Churches open for personal prayer
PARISHES were recently invited to consider the possibility of opening their churches for personal prayer and the Church of Saints Stephen and John here in Castleisland did so from last week.
“This was done in consultation with their pastoral area and opening still depends on the implementation of health and safety measures, in keeping with all guidelines from the public health authorities,” according to Kerry diocesan directives.
The diocese made recommendations in preparation for the reopening, including that parishes needed to prepare the church and make arrangements for daily cleaning.
Each parish was free to decide to open its churches for personal prayer from May 20.
“We ask that all in our parishes adjust to this new situation calmly and carefully and the safest way to visit a church at the moment is to walk around, stand and pray, don’t sit down and don’t touch anything,” – Diocese of Kerry, May 2020.
The church opening times in Castleisland as of today, May 20, are as follows: Monday 11:30am to 6:30pm; Tuesday 11:30am to 6:30pm; Wednesday 11:30am to 8pm; Thursday 11:30am to 8pm; Friday 11:30am to 6:30pm; Saturday 8:30am to 5:30pm; Sunday 12:30pm to 8pm.
In the event of a funeral from Mondays to Saturdays the church will open from 12:15pm.
The final Padre Pio devotion in Castleisland Parish Church will be held on the coming Tuesday evening, June 2nd at 7.30pm.
This is the final one of six in the current run which began with huge crowds on the first Tuesday night in January. Next Tuesday night’s devotions will feature a recording of the witness delivered by Tyrone GAA team manager, Mickey Harte when he visited Fr. Mossie Brick in Lixnaw in March 2019.
You can keep in touch with the Padre Pio Devitions along with masses and rosary in Castleisland Parish church by typing in the following link: http://www.churchservices.tv/castleisland