The Last Mass at St. Augustine’s

It was announced a few months ago that St. Augustine’s Church in Cork City would close on July 12th, with a final mass at 11:30 that morning. I arrived around 11:20, curious to see what it would be like, only to see every space on every bench taken and people standing at the back of the church. And people were still arriving as we left a moment later.

One wonders if churches around the city noticed a drop in attendance yesterday. It’s been a long time since Irish churches were this packed for a regular mass.

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