks.

“It can be especially hard for children to understand what is going on around them, Fr Kieran said.

“We’re saying Mass to an empty church and even though we have a congregation on the radio and webcam, you would rather have a congregation in front of you. People are also invited to send in their petitions and prayers, which will be placed at the Alter during Easter ceremonies.”

Fr Kieran feels most inspired by the positive feedback back from parishioners, asking how Killarney’s ‘three Parish Priests’ are coping with social restrictions.

“It’s nice to know they are with us and keeping in contact as it’s very encouraging. We’re also ringing around fellow priests who are in self-isolation asking how they are. There is great neighbourliness and communication in the homes as well, people are spending more time at home. There is great community awareness out there,” he added.

Fr Kieran’s Easter message is for us all to acknowledge the community spirit and the people who are working for each other by managing fears and anxieties during these unprecedented times.

“This will pass and we must have hope in our lives. The Easter message is all about hope and please God we will find hope and support in one another. We need to be there for each other in a crisis because we’re most certainly in a crisis at the present time,” he said.

Fr Kieran O’Brien