{"id":546423,"date":"2026-07-12T21:21:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/546423\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T21:21:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:21:15","slug":"st-augustines-church-in-cork-overflows-with-emotion-for-its-last-ever-mass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/546423\/","title":{"rendered":"St Augustine’s Church in Cork overflows with emotion\u00a0for its last-ever Mass"},"content":{"rendered":"

St Augustine\u2019s Church<\/a> seats 1,200, but with Sunday\u2019s faithful literally out the doors onto Washington St and the Grand Parade for the Augustinian Order<\/a>\u2019s final Mass in Cork, one priest estimated the congregation was close to 2,000.<\/p>\n

In his homily, Fr Paddy O’Reilly, vicar provincial of the Augustinian Order in Ireland, offered some hope, but scant details.<\/p>\n

\" Choir members cool themselves with fans as soaring temperatures add to the intensity of the emotional final Mass at St Augustine\u2019s Church in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do not know clearly what the future will bring, but a future there will be, even for this church building,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

“Negotiations are ongoing, and will take time, and if all goes according to plan, there will no bulldozers moving in here.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2019s Mass closed a chapter of the city\u2019s history dating back more than 750 years, when the Augustinians first founded the Red Abbey in the South Parish, where the ruin of the old medieval belfry tower still stands.<\/p>\n

\"StSt Augustine’s Church extension at Washington St and Grand Parade in Cork city centre shortly after completion in September 1940. Picture: Irish Examiner Archive\u00a0<\/p>\n

The present church was built in 1942 on the site of a chapel dating back to 1872.<\/p>\n

There was barely even standing room on Sunday morning, and bar the odd, blessed breeze from the open doorways, the heat was stifling, with many in the congregation fanning themselves with their missalettes.<\/p>\n

\" Father Paddy O\u2019Reilly bringing Holy Communion to members of the congregation in St Augustine\u2019s Church as many were unable to reach the altar in the packed church. Picture: Chani Anderson<\/p>\n

Those in attendance were predominantly, but far from exclusively, older, and people sat and kneeled all around the edge of the altar, and up its steps.<\/p>\n

Afterward, one dry voice in the sacristy was heard to say: \u201cI never knew there were so many Catholics in Cork\u201d.<\/p>\n

\" A member of the congregation reflecting during the emotional farewell Mass marking the closure of St Augustine\u2019s Church on Washington St and Grand Parade in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson<\/p>\n

Many in the congregation admitted they had not regularly attended Mass there, but wanted to be there one last time out of love for St Augustine\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Some recounted childhood memories of going there with relatives now long gone, while others said they had moved to other churches but still loved the old place.<\/p>\n

The Mass was presided over by Bishop Fintan Gavin, and celebrated by Fr Paddy O\u2019Reilly, with Bishop Emeritus John Buckley, Fr Teddy McCarthy, Fr Declan Brennan, and Fr Richie Goode.<\/p>\n

\" Bishop Emeritus John Buckley delivers his final words from the altar before a packed congregation at the final Mass in St Augustine\u2019s Church in Cork city centre. Picture: Chani Anderson<\/p>\n

It was a poignant occasion for many, with several people fighting back tears.<\/p>\n

But it was a moment of joy and good humour too, a celebration of faith and community, and a grateful remembrance of the Augustinians who served Cork over the years and centuries.<\/p>\n

No fewer than four choirs sang \u2013 the Carrigaline Gospel Choir, the City of Cork Male Voice Choir, the One Voice Choir, and the Augustinian Church Choir.<\/p>\n

\" Four choirs joined together to sing an emotional rendition of ‘The Banks of My Own Lovely Lee’ during the final Mass at St Augustine\u2019s Church in Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson<\/p>\n

Strange though it might seem, by the time Communion was being served, the place was rocking. \u2018Amazing Grace\u2019 was followed by \u2018You Raise Me Up\u2019, and the \u2018Battle Hymn of the Republic\u2019.<\/p>\n

And before you could say \u201cfollow that\u201d, the church\u2019s barrel roof was metaphorically raised with a full-throated rendition of \u2018De Banks\u2019.<\/p>\n

The final blessing was delivered by Bishop Buckley.<\/p>\n

Final Mass at St Augustine’s Church in Cork<\/p>\n

\"AA choir member sings during the emotional final Mass at St Augustine\u2019s Church. Picture: Chani Anderson\"StSt Augustine’s Church choir mistress Peg Bolton and choir member Marie Finn were honoured for their 50 years in the choir during a visit to Cork in 2007 by Robert Prevost\u00a0\u2014 now Pope Leo XIV \u2014 alongside his fellow Augustinians, Fr Jerry Horan, Fr Pat Moran, and Fr Michael Brennock. Picture: Gerard Bonus\"ReadingsReadings are delivered as the congregation occupied every available space inside the packed St Augustine\u2019s Church in Cork on Sunday. Picture: Chani Anderson\" The congregation found every available space to sit in St Augustine\u2019s Church for its final Mass amid the soaring temperatures. Picture: Chani Anderson\"TheThe congregation at St Augustine\u2019s Church in Cork city centre. Picture: Chani Anderson\" The gifts are brought to the altar during the final Mass at St Augustine\u2019s Church. Picture: Chani Anderson\"AroundAround 2,000 people packed into St Augustine\u2019s Church in Cork on Sunday for its final Mass, filling every pew, aisle, and other available space. Picture: Chani Anderson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"St Augustine\u2019s Church seats 1,200, but with Sunday\u2019s faithful literally out the doors onto Washington St and the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":546424,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[12780,79,61,60,43,6318,12785],"class_list":["post-546423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ireland","tag-catholic-church","tag-cork-news","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-news","tag-pope-leo-xiv","tag-religion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/546423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=546423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/546423\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/546424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=546423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=546423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=546423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}