Sadly, our holy water fonts in the church had to be emptied at the start of the present emergency because using the font could transmit the virus from one person to the next person putting a finger in. However there is no harm in taking holy water home and we are always encouraged to sprinkle this sacramental liberally.

Today I filled the three Holy Water bins in the church and imparted the traditional blessing from the Latin Ritual which involved blessing salt first, then blessing the water before mixing both.  These are the prayers which have been in use for a thousand years and are strangely appropriate to this crisis. Here are extracts:

BLESSING OF THE SALT.
‘O salt, creature of God, I exorcise you by the living God, by the true God, by the holy God, by the God who ordered you to be poured into the water by Eliseo the Prophet so that its life-giving powers might be restored. I exorcise you so that you may become a means of salvation for believers, that you may bring health of soul and body to all who make use of you, and that you may put to flight and drive away from the places where you are sprinkled every apparition, villainy, and turn of devilish deceit, and every unclean spirit, adjured by Him Who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen.’
BLESSING OF THE WATER
‘O God, Who for the salvation of mankind has built Thy greatest mysteries on this substance, water, in Thy kindness hear our prayers and pour down the power of Thy blessing + into this element, made ready for many kinds of purifications. May this, Thy creature, become an agent of divine grace in the service of Thy mysteries, to drive away evil spirits and dispel sickness, so that every-thing in the homes and other buildings of the faithful that is sprinkled with this water may be rid of all uncleanness and freed from every harm. Let no breath of infection, no disease-bearing air, remain in these places. May the wiles of the lurking Enemy prove of no avail. Let whatever might menace the safety and peace of those who live here be put to flight by the sprinkling of this water, so that the healthfulness, obtained by calling upon Thy holy name, may be made secure against all attack. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.’

From an email issued by the Bishop of Cork & Ross at 7.50 pm on Sunday 15th.

Weekday Masses as usual on Monday 16th . No public Masses on St Patrick’s Day and after that no public weekday Mass (starting Wed 18th.)

Masses will not cease being offered. We need more Masses now than ever. I will be offering at least one private Mass each day for the intentions of all in this critical situation.

Stations have also been suspended.
Our Eucharistic Adoration will continue as long as feasable, while the numbers of adorers remains at the usual two or three maximum per hour and provided physical separation is observed.  The situation will be monitored and Diocesan or HSE directives may force changes anyway.

OUR CHURCH WILL REMAIN OPEN ALL DAY, EVERY DAY
unless there is a directive to the contrary.