Church leaders disapprove of the concelebrated Easter Mass in Drogheda, but what do locals think, asks Rosita Boland
'Had this been flagged in advance, it would have a been a big media affair on the day," says Fr Iggy O'Donovan, a priest at the Augustinian priory in Drogheda. The "this" which Fr O'Donovan is referring to is the fact that on Easter Sunday, Mass was concelebrated at the priory by three Catholic priests, including himself, and Rev Michael Graham, Church of Ireland rector of St Peter's in Drogheda. The Mass, which took place before a crowded congregation, including 20 from St Peter's, may not have been a big media event on the day, but it certainly became one this week.
On Tuesday, both the Catholic and Church of Ireland Primates of All Ireland expressed their unease with the interdenominational concelebrated Mass, which they had not been made aware of in advance. The Catholic Primate and Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Séan Brady, said that there was "a real danger of causing widespread confusion, raising false hopes and creating situations that are open to misunderstandings and manipulation".
The Most Rev Robin Eames, the Church of Ireland Primate and Archbishop of Armagh, said: "Such occasions, while well-intentioned, can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations at a time when relations between our churches have improved so much."
On Thursday, Fr O'Donovan is in the Augustinian presbytery's living room, sorting through some of the items which had been brought up to the altar four days previously as offertory gifts: a national flag, an army helmet, a lifejacket. In his homily to the congregation on Sunday, he said: "The dwindling of numbers who practise their faith today, especially in the western world, is forcing us to ask the difficult and painful question: What is God's spirit saying to us about the future? . . . Speaking a few days ago our Taoiseach expressed the hope that our commemoration would be inclusive, reaching out to all our people of whatever religion, culture or tradition . . . The fact that our celebration [ at the priory] is inclusive reflects how mature our society has become."
Fr O'Donovan's fellow Augustinians with whom he concelebrated the Easter Mass, Fr Richard Goode and Fr Noel Hession, are temporarily away from Drogheda. As a result, Fr O'Donovan is continually interrupted by phone calls.
"The most unlikely people are suddenly discovering an interest in theology," Fr O'Donovan observes dryly, as the phone rings yet again. "For the last couple of days, the air has been crackling with theological energy. Words like transubstantiation are being thrown into the argument. It's highly technical language that doesn't belong in ordinary discourse. It's a gross over-simplification to say that the difference between the Catholic church and the Church of Ireland is based on this alone."
Fr O'Donovan admits, however, that he did not seek permission for the concelebrated Mass, and he is not surprised by the media attention that has ensued. Nor is he surprised at the reaction from his ecclesiastical superiors, saying that he thinks they are justified in publicly voicing their concerns about the Mass.
"Whatever about the spirit of the [ canon] law, the Mass was a breach of the letter of the law," he says calmly. "I will treat any communication from either Dr Séan Brady or Rev Robin Eames with the greatest of respect." Then he says, "Symbolic statements can be very strong."
Outside on shop Street, the 50-plus members of the congregation from the 11 o'clock Mass are leaving the priory, the altar of which is still decorated with its white and yellow Easter flowers.
"I'm very surprised by the negative reaction from the church about Sunday's Mass," says Frank Millar from Mornington in Drogheda. "I thought in this day and age we were all supposed to be more ecumenical. We should be made to feel that there is nothing wrong in attending other churches." He is untroubled by the fact that a Church of Ireland clergyman is not meant to participate in a Catholic transubstantiation.
"Rev Graham was only a concelebrant to the Mass. The other three, the majority, were Roman Catholic," he points out. "So what's the problem?"
Josephine Gahan, who was also in the congregation, does not agree. "People don't properly understand canon law nowadays. They think that that Mass was an ecumenical service, and it wasn't," she says, straight out. "I was very surprised that a member of clergy from another denomination was allowed to take part in the consecration of the Mass. Only a priest ordained in the Catholic faith can do that."
"We should pray for poor Father Iggy," adds Gahan, "that he will see the light and understand canon law. He was totally out of line in my opinion."
Anne Hayes, another parishioner, is also unhappy about the Easter Sunday Mass. "We believe as Catholics that Jesus is physically present during the Mass and Protestants don't believe that. How could we get together as one church community on something as important as that? Father Iggy took the law into his own hands and that's a very dangerous thing to do."
The Mayor of Drogheda, Tommy Murphy, a local Fiánna Fáil councillor, attended the Easter Sunday Mass at the invitation of the Augustinians. Several of his fellow councillors, along with representatives from the local Garda, nursing staff from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, former servicemen, and people from the Boyne Fisherman's Rescue, were also present by invitation.
"That church was jam-packed," says Cllr Murphy, at his office in Drogheda. "I'm very surprised at the reaction from the Primates over the Mass. To the ordinary person out there, I don't think it makes any difference who celebrates Mass. Are we not moving on? I do believe that there has to be a change in the church in general. In-fighting with religion has the world the way it is today. Maybe this Mass is the best thing that's happened for ages - it's getting religion debated on the front pages of newspapers again."
Michael Holohan, a composer and musician living in Drogheda, was also at the Easter Mass, and is in complete support of it. "For me, it was all about the holistic approach - communally, spiritually and artistically."
And theologically? "I had absolutely no problem with Rev Graham being involved in the consecration."
Rev Michael Graham was not answering his rectory phone this week. His son came to the door of the family home on Thursday and told The Irish Times that his father was not available for comment.
Hazel Spearman is a parishioner of St Peter's Church and attended the Sunday Mass in the priory. "Rev Graham told us about the Mass the Sunday before, and told us we'd be welcome," she says. "We wanted to support him, and so we went."
She is not surprised by the attention the Mass has attracted. "I knew it would certainly not go unnoticed." She participated in the offertory procession by being one of the two to take up the communion bread and wine. "It was a very meaningful Holy Communion for me, and it was the first time I had taken it in a Catholic church."
Spearman is untroubled by the public reaction to the Mass from the Primates. "They are the church leaders, and they have to be seen to be toeing the line."
She hopes that there will be a return service next Easter, when members of the Catholic church will come to St Peter's. "Isn't it a hell of a lot better," she adds, "than hacking the heads off each other?"