Co Louth priest blesses parishioners from a distance in Holy Week celebration
A priest in Co Louth has blessed members of his parish during a Holy Week ceremony - while observing social distancing necessary due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Fr Malachy Conlon, travelling through the town on a refurbished Pope-mobile, brought the Blessed Sacrament with him and he blessed homes and communities as he was driven through the parish in Co Louth this afternoon.
The notification was put on social media and according to Cllr Erin McGreehan, who lives on the Cooley Peninsula, “the roads and routes were thronged with people".
"Everyone came out of their houses to receive the blessing and to take part in something bigger than themselves,” Cllr McGreehan said.
Cooley Parish, Holy Thursday
— Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) April 9, 2020
The Blessed Sacrament being driven around to people in a refurbished Popemobile
This is great 👏#catholictwitter pic.twitter.com/B5TaB8WXEp
“We waited in our gardens for two hours playing and chatting, we even had our dinner out in the garden.
To know all your neighbours and parishioners were all doing that as well, it was something special.
Cocooning members of the community, old and young, went out into their front gardens as he passed by.
Cllr McGreehan said the parish priest “is one of the front line workers, he is on the frontline, he is looking after our community and if there was someone that needed something, Fr Malachy would be there.”
“I do think there is a special exemption for Fr Malachy, it was a huge important piece of work he did today for the parish” she added.
