Northern Ireland

Co Antrim priest hosts 'drive-in' Mass for socially distanced parishioners

Fr Conor McGrath celebrates Mass in Gelenravel on Saturday as parishioners stayed in their vehicles. Picture by John McIlwaine
Fr Conor McGrath celebrates Mass in Gelenravel on Saturday as parishioners stayed in their vehicles. Picture by John McIlwaine Fr Conor McGrath celebrates Mass in Gelenravel on Saturday as parishioners stayed in their vehicles. Picture by John McIlwaine

A rural Co Antrim parish has celebrated the feast of Pentecost by inviting worshippers to a drive-in Mass.

Conscious of the need for social distancing, Fr Conor McGrath held two Masses at Mary, Queen of Peace Church in Glenravel at the weekend in which participants attended in vehicles and remained inside as services were delivered.

Parishoners watched Fr McGrath from a specially raised outdoor altar, while speakers also broadcast the Mass across the church car park in glorious sunshine.

Fr McGrath, who last year at the age of 32 became the youngest parish priest in Ireland, told The Irish News that despite being unable to receive communion due to coronavirus restrictions, the Mass allowed many parishioners to see each other for the first time in months, albeit from behind a windscreen.

"Since the coronavirus lockdown, we have of course been unable to invite parishioners into the church for Mass, and so I have been delivering mass over Facebook," he said.

"This pandemic has shown the importance of Mass to many, and the inability to attend has been difficult. We hope that this method of delivering a service can provide comfort and an opportunity for people to see friends and family while maintaining social distancing."

Further drive-in Masses are planned in the parish.

Meanwhile, in west Belfast, dozens of parishioners have been blessed with holy water at their doorsteps thanks to an initiative by the city's oldest Catholic Church, St Mary's.

Fr Timothy Bartlett toured homes on Pentecost Sunday and blessed houses from a distance, while parish organiser Irene Leckey safely distributed bottles of holy water.

Fr Bartlett said: "This was a community inviting us to help them - to be a church in the streets. That is when the church is always at it best, when it is a church of the people, driven by the people in the streets and responding to their spiritual needs."