‘It was unreal standing in a church with nobody there’
FOR Monsignor Joe McGrath the past few weeks have been marked by extraordinary and unreal moments.
For the first time in its 118 year history, St Mary & St Michael’s Parish Church was closed on Sunday, March 15, and again last Sunday.
Fr Joe celebrated St Patrick’s Day Mass with canon Paddy O’Brien and Fr Tom Orr in front of empty pews, to radio listeners across the district, many of whom would otherwise have been there.
‘It’s a new experience; an extraordinary one. It was very unusual on St Patrick’s Day. It was kind of unreal to be standing in a big church with nobody there.’
During the Mass Fr McGrath spoke of how St Patrick lived in isolation, ‘in the same way we are being isolated’.
He said people are beginning to think about others for a change. ‘We were slipping into a mé fein world where our mobile phones were more important than the person sitting opposite us. Now that all of the sport and everything is cancelled and nobody is talking about it people are realising there are more important things in life.’
He spoke about the part God has to play in these times, urging listeners to keep the faith and to trust in God.
Monsignor McGrath also spoke of hope for the world, highlighting how a lot of people have recovered from the virus, adding that more and more people will recover to live healthy lives.
‘We are broadcasting every morning at 10 a.m. and that is very much appreciated. People were beginning to feel a bit isolated and lonely. This brings home the reality and I can imagine that it makes people think. People are beginning to wonder if the way they were living is the only thing that was there.
‘They are reaching out for any kind of help at the moment and we, as Christians, believe that the help is there if we ask for it. It doesn’t take away your problem but you can see it with a different perspective.’
Monsgr McGrath said not since the second world war has the world faced such a challenge.
‘The difference now is we can’t see. The enemy is all around us and we don’t who they are so it’s a very unusual and unique experience. The only advice for people I have is for everyone to support each other and to not lose heart.’
He said nurses, doctors and all front-line staff working throughout the coronavirus are the real heroes. ‘But for all of these people nothing can happen. Their efforts are appreciated even more than ever and maybe we were inclined to take things for granted. It’s a very unreal experience we are living through and we think of the people who lost their jobs. This is a watershed and it’s going to wake people up and life might not go back to normal. People working from home might develop at a faster rate now than what was expected.’