CHURCH volunteers in Letterkenny “scrubbed up” on Sunday before giving out Communion in a bid to stifle the spread of the coronavirus.
The highly unusual move by St Eunan’s Cathedral was taken following the first confirmed case of the virus in the state.
Information sheets were issued to parishioners outlining the precautions being taken by the church. In line with directions issued by the HSE, holy water fonts remained empty and the sign of peace where mass-goers traditionally shake hands was suspended.
Addressing the congregation at the start of noon mass, Fr Philip Kemmy said the hand washing exercise was one of a number of measures being put in place by the church to help tackle the infection which has now claimed close to 3,000 lives worldwide.
Telling those gathered that it was important “not to panic but be prudent”, Fr Kemmy said, “The grey and blue sheets you see will provide you with the information regarding what we are doing to minimise the spread of the coronavirus.
“We are doing our bit to ensure that it is spread as little as possible by us or through us and you may have noticed that there is no holy water in the fonts. So you won’t be coming in and dipping your fingers in the fonts for the next few weeks at least.
“By taking these extra precautions we will be keeping the virus as far away as possible. You will also see a little bit of a change up here today in us scrubbing up and getting ready for the distribution of Holy Communion. We have to take these precautions and we know it will be greatly appreciated by you and by the wider church community.”
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